Business Studies
“There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them.” – Seth Godin
Business Studies provides a foundation to all career paths. Someday it is inevitable that you will either be an employee or an employer. Studying Business enables you to see behind the organisation; whether it is a small business with one owner or a multi-national corporation.
Whilst studying business we will look at the power of marketing and how it has impacted on our society. Understanding the recruitment process will be looked at in depth and preparations for our own experiences. Being able to understand why firms make those decisions… Apple entering the TV market, Virgin selling its music stores, why Cadbury’s was taken over by Kraft!
The skills that are integrated within this GCSE include:
• Teamwork, which is essential when running a successful business,
• Problem Solving, this requires analytical skills which are important when understanding internal and external factors,
• Independence, challenges that have to be completed by being resourceful and resilient.
Sir Richard Branson: “My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself”
Year 9 (For 2015/16 only) |
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| Students follow the Business GCSE course. It is examined by Edexcel. Students have 5 lessons per fortnight and they will receive one piece of homework per week. | |
| Quarter 1 | The big business challenge (Coca Cola) / Starting a New Business |
| Quarter 2 | The big business challenge (Coca Cola) / Starting a New Business |
| Quarter 3 | Applied Marketing / Showing Enterprise |
| Quarter 4 | Putting an Idea into Practice |
Year 10 |
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| Students follow the Business GCSE course. It is examined by Edexcel. Students have 5 lessons per fortnight and they will receive one piece of homework per week. In Year 10 you will study an Introduction to Small Business which will look at spotting a business opportunity, marketing and financing small enterprises. Also in Year 10 you will complete a controlled assignment which is investigating a small business where you will research and write up your findings on a real business. | |
| Quarter 1 | Spotting a Business Opportunity / Showing Enterprise |
| Quarter 2 | Putting an Idea into Practice / Making a start-up effective |
| Quarter 3 | Understanding the Business Context / The wider world effecting Business |
| Quarter 4 | Controlled assessment / Full Unit 1 Mock exam |
Year 11 |
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| Students follow the Business GCSE course. It is examined by Edexcel. Students have 5 lessons per fortnight and they will receive one piece of homework per week. In Year 11 you will study building a business which focuses on the different functions within larger businesses and their role in making a business success. This is an examined unit which is worth 50% of your GCSE. | |
| Quarter 1 | 3.1 Marketing / 3.2 Meeting Customer Needs |
| Quarter 2 | 3.3 Effective Financial Management / 3.4 Effective People Management |
| Quarter 3 | 3.5 The Wider world affective Business / Exam Focus and Revision |
| Quarter 4 | Public Examinations |
Year 12 |
|
| Students follow the BTEC Business course (Level 3). It is examined by Edexcel and is coursework based with no external exams. Students have 8 lessons per fortnight and they will receive one piece of homework per week. | |
| Quarter 1 | Unit 1 – The Business Environment |
| Quarter 2 | Unit 1 – The Business Environment / Unit 2 – Business Resources |
| Quarter 3 | Unit 2 – Business Resources |
| Quarter 4 | Unit 3 – Introduction to Marketing |
Year 13 |
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| Students follow the Applied A Level Business course. It is examined by AQA. Students have 8 lessons per fortnight and they will receive one piece of homework per week. | |
| Quarter 1 | Business Planning (Coursework) |
| Quarter 2 | Marketing Strategy (Coursework) |
| Quarter 3 | Financial Accounting for Managers (External Test) |
| Quarter 4 | Examinations |
GCSE Edexcel Exam Board 1503:
| 5BS01 – Introduction to Small Business | Multiple choice = 40 marks45 Minutes
25% of GCSE |
Examined in Year 11 Summer exam series |
| 5BS02 – Investigating Small Business | Controlled Assignment = 40 Marks6 Hours Research, 3 hours write up
25% of GCSE |
Researched and written in the summer term of Year 10 |
| 5BS03 – Building a Business | Written Exam (Data Response)1 Hour 30 Minutes
50% of GCSE |
Examined in the Year 11 Summer exam series |