Business Curriculum Overview 2022
Departmental Staff
| Ms H Kempin | Curriculum Leader (Business) |
| Mr K Grewal | Law / Business Studies |
| Mr L Wharton | Business Teacher |
The vision of the department for all pupils is as follows:
- Achieve your best
- Have high expectations
- Be ambitious
As a set of staff we are committed to provide the best education possible in our respective subjects. We aim to not just match targets – but to exceed them. The department is based in 4 specialist ICT rooms and 1 specialist classroom.
Key Stage 4 (year 9 – 11)
GCSE Business Studies – Edexcel
Who will be teaching me?
The course is delivered by staff who have a wealth of experience of Business Studies, all have an excellent knowledge of the course and requirements of the exam boards all of which is backed up with practical experience in the business industry which enables students to draw links from theoretical concepts and really life experiences, which is used to inspire students and support progress. The department prides itself on providing excellent support to all its students.
What will I study Year 1
Theme 1: Marketing and people
- Meeting customer needs
- The market
- Marketing mix and strategy
- Managing people
- Entrepreneurs and leaders
Theme 2: managing business activities
- Raising finance
- Financial planning
- Managing finance
- Resource management
- External influences.
What will I study Year 2
Theme 3: Business decisions and strategy
- Business objectives and strategy
- Business growth
- Decision-making techniques
- Influences on business decisions
- Assessing competitiveness
- Managing change.
Theme 4: Global business
- Globalisation
- Global markets and business expansion
- Global marketing
- Global industries and companies (multinational corporations).
How will I be assessed?
Paper 1: Questions drawn from Theme 1 and Theme 4 (35%)
Paper 2: Questions drawn from Theme 2 and Theme 4 (35%)
Paper 3: Will assess content across all four themes. Based on a pre-released theme which changes each year (30%)
All paper are 2 hours, 100 marks are available
Career paths
The skills gained on a GCSE Business course allow you to build commercial awareness and start contributing to your chosen employer quickly and effectively. Industries as diverse as chemicals, utilities, fashion, health, grocery and construction all require managers with a clear understanding of systems, efficiency and operational issues. Opportunities exist in management and analytic roles with employers in the private, public and voluntary sectors.
Key Stage 5 (Year 12 – 13)
Three courses are offered in Business and Law. Applied General in Business, A-level Business Studies and A-level Law.
A-level Business
Course description
Students of this course should study business in a variety of contexts (eg large/small, UK focused/
global, service/manufacturing) and consider:
- the importance of the context of business in relation to decision making
- the interrelated nature of business activities and how they affect competitiveness
- the competitive environment and the markets in which businesses operate
- the influences on functional decisions and plans including ethical and environmental issues
- the factors that might determine whether a decision is successful eg the quality of data and the degree of uncertainty
- how technology is changing the way decisions are made and how businesses operate and compete
- the impact on stakeholders of functional decisions and their response to such decisions
- use of non-quantitative and quantitative data in decision making (including the interpretation of index numbers and calculations such as ratios and percentages).
What will I study?
Year 1
- What is business?
- Managers, leadership and decision making
- Decision making to improve marketing performance
- Decision making to improve operational performance
- Decision making to improve financial performance
- Decision making to improve human resource performance
Year 2
- Analysing the strategic position of a business
- Choosing strategic direction
- Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
- Managing strategic change
How will I be assessed?
Paper 1: Business 1
- Written exam: 2 hours, 100 marks in total, 33.3% of A-level
- Three compulsory sections:
- Section A has 15 multiple choice questions (MCQs)worth 15 marks.
- Section B has short answer questions worth 35 marks.
- Sections C and D have two essay questions (choice of one from two and one from two) worth 25 marks each.
Paper 2: Business 2
- Written exam: 2 hours, 100 marks in total, 33.3% of A-level
- Three data response compulsory questions worth approximately 33 marks each and made up of three or four part questions.
Paper 3: Business 3
- Written exam: 2 hours, 100 marks in total, 33.3% of A-level
- One compulsory case study followed by approximately six questions.
How will I develop over the two years?
Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyse data, think critically about issues and make informed decisions – all skills that are needed for further study and employment.
Potential Career paths
Business Studies is an ideal prelude to any business degree. It also allows students to gain an understanding of the business skills that are transferable to the outside world.
Applied General in Business
Course description
In the qualification, the learner will cover topics such as:
- the role of finance in planning an enterprise, analysing and making financial decisions
- how business organisations use the human, physical and financial resources at their disposal to achieve their dynamic goals
- the nature of enterprising behaviour and how this can be personally utilised to best exploit entrepreneurial opportunities within specific market conditions.
- Each unit is based on four key business themes: people, markets, finance and operational delivery, which ensure that the qualification has a synoptic approach to learning. Each of the qualification’s units address aspects of these key themes to ensure that learning content is coherent and joined up.
What will I study?
Year 1
- Financial planning and analysis
- Business dynamics
- Entrepreneurial opportunities
Year 2
- Managing and leading people
- Developing a business proposal
1 unit from the 3 below:
- e-Business implementation
- Managing an event
- Marketing communications
How will I be assessed?
- Financial planning and analysis – External examination – 1 hour 30 minutes examination
- Business dynamics – Internally centre assessed
- Entrepreneurial opportunities (synoptic assessment unit) – External assignment
- Managing and leading people – External examination – 1 hour 30 minutes examination
- Developing a business proposal – Internally centre assessed
Optional
- e-Business implementation – Internally centre assessed
- Managing an event – Internally centre assessed
- Marketing communications – Internally centre assessed
How will I develop over the two years?
The Applied General in Business course will give learners the opportunity to learn and understand a broad range of business and entrepreneurial knowledge and skills associated with working within a business enterprise. The learner will understand the way in which any venture in business (big or small) is a function of the relationship between its people, its marketing, its finance and its ability to deliver operationally upon its commitments.
In the AS qualification, the learner will undertake a programme of assessment designed to assess not only their business knowledge and understanding, but also the way in which this knowledge and understanding can be applied to shape their practical skill in thinking and realising their own plans about business. Unit 3 Entrepreneurial opportunities is the synoptic assessment unit which enables learners to demonstrate this practical initiative.
The A2 qualification offers the learner the opportunity to build on the knowledge and understanding gained in the Certificate qualification (eg Managing and developing people begins to address key areas in the management and leadership of business staff) and also build on their business idea developed in the Certificate qualification. Unit 5 Developing a business proposal is the synoptic assessment unit. Drawing on skills and knowledge from all other units, it enables learners to build their business idea into a concrete proposal.
Potential Career paths
The skills gained on an Applied General in Business course allow you to build commercial awareness and start contributing to your chosen employer quickly and effectively. Industries as diverse as chemicals, utilities, fashion, health, grocery and construction all require managers with a clear understanding of systems, efficiency and operational issues. Opportunities exist in management and analytic roles with employers in the private, public and voluntary sectors.
A-level Law
Course description
Both AS and A2 Law is a popular choice in sixth form. Pupils further develop their understanding of cases relating to issues that are prevalent in today’s society. The course demands that pupils understand legal history, legal framework and how judgements have been applied in various cases.
What will I study?
- Law Making and the Legal System
- The Concept of Liability
- Criminal Law (Offences against the person) or Contract
- Criminal Law (Offences against property) or Tort and Concepts of Law
How will I be assessed?
AS Level
Unit 1 – LAW01
- 50% of AS, 25% of A-level
- Externally assessed examination, 1 hour 30 minutes
- 96 marks
- Candidates answer questions on three topics
Unit 2 – LAW02
- 50% of AS, 25% of A-level
- Externally assessed examination, 1 hour 30 minutes
- 94 Marks
- Candidates answer questions on two scenarios.
A2 Level
Unit 3 – LAW03
- 25% of A-level
- Externally assessed examination, 1 hour 30 minutes
- 80 marks
- Candidates answer three questions on one scenario
Unit 4 – LAW04
- 25% of A-level
- Externally assessed examination, 2 Hours
- 85 Marks
- Candidates answer two questions on one scenario and one essay question
How will I develop over the two years?
The study of law helps develop the learner’s analytical ability and critical thinking. It also develops problem solving skills through the application of legal rules. The AS specification is split into two modules of equal weighting. The first module develops knowledge and understanding of the Legal System, together with an evaluation of its operation and performance. The module is in two sections that reflect the previous papers 1 and 2, thus retaining choice for candidates. The second module replaces and expands the options of the previous paper 3. It introduces substantive law and requires simple application of aspects of criminal and civil law. There is now a choice of area of civil law to be studied – tort or contract.
The A2 specification develops the knowledge and skills acquired at AS. The first A2 module retains the format of the previous specification, whilst developing the content to continue to provide a good grounding in knowledge and evaluation of either criminal law or contract law. The main developments are the inclusion of evaluation of the defences in criminal law and aspects of consumer law being introduced in contract law, as well as the inclusion of discussion of possible reforms of the current law. The second module retains the choice between criminal law and the law of tort, but replaces the evaluation of the substantive law with an investigation into the concepts of the law which was a feature of the previous specification, paper 6.
Potential Career paths
Study at AS/A2 level provides a useful background for the further study of law either as the main subject or subsidiary part of a degree, foundation degree or for the many professional qualifications which have a law component.
