Welcome to Business Studies

Meet our staff

  • Mrs D Bond (Head of Department)
  • Mr P Gould (Second in Department)
  • Mr P Crawford
  • Mrs M Higgins
  • Mr P Lynch
  • Mrs E Duffy
  • Mr I Daly

Downloads

Business - Retail Overview
Business - Retail Long Term Plan
Business - Year 12 & 13 Schemes of Work
Our curriculum is organised in such a way that it provides learners with the best opportunities to be successful in their learning. Our principles focus on depth not just breadth by creating a mastery within the curriculum, which stretches learners and accelerates their progress over their 7 year learning journey at our college. In this section of the website you will find the subject intent, implementation and impact.

Alongside this, are our long and medium term plans which enable all stakeholders to have a clear understanding of the content, knowledge and skills taught within this curriculum area. The long term plan also outlines the cultural capital experiences and career opportunities learners have within the subject, as well as our tailored approach to supporting learners’ metacognitive processes. Further to these documents, the discrete sequencing of lessons are in the College’s bespoke schemes of work that can be accessed through departments.

What exactly do they learn?

The main concepts of the course are to explore business enterprises, plan and pitch a business enterprise and develop skills and knowledge to enable you to finance and market a successful enterprise.

The long term plan for the course enables students to work through the process of identifying successful enterprises and the characteristics that are associated with that successful enterprise.  Then plan and pitch their own enterprise using some of the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the course.

There are many opportunities for students to develop knowledge and research skills and independently look at business texts either online or using business magazines and newspapers.

What did they learn at primary?

We welcome the year 5 and 6 students for Primary transition days were the students will take part in a marketing activity to design their own new product.

As Business Enterprise is not part of the National Curriculum the students may have been exposed to some aspects of enterprise within enrichment opportunities at primary school.

How do you measure attainment and progress?

The students are formally assessed twice a year.  This will be with a formal mock exam or in class assessment of the student’s coursework activities which will be marked and graded in accordance with the BTEC specification. The students all have the opportunity to attempt and achieve the merit and distinction grade work regardless of target grade.

The students all receive feedback on how they can move from a pass to merit or merit to distinction.  The students have the opportunity to improve and if the work is to the required standard the students overall grade improves.

What order do you teach things in and why?

The modules within the subject are taught so that the learners have the opportunity to learn about the different characteristics needed to be a successful entrepreneur before having the opportunity to plan and pitch their own ideas and develop the marketing and financial data to enable their own ideas to be successful.

The topic which is addressed throughout the course is finance, looking at profit margins and calculating different measurements of profit or loss.

What’s the purpose of teaching your subject?

The student’s knowledge and skills set improves and new skills are developed which include communication skills, presentational skills, team working, leadership, resilience and most importantly the students learn how to be and work independently.

All learners have the same opportunities within the subject regardless of gender, abilities, SEND etc.

How do you know that you have a ‘good’ curriculum?

The outcomes for the students are excellent with 100% of the students achieving a grade 4 or above.

The subject has a large percentage of the option group choosing Business Enterprise and also large groups in the sixth form opting to take A level and vocational business.

How do you enrich your subject outside the classroom?

The career opportunities are vast for business enterprise from owning your own business to managing a large international business. The enrichment opportunities can be accessed through enterprise activities, work experience and the many enrichment activities which are delivered on a yearly basis at school.