CURRICULUM INTENT
Our intent within Business is to provide pupils with a high quality education which allows pupils to succeed in a society driven by economics and which enables them to live a life in all its fullness.
Our broad curriculum allows pupils to develop their curiosity in business by investigating how communication is critical within an enterprise, the role marketing plays and how human resources plays a key role in developing, reinforcing and changing the culture of an organisation
We celebrate the uniqueness of each pupil who studies in our department and our safe learning environment allows pupils to develop confidence and attempt a range of learning activities without fear of making mistakes.
Pupils can opt to study GCSE Business at GCSE. Edexcel Business is course suitable for anyone who has a keen interest in business, learning about how a business is set up and what makes a good entrepreneur.
No prior knowledge of business is needed, however pupils should enjoy:
- Communicating and explaining your ideas
- Thinking creatively and making decisions
- Working with numbers to solve business problems
- Learning about the world of business through real and relevant local and international brands.
Pupils are assessed through two written exams taken at the end of year 11. Topics covered in the exam are as follows:
Exam 1 - Investigating Small Businesses - 1.5 hours (50%)
- Topic 1.1 Enterprise and entrepreneurship – students are introduced to the dynamic nature of business in relation to how and why business ideas come about. They also explore the impact of risk and reward on business activity and the role of entrepreneurship.
- Topic 1.2 Spotting a business opportunity – students will explore how new and small businesses identify opportunities through understanding customer needs and conducting market research. They will also focus on understanding the competition.
- Topic 1.3 Putting a business idea into practice – this topic focuses on making a business idea happen through identifying aims and objectives and concentrating on the financial aspects.
- Topic 1.4 Making the business effective – students will explore a range of factors that impact on the success of the business, including location, the marketing mix and the business plan.
- Topic 1.5 Understanding external influences on business – students are introduced to a range of factors, many of which are outside of the immediate control of the business, such as stakeholders, technology, legislation and the economy. Students will explore how businesses respond to these influences.
Exam 2 - Building A Business - 1.5hours (50%)
- Topic 2.1 Growing the business – students are introduced to methods of growth and how and why business aims and objectives change as businesses evolve. The impact of globalisation and the ethical and environmental questions facing businesses are explored.
- Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions – students will explore how each element of the marketing mix is managed and used to inform and make business decisions in a competitive marketplace.
- Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions – this topic focuses on meeting customer needs through the design, supply, quality and sales decisions a business makes.
- Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions – students will explore the tools a business has to support financial decision making, including ratio analysis and the use and limitation of a range of financial information.
- Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions – growing a business means that decisions relating to organisational structure, recruitment, training and motivation need to be made to influence business activity. These aspects are considered in this final topic.
Learning Schemes