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Diploma in Business and Management

At Earlscliffe, we believe in empowering students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to succeed – not just in school, but in the real world of business and entrepreneurship.

Earlscliffe Diploma in Business and Management offers a one-year, intensive and highly practical alternative to traditional A-levels, and is formally equivalent to two A-levels.

A Modern Approach to Business Education

Designed with the needs of global learners in mind, the Diploma is internally assessed using a combination of written tests, presentations and a course portfolio, making it ideal for students who prefer continuous assessment over final exams.

English for Academic Purposes and an A-Level must be studied alongside the Diploma.

Students graduate with a Pass, Merit, or Distinction, depending on their performance across six engaging and practical modules:

› Managing business operations

› Maximising resources to achieve business success

› The business environment

› Managing people in organisations

› Working in teams

› Effective business communications

Each module develops both academic understanding and real-world skills, laying a strong foundation for undergraduate study and future careers.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

One of the highlights of the Diploma is the annual study trip, which brings the marketing module to life. Students visit European businesses, gaining firsthand insights into how companies operate, innovate, and compete in today’s global marketplace.

These experiences are integrated into students’ marketing projects and deepen their understanding of international business practices.

University Progression

Accredited by ATHE, the Diploma is recognised by many reputable UK universities, including Royal Holloway, University of London, and the University of Kent.

Our graduates have gone on to study a wide range of business-related subjects at universities around the world. Here are just a few of their inspiring destinations:

Recent Student Destinations:

University of Exeter (UK) – Business & Management – Kyrylo (Ukraine)
Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland) – Hospitality Management – Sofia (Ukraine)
Globe Business College, Munich – Business – Cedric & Leander (Germany)
Oxford Brookes University (UK) – Business & Management – Ahmet Ege (Turkey)
Regent’s University, London (UK) – Business Management – Alan (Switzerland)
Royal Holloway, University of London (UK) – Business & Management – Tolga (Germany), Adejimi (UK), Afo (Nigeria), Andril (Ukraine)
University of Surrey (UK) – Business Management – Anton (Ukraine)
University of Westminster (UK) – Business Management – Aina (Ukraine), Casper (Germany)
University of the Arts London – Interior Design (Chelsea College of Arts) – Tom (UK),

A Gateway to Global Opportunities

Whether students are aiming to become future entrepreneurs, managers, or creative marketers, the Earlscliffe Diploma equips them with a powerful combination of academic depth, business insight, and practical experience.

With strong university progression routes and a curriculum tailored to real-world success, it’s the perfect springboard for ambitious international students.

Small class sizes and intensive teaching

Even in the most popular subjects we insist on small classes. The reason for having small classes is very simple. The greater the amount of individual attention that the student receives, the greater the chances are that the student will achieve better grades. In a small class, teachers are able to get to know the students, no student is a passenger and everybody has to contribute. In addition, small classes create safe environments in which students are more willing to participate.

We allocate intensive, lesson-based teaching to each chosen subject, and this is complemented by a student’s own dedication outside the classroom. In our rigorous and well-structured lessons, meaningful and positive relationships are built, a determined work ethic is created and each student achieves their full potential.

English language support

EAP (English for Academic Purposes) is a fundamental part of our school. The individual English language needs of each student are taken into account by their teacher and lessons are planned accordingly.

Our teachers are very experienced with EAP and they employ a wide range of methods to help support the development of the students’ English language skills.

The specifics of the support will depend very much on each students’ needs and the course they are doing. For example, GCSE students may have to read works of fiction and produce book reports, whereas A-level students will have to learn subject-specific terminology, in context, and take part in frequent vocabulary tests.

To find out more about teaching English at Earlscliffe please click here

Homework

Homework is completed in the evenings and at weekends. Students are allocated at least two hours each evening as quiet study time in their rooms, which is supervised by their House Managers. While many students do less homework on Saturdays, almost all students use Sundays to do some serious, extended study in their own time.

Each course module has an extended reading section, with books, articles and texts recommended as additional reference material. This information will be given to the students by the subject teachers and is also available on the school’s Independent Study website. Students have access to daily newspapers and weekly journals like ‘The Economist’, ‘The New Scientist’ and ‘The Spectator’ – titles they should be reading in their free time to improve their understanding of the wider issues relating to their academic subjects.