Why study Business?

Business related courses are for students with inquisitive minds who want to learn how small businesses are set up and what it takes for an entrepreneur to be successful, how businesses are run and how they grow into multinational companies. Choosing Business allows students to specialise in one of three GCSEs which best suits their interests and needs. At the end of the course a student will be awarded one of the following GCSEs.

GCSE Business Studies

You will learn about how small businesses are developed and discover how businesses promote themselves and keep their customers happy. You will learn how businesses manage both their finances and the people who work for them.

GCSE in Business Communications

You will understand how important effective communication is to any business, learn what communication is and the different ways businesses communicate with people inside and outside the business.

GCSE Business and Economics

You will find out how to think like an economist and learn how the economy functions, the government’s role in the economy and its impact on business. You will also examine what causes businesses to fail and how businesses grow. You will study many issues within the world of business such as inequality.  It is our intention to always give students their first choice of specialism but this is not always possible. Regardless of the specialism taken, the assessment details remain the same as. We welcome  students onto our range of A Level routes from every GCSE specialism.

What will I study?

These qualifications have a common core unit, Unit 1, which all students take. Unit 1 focuses on starting a new business and important business issues such as marketing and finance. Students will learn:

• How to spot a business opportunity
• How to be enterprising
• How to put a business idea into practise
• How to develop an effective start-up business
• How economic and other external factors effect businesses

In Year 11 students will then specialise in one of the three qualifications and study:

Contact Miss Crossley, Miss Guest, Miss Robotham, Mr Ward or Mr Fowler with any questions.

How will I be assessed?

• A controlled assessment investigating, analysing and evaluating a small business – taking approximately 3 weeks of curriculum time in Year 10
• A 45 minute multiple-choice external examination in Year 11 based on Unit 1
• A 1 hour 30 minute written external examination in Year 11 based on chosen pathway.

What skills will I need?

The course is designed to encourage an investigative approach to some real world questions. Skills used include: data analysis and interpretation, group work, individual research, planning, report writing and identifying different perspectives.

There is some use of ICT involved in the course.  Although you don’t need any prior business knowledge to do this course, enthusiasm about the world of business and reading around the subject is key to success at GCSE. All three courses require students to produce extended written answers and be comfortable learning a wide variety of business and economic terms.

What happens in lessons?

Lessons are varied and active.  Over the course of a unit of work lessons will include:

• Working as a group to analyse a business scenario
• Role play considering different perspectives of stakeholder groups
• Independent research activities
• Studying real business situations
• Developing your own enterprising business ideas
• Podcasting and webcasting
• Taking part in business visits and talks from real business people.