BBC Education
BBC Education
Business & Economics
Curriculum Intent
Our aim in Business and Economics is to offer a diverse, high quality curriculum relevant to the dynamic business environment that supports students in developing their economic well-being in line with the school philosophy of learning for life.
We offer a three year Business GCSE that provides our students with time to build deeper knowledge and take advantage of personal enrichment and entrepreneurial opportunities. In the Sixth Form the department offers a variety of courses including the traditional academic A-levels of Business and Economics and the more vocational BTEC Business. The varied subject offering provides stretch and challenge, extra-curricular industry experiences and caters for all learning styles to enthuse students in pursuing academic excellence.
The real world nature of the subject provides regular opportunities to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which are an integral part of our day to day work, whether in discussing the ethics in globalisation, the motivation and leadership theory involved in the treatment of workers or the role of technology in business interaction.
The department’s skilled professional practitioners create a safe but challenging environment that encourages our students to be resilient, reflective and to improve their own metacognition.
Course Information
GCSE Course
The Business Department offers AQA GCSE Business which is worth one GCSE. This course encourages pupils to consider the practical application of business concepts. The specification looks at the issues in starting up a business and then in a larger growing firm. It focuses on the key functional areas of Marketing, Finance, Human Resources and Operations. The course provides students with a holistic view of the major issues that face modern businesses
Exam board: AQA
Exam Code: 8132
Exam Board web site: www.aqa.org.uk
Assessment method: GCSE Business Studies is assessed by two external examinations both sat at the end of Year 11
GCSE Business Scheme of Work overview 3 year course
Year 9
Section 1
Business in the real world
Autumn Term
Section 1
Business in the real world
Enrichment Activity
Spring Term
Section 2+4
Influences on Business
Human Resources
Summer Term
Year 10
Autumn Term
Section 3+4
Business Operations
Human Resources
Spring Term
Section 3+4
Business Operations
Human Resources
Enrichment Activity
Summer Term
Section 5+6
Marketing
Finance
Year 11
Autumn Term
Section 5+6
Marketing
Finance
Spring Term
Section 3+4
Marketing
Finance
Review Sections 1-6
Summer Term
Section 5+6
Review Sections 1-6
Sixth Form: A Level
In the Sixth Form the Business & Economics department offers three courses:
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Edexcel A level Business
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Edexcel A Level Economics
1. A-level Business
Exam board:Edexcel
Exam Code: 9BS0
Exam Board web site: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/business-2015.html
Entry requirements: Six 9-4 Grades at GCSE, including English Language & Mathematics at grade 5
Business is a popular academic course that is firmly grounded in the reality of the dynamic business environment. Students will learn subject content alongside real business events such as the global recession, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the leadership of great entrepreneurs such as Lord Alan Sugar and Sir Richard Branson to bring theory to life. The subject explores the challenges and issues of managing a business and examines the different functional areas including Human Resources, Finance, Marketing and Operations. Business also looks at the external influences on a firm such as the economy and the strategies businesses devise to deal with them.
Students of this course study business in a variety of contexts (eg large/small, UK focused/ global, service/manufacturing)
Qualification at a glance:
Students are introduced to business in Themes 1 and 2 through building knowledge of core business concepts and applying them to business contexts to develop a broad understanding of how businesses work.
Breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, with applications to a wider range of contexts and more complex business information, are developed in Themes 3 and 4, requiring students to take a more strategic view of business opportunities and issues.
Assessment
A-Level (Code:7132)
A-Level Business Scheme of Work Overview
Year 12
1. What is business?
2. Managers, leadership and decision making
3. Decision making to improve marketing performance
Autumn Term
4. Decision making to improve operational performance
5. Decision making to improve financial performance
Spring Term
6. Decision making to improve human resource performance
Revision
Start Year 2 theory : 7. Analysing the strategic position of a business.
Summer Term
Year 13
Candidates will be expected to use all of theory from Year 1 in their three A-level papers
7. Analysing the stategic position of a business
8. Choosing strategic direction
Autumn Term
8. Choosing strategic direction
9. Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
Spring Term
9. Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
10. Managing strategic change
Revision
Summer Term
2. A-level Economics A (2015)
Exam board: Edexcel
Exam Code: 9EC0
Exam Board web site: http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html
Entry requirements: The standard college entry requirements, including at least a B grade in Maths and English Language. A high average GCSE score is also required and will be discussed on interview.
Economics is a rigorous academic subject which is well respected by both universities and employers. Therefore to be successful it requires dedication and a great deal of time spent on mastering the theory. It requires a good level of numeracy and literacy skills including equations, calculations, working with statistical data and a large amount of interpreting and manipulating graphs and models.
Economics is the study of how people choose to use resources, including land, buildings, labour, equipment, tools and knowledge. Should we devote more resources to healthcare or to defence? Should we use resources to produce more cars or to produce more iPods? Individuals have to make decisions as well. Should I spend my income on a new kitchen or on a holiday? Should I go to university or go straight into employment?
The aim of the subject is for students to understand how economic decisions are made and how economics can help to solve problems like pollution, unemployment and inefficiency. Economics requires students to think analytically and form opinions on the key economic debates of the moment.
Students study micro and macroeconomics. Microeconomics addresses individual markets and issues such as: ‘Why are house prices so high?’, ‘Can pollution effectively be controlled?’ and ‘Should governments interfere with markets?’. The macroeconomic issues look at the whole economy and cover: ‘Why does the government have an inflation rate target and how does it affect us?’, ‘What happens to the economy if people decide to spend more?’ and ‘How are we affected by the Chinese and Indian economies?’
Subject Content
Assessment
A-Level Economics Scheme of Work Overview
Year 12
Theme 1:Introduction to markets and market failure
Microeconomics(Theme 1)
-Nature of Economics
-How Markets work
-Market failure
-Government intervention
Autumn Term
-Market failure
-Government Intervention
Theme 2: The UK economy - performance and policies
Macroeconomics (Theme 2)
- Measures of economic performance
-Aggregate supply
-Aggregate demand
-National Income
-Economic Growth
Spring Term
-National Income
-Economic growth
-Macroeconomic objectives and policy
Start A2 Content:
Theme 3: Business behaviour and the labour market
-Business Growth
Summer Term
Year 13
Theme 3: Business behaviour and the labour market
Microeconomics (Theme 3)
-Business growth
-Business objectives
-Revenues, costs and profits
-Market structures
Autumn Term
-Market structures
-Labour market
Theme 4: A global perpective
Macroeconomics (Theme 4)
- International economics
-Poverty and inequality
-Emerging and developing economies
-The financial sector
Spring Term
-Government intervention
-The role of the state in the macroeconomy
Summer Term
BTEC National in Business Economics Scheme of Work Overview
Year 12
Exploring Business (Coursework)
Autumn Term
Exploring Business (Coursework)
Developing a Marketing Campaign (Task)
Spring Term
Developing a Marketing Campaign (Task)
Personal and Business Finance (Examination)
Summer Term
Year 13
Personal and Business Finance (Examination)
Autumn Term
Recruitment and Selection Process (Coursework)
Spring Term
Recruitment and Selection Process (Coursework)
Potential retakes for:
Personal and Business Finance (Examination)
Developing a Marketing Campaign (Task)