Department: Business
Curriculum Intention:
The aim of this course is to bring a "real life element" of the business environment into the classroom. It offers an excellent opportunity to learn about key business theories and apply them to a range of national and international organisations. This qualification builds a solid knowledge and understanding of current issues and business practices.
Curriculum Implementation:
- KS4
Style of Assessment:
The course will be assessed at the end of Year 11 through two equally-weighted written examinations. Both papers will consist of calculations, multiple–choice, short–answer and extended–writing questions. Students will be expected to have developed a secure understanding of a range of business theory and concepts to be able to discuss within extended-writing questions.
Overview of Course:
This challenging new specification is structured into two themes, taking students from how entrepreneurs start businesses (Theme 1) through to growing and global businesses (Theme 2).
Theme 1 topics include: enterprise and entrepreneurship, spotting a business opportunity, putting a business idea into practice, Making the business effective and understanding external influences on business.
Theme 2 topics include: growing the business, making marketing decisions, making product decisions, making financial decisions and making human resource decisions.
- KS5
Style of Assessment:
AQA specification introduces students to the challenges and issues of starting a business, including effective financial planning. It then focuses on how established businesses might improve their effectiveness by making tactical decisions at a functional level – whether they are a local, national or globalised organisation.
Year 1 units:
What is business?
Managers, leaders and decision making
Decision making to improve marketing performance
Decision making to improve operational performance
Decision making to improve financial performance
Decision making to improve human resource performance
Year two will continue to encompass the content above, and the following units:
Analysing the strategic position of a business
Choosing strategic direction
Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
Managing strategic chance
The A level is assessed by three written examinations (2 hours each), each worth 33.33% in May/June of Year 13.
Paper 1: 2 hr written paper consisting of multiple choice questions, short answer questions and one essay.
Paper 2: 2 hr written paper consisting of three data response questions.
Paper 3: 2 hr written paper consisting of approximately six questions based on one case study.
Monitoring and assessing curriculum impact:
- KS4
A successful GCSE Business student will already have a keen and curious interest in how businesses operate. You must be a motivated individual who is keen to work with others in paired and group work. You will have a genuine interest in following the news on a weekly basis in order to apply our theory to current business issues - this is a basic expectation. Programmes like Supershoppers, BBC Panorama, The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den are regularly viewed and reflected upon.
Learners are regularly assessed through a mixture of end on unit assessments, mock examinations, exam style questions and through continuous verbal feedback.
- KS5
You must be a motivated individual who is keen to work with others in paired and group work. An interest in how a business might start up, how it performs and is affected by society and economic conditions on a local, national and global context is important. You will have a genuine interest in following the news on a weekly basis in order to apply our theory to current business issues.
Learners are regularly assessed through a mixture of end on unit assessments, mock examinations, exam style questions and through continuous verbal feedback.
