Business Studies

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The ICT / Drama / and Business Studies faculty aim to develop a curriculum that considers, and is relevant to, students’ context. Students will grow in self-confidence through their learning, using skills of enquiry and developing a natural curiosity.

Pupils will learn about what business is, what entrepreneurs do and how businesses plan and organise their activities. Topics include production/operations, marketing, human resources, accounting and finance. Learn about the Business Studies curriculum and how homework is set below:

Year 10

Term 1

Small Business Enterprise

  1. Purpose and nature of businesses
  2. Reasons for starting a business
  3. Basic functions and types of business sectors
  4. Setting business aims and objectives
  5. Stakeholders
  6. Business enterprise and entrepreneurship
  7. Business Planning
  8. Dynamic nature of business/Influences on business
  9. Changing business environment due to:
    • Economic situation
    • Environmental expectations
    • Competitive environment
Homework: A number of short exam-related homework tasks are set throughout the term and there will be an exam questions on each individual topic area section.
How to help: Help your child by encouraging them to watch any business-like television programme, Dragon’s Den/The Apprentice/How it’s made to name a few and by making them aware of the businesses you use in daily life. GCSE BBC Bitesize and Tutor2u websites are great for extra online practice.

Term 2

  • Business Ownership
  • Sole traders
  • Partnerships
  • Private limited companies
  • Public limited companies
  • Not-for-profit organisations
  • Business Expansion
  • Methods of expansion/economies and diseconomies of scale
  • Influences on Business
  • Globalisation
  • Ethical behaviour
  • Technology
  • Sustainability – global warming/scarce resources
  • Business Operations
  • Production processes
  • Role of procurement
  • Concept of quality
  • Good customer service
Homework: A number of short exam-related homework tasks are set throughout the term and there will be the introduction of exam questions on each topic.
How to help: Help your child by encouraging them to watch any business-like television programme, Dragon’s Den/The Apprentice/How it’s made to name a few and by making them aware of the businesses you use in daily life. GCSE BBC Bitesize and Tutor2u websites are great for extra online practice.

Term 3

  • Marketing
  • Identifying and understanding customers
  • Segmentation
  • Purpose and methods of market research
  • The elements of the marketing mix
  • Exam technique will be developed throughout Y10 but expectations will be increased further in this term.
  • Short answer technique
  • Extended answer technique
Homework: Controlled Assessment – research
How to help: Encourage and help your child to extend their primary research portfolio by taking them to appropriate local businesses, where they can gather additional information from professionals.

Year 11

Term 1

  1. Human resources
  2. Organisational structures
  3. Recruitment and selection of employees
  4. Motivating employees
  5. Training
Homework: Controlled Assessment tasks. Past paper exam questions on each topic.
How to help: Encourage your child to complete all homework set and to prepare a serious revision study plan in preparation for mock examinations in December. Website revision sites (copy issued to all students) should be used at this time.

Term 2

  1. Finance
  2. Sources of finance
  3. Cash flow
  4. Financial terms and calculations
  5. Analysing the financial performance of a business
Homework: Past paper examination work.
How to help: Encourage your child to complete all homework set and to prepare a serious revision study plan in preparation for mock examinations in December. Website revision sites (copy issued to all students) should be used at this time. www.tutor2u.net and GCSE Bitesize

Term 3

• Exam technique and Exam revision
– Quizzes
– Online application question/answer practice
– Written question/answer practice
– Past paper practice
Homework: Past paper examination work.
How to help: Encourage your child to be prepared ahead of examinations – prepare study notes and question them about these to see if they understand. Keep them calm and relaxed before the examination.