Business
Business, in a commercial landscape where the pace of change is ever increasing, offers the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the real world and analyse causes and effects on an individual, company and global scale.
Students will gain an in-depth understanding of why and how businesses operate through the internal functions of Finance, Marketing, HR and Operations and how they adapt to and interact with the many external influences on all stakeholders.
Creative and enterprising students are encouraged to develop key skills in critical thinking, communication, organisation, teamwork and problem solving, all of which are highly relevant in taking forward to further study and the future workplace.
Key stage 4 (years 10 & 11)
Students follow the OCR GCSE syllabus with 5 hours of lessons per fortnight.
In Year 10 topic areas studied comprise
- Business activity
- Marketing
- Human Resources
In Year 11 topic areas studied comprise
- Operations
- Finance
- External influences on business
- The interdependent nature of business
Over the whole course students complete end of unit tests in class. Internal grade indicator exams are taken at the end of Year10 and a mock exam in December of Year 11. Final exams take place with 2 Papers sat at the end of Year 11.
Key stage 5 (years 12 & 13)
Students follow the AQA A level Business syllabus with 8 hours of lessons per fortnight split between 2 teachers. Key objectives are
To develop students knowledge and understanding in the following areas
- The nature of Business
- Leadership and decision making
- Marketing
- Operations
- Finance
- Human Relations
In each area the knowledge and analysis skills acquired in Year 12 are extended in Year 13 to add application to current business in the real world and to enable a more strategic and evaluative overview.
To develop students skills in the following areas
- Use of key business vocabulary throughout the course
- Independent research to enable high quality application to current business scenarios
- Analysis of data to construct balanced written arguments
- Use of evidence to promote reasoned, informed debate
- Evaluation of the internal and external influences on businesses and their impact on individuals, producers and the government on a local, national and international level
Over the whole course students complete timed end of unit tests in class with directed exam style questions outside lessons. Internal grade indicator exams are taken at the end of Year 12 and in January of Year 13. Final exams take place with 3 Papers sat at the end of Year 13.
Additional Opportunities
Business offers opportunities at KS5 to
- participate in an inter-school Young Enterprise initiative in which teams of students set up and manage their own business
- undertake an optional trip to New York and Washington as part of the school calendar.