Business Studies

Intent and Aims

Our department intent is that students will leave Key Stages 4 & 5 enthused and inspired by Business. The qualification will provide students with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to prepare them for running their own company, employment in the Business sector or Further Education. Students will study a mix of knowledge and applied skills through taught content, research and enterprise activities, linking the business world to real world skills such as Financial Management and Communication. We also want to develop personal skills relevant to the business world such as: real-world responsibilities, decision making, teamwork, proactivity, problem solving, negotiation, delegation, project and time management, leadership and innovation.

  • Enthuse students with a passion to work, excel in the career choice they make and prepare students for the real world of work.
  • Provide an understanding of how businesses operate in the domestic & international market.
  • Ensure pupils leave school understanding how decisions businesses make impact and vice versa.
  • Enable students to understand what finance options are available to them and when.
  • Promote Further Education within Business Studies.
  • Develop vocabulary and understand terms used in the Business world.
  • Link theoretical ideas to real world issues and applications.
  • Identify and relate with theories and formulae to then analyse the impact on a business.
  • Argue a balanced case in order to justify a decision with evidence.
  • Develop skills in extended writing through analysing and evaluating.
  • To develop and embed hard work and discipline.
  • Assessment is through task–based assignments so learners can demonstrate their knowledge and skills in work–related scenarios.
  • This highly motivating, creative approach to teaching Business and Enterprise will encourage your students to explore the world of Business and what makes or breaks an enterprise.

Key skills

  • Use Business terminology to identify and explain business activity.
  • Apply Business concepts to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
  • Develop problem solving and decision-making skills relevant to Business.
  • Investigate, analyse and evaluate Business opportunities and issues.
  • Make justified decisions using both qualitative and quantitative data including: its selection, interpretation, analysis and evaluation and the application of appropriate quantitative skills.
  • Analyse the impact of factors/theories/concepts learnt and make a judgement on which factors would have the greatest impact.
  • Develop transferable skills - research and data analysis in order to interpret their findings.
  • Develop planning and research, presentation, communication and self–reflection skills.
  • Interpret and use promotional and financial information in relation to a given enterprise
  • Make connections between different factors influencing a given enterprise.
  • Advise and provide recommendations to a given enterprise on ways to improve its performance.

 
Key concepts

  • The interdependent nature of business activity, influences on Business, Business operations, Finance, Marketing and Human Resources and how these interdependencies underpin business decision making
  • How different Business contexts affect Business decisions and apply the accurate information/data knowledge learnt to real life businesses.
  • The use and limitation of quantitative and qualitative data in making business decisions and to use this data to solve problems/answer questions/form conclusions.
  • The characteristics of enterprises.
  • How Market Research helps enterprises meet customer needs and understand competitor behaviour.
  • The factors that contribute to the success of an enterprise.
  • Elements of promotion and Financial Management.
Our programmes of study

To ensure a broad and ambitious curriculum, the course is designed so that components build on each other as students grow in confidence. This allows students to embed their knowledge whilst giving opportunities to put into practice what they learn. This conceptual study, alongside practical application, leads to the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and technical skills through vocational contexts. Tasks are tailored so that students apply their knowledge to a real-life scenario within the local, national and international community context. To enable a deep understanding, teachers will use numerous Business examples and articles to illustrate topics being taught and how they are evident in the world we live in.

Throughout Key Stage 4 there is a lot of personal development, this includes SMSC through looking at moral dilemmas, effects of an ageing population, recognition of the work health and social care staff carry out daily, values, attitudes and beliefs about what is right or wrong, impact of day to day decisions individuals make in their lives, understand the impact of many factors on health and wellbeing, understanding how society influences people’s lives in many ways, considering questions on identity, belonging and behaviour, developing tolerance and respect for all and acceptance of those with differences. The course will allow for students to develop personally through Interpersonal skills: communication, teamwork, leadership, Task Management: time management, negotiation, delegation and Managing yourself: proactivity, determination, resilience.

Literacy is taught through developing a broad vocabulary, inferring meaning from a variety of sources, evaluating different interpretations, writing precisely and explaining own demonstrations. Oracy is improved as confidence is built whilst demonstrating care values, evaluating other people’s performances, adapting talk to suit a context and actively listening to others. Students are also encouraged to read around their subject. To support literacy and our disadvantaged students, we focus strongly on key term booklets throughout each topic and at the start of the course an overview is given which include concepts and vocabulary that will be taught. Literacy is taught through a variety of approaches including: spelling/key terms test & homeworks, the use of topic debates and discussions, the modelling of PEEL/PEACH/PECAN PIE paragraphs and providing sentence starters.

Each unit is assessed in a formal end of unit test (QMA). To support students, they are a mixture of MCQs, short mark questions (2-4 marks), extended writing questions to analyse and evaluate (9+ marks).

View full programmes of study

View Enrichment