Year 9
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the world of business and to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the economic environment in which businesses operate; the contribution that organizations make to the creation of wealth and the nature and role of enterprising and managerial behaviour. They will be asked to develop and create their own business plan. The members of each group will have to establish their own business identity and corporate image, as well as deciding on their product’s unique selling point. The groups will have to market themselves and their product, and try to make as much money as possible. The nature of the product is unimportant and they will be told what it is. Occasionally constraints will be put in their way – perhaps a new tax, a competitor from ‘overseas’ or new laws. They will have to work as a team to strict deadlines. Through this activity the students will learn about the challenges firms face in a competitive and dynamic global economy as well as the role of key functions such as finance, marketing, human resource management and production.
Year 10
Business Studies GCSE & Business Studies and Economics GCSE
These two GCSEs share the same core units (1 & 2) , which will be taught in Year 10. Students who want to understand how business grow and develop should choose Business studies, whilst those curious about the broader economic environment in which businesses operate should choose Busness Studies and Economics.
Assessment is through a mixture of examination and controlled assessment tasks.
Business and Communication Systems GCSE
This GCSE focuses on a few key business areas and combines ICT work and textbook theory. It is suitable for students who enjoy practical work.
BTEC Business
The BTEC First Certificate is designed for students who are capable of achieving A*-C grade GCSEs, but wish to focus on a work related vocational qualification. It is equivalent to 2 GCSEs (A*-C)