Business
Vision:
Social Sciences (Business, Health and Social Care, Psychology and Sociology) are a broad range of real world subjects, which give students knowledge of how to be a kind and well rounded human beings, and improve their community. While studying business, students experience enjoyable lessons which challenge their understanding of how to work with others in workplace settings, how to analyse theories of motivation and marketing and how to develop academic literacy in writing business plans and numeracy when analysing profit. We encourage students to be ambitious in their learning by tackling difficult topics such as the marketing mix or analysing the different processes involved in small enterprises compared to multinationals, and outside of their learning in their career goals to study Business at degree level and working for the largest companies in the world or becoming successful entrepreneurs. Students studying Business are expected to be determined to complete all work to the best of their ability and to meet their academic goals. We want Business students to leave the course with a shrewd business acumen and an ability to work with people from all walks of life.
GCSE https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/gcse/business-8132
A Level https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/as-and-a-level/business-7131-7132
BTEC Level 2 Technical Business and Enterprise https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-technicals/business-enterprise.html
Yearly Intent Statements
What are the aims of specific stages of the curriculum?
Year 10: By the end of Year 10 business students should be able to explain what business is and the varying types of business and enterprises in action. Students will be able to express reasons people start businesses and how businesses change. Students will be able to analyse different influences on business such as technology, ethical and environmental issues and the economic climate. Students will be able to apply these ideas to real world businesses. Students will have an understanding of what human resources are and how to best motivate employees to create a healthy and productive environment.
Year 11: By the end of Year 11 business students should have extended their understanding of what business is and the influence on business. They will be able to to analyse the effective methods of business operations and critically assess methods of marketing. Students will leave Year 11 Business being able to articulate cash flow processes within businesses, be able to complete financial calculations such as percentage increase in profits and average rates of return and analyse the financial performance of a business.
Year 12: BTEC Level 2 Technical Business and Enterprise: Students complete this course in Year 12 alongside GCSE English and Maths. The course lasts a year. By the end of the year students should understand what the characteristics of an enterprising employee are and the skills and behaviours needed to be a successful member of the workforce. Students will be able to communicate with a range of people and have the ability to conduct research and complete projects. Students will gain knowledge of business and enterprise, business planning, marketing and pitching an enterprising idea.
Year 12: A level By the end of Year 12 business students will be able to express a clear understanding of why businesses exist, the importance of business objectives and how the external environment can impact how a business is run. Students will understand the role of leadership within running the business and making strategic decisions based on leadership style and stakeholders. Students will be able to critically analyse the effectiveness of marketing strategies and market research. They will be able to come to realistic conclusions based on the value of the research. Students will also be able to calculate the labour productivity of their team and how to increase the efficiency and productivity of a business. Students will use their knowledge of analysing data to analyse financial performance of businesses. Finally students will leave Year 12 being able to make strategic human resource decisions in order to improve business designs, improve motivation and employer and employee relations.
Year 13: A level By the end of Year 13 business students will develop their understanding of the organisations and functions of business to assess the strategic position of business and internal and external factors that can impact the success of the business. Students will develop an understanding of strategic direction in business including how to decide which markets to compete in and what products to offer. Students will then understand how to pursue those strategies by assessing changes in scale and innovation. Finally students will understand how to manage and implement change in the business environment.
Rationale behind sequencing:
Year 10
Students are taught unit 1 business in the real world first as before students can understand any influences on business, they must understand what business is. Students are then taught unit 2: influences on business. This builds on the students' understanding of what business is. All other topics build on these two core units. Unit 4: human resources is taught after Unit 1 and 2 as it allows students to understand how people work within businesses and the importance of recruiting and motivating staff. This needs to be understood before students can understand how the business functions within society, Unit 3: business operations. Students follow Unit 4 with Unit 3: business operations as they will have an understanding of how to create and manage a team. This means they will be able to learn about how to get the team to work together to best run a business, manage production, stock and quality.
Year 11
As all units revolve around Unit 1 & 2 these continue to be built on in Year 11. Students will be able to create links between good HR and good customer service. Once students understand how to make a product and work with a team they are then able to understand the importance of marketing this product therefore Unit 5: Marketing and Unit 6: Finance are taught next. As students will have two business teachers for Year 11, one will teach marketing and the other finance. These are 2 units that students find difficult so completing them throughout the whole of Year 11 to coincide with each other and allow for explicit links to be made. Additionally, this will allow for more practice of financial calculations to build confidence and success. .
Year 12 Level 2 (1 Year course) BTEC Level 2 Technical Business and Enterprise
This course consists of four units.
Unit 1 The Business Enterprise Environment
Unit 2 Researching a Concept for a New or Revised Product or Service
Unit 3 Promoting and Financing an Enterprise Idea
Unit 4 Planning and Pitching an Enterprise Idea
Students studying Unit 1 (the externally assessed unit) from September to Christmas, for 75% of their learning time. This ensures that the key concepts can be reinforced through learning activities and providing the building blocks for the next units. Additionally, students can sit the exam early and the course which gives them time for a resit if necessary. Alongside Unit 1 students will also study Unit 2: Researching a Concept for a New or Revised Product or Service. Unit 2 provides critical underpinning knowledge for Unit 1 (as well as Units 3 and 4) therefore it is imperative that the beginning of Unit 2 is taught alongside Unit 1. From January until February students complete unit 2 and produce their assignment.
Unit 2 must be delivered prior to Unit 3, as learners will need to decide what their enterprise idea will be and its suitability. They will then go onto consider the promotion and financing for their enterprise idea in Unit 3 and, finally, will plan and consider how to pitch their enterprise idea in Unit 4. Therefore, the order of internally assessed units (2, 3 and 4) follows this sequence. There are however overlaps of unit content
with Units 2, 3 and 4 within Unit 1.
Year 12
The AQA A level in Business builds on GCSE business. Students do not have to have studied Business at GCSE to study it at A level. As with the GCSE course, the A Level is designed to have units that build on each other. Students have to have completed ‘Unit 1: what is business’ and unit 2: management and decision making before starting the functional areas as this basic knowledge feeds into all other units. Unit 3: Marketing is taught after units 1 & 2 as students find it relatable to units to their experiences which allows them to create real world links. Following Unit 3, Units 4, 5 and then 6 are taught consecutively as they lay the foundations for Year 2 units and all link back to Unit 1 and 2 to reinforce learning.
Year 13
In Year 13 units 7-10 cover business development. They are delivered in the logical order for developing a business and making changes. To be able to make improvements in business there needs to be an understanding of where the business currently is (Unit 7: analysing the strategic position of business) this unit reflects on the business as a whole therefore linking to units 1-6. Then a decision needs to be made about the direction the business will go (Unit 8: choosing strategic direction). Following this decision, managers need to establish how to meet the goals for the business (Unit 9: strategic methods) and then preempt any problems that may occur with the new direction (Unit 10: managing strategic change). Each unit also links back to the core units studied in Year 12 which increases retrieval practice and builds connections.
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Autumn 1 |
Autumn 2 |
Spring 1 |
Spring 2 |
Summer 1 |
Summer 2 |
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Year 12 |
1)What is business? |
2)Managers, leadership & decision-making |
3) Decisions to improve marketing performance. |
4) Decisions to improve operational / production performance. |
5) Decisions to improve financial performance. |
6) Decisions to improve human resources performance. |
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Year 13 |
7) Analysing the strategic position of business (where are we now?) |
7) Analysing the strategic position of business (where are we now?) |
8) Choosing strategic direction (where do we want to go / be?) 9) Strategic methods (how do we get there?) |
10) Managing strategic change (what if things go wrong? what is plan B?) |
Exam preparation |
N/A |
