Business Studies Curriculum
Curriculum Intent – Content and Structure
The intended outcomes of what we teach:
We support students to achieve their full potential in the subject.
Students who study Business will finish their course with a desire to explore the subject further and foster their interest through uptake of related A Level courses such as Business and Economics. Economics students will also be provided with a broad understanding of how society works in the context of Business decision making, both on an individual and international level.
Year 10 is the start of our new GCSE Business Course.
Year 11 is the continuation of the BTEC Business Course.
Curriculum Implementation
Curriculum Content and Sequence
Year 10 - Start of GCSE Business
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| The characteristics of an Entrepreneur Market Research Cost, Revenue, Profits and Cash Flow | Business Location, Business Ownership and Business Plans The wider Economic Environment | Recap of Starting a Business Introduction to Theme 2: Growing a Business Business Ethics and the Environment |
Year 11 - Continuation of BTEC Business
Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Component 2 Task Write Up | Component 3 Promotion and Finance | Revision of Component 3 and Examination |
The Rationale for the Content and Sequence of what we Teach
Year | Why we Teach this Content and how the Content and Sequence of Topics Benefits our Students. |
Year 10(new GCSE Course) | Business is taught as a new subject in Year 10, therefore initial content in the first term is based around establishing the basic tools to assess the performance of a business. Where necessary, additional material is taught to allow students to put the curiculum content in context, for example: in the topic of franchises, many organisations with global recognition, such as McDonalds, are used. Some skills within Year 10 Business Studies require content first taught in other subjects, so some recapping is required, such as ensuring students are comfortable with percentage change. |
Year 11(continuation of BTEC Course) | The first term of Year 11 is used to complete a written business plan for the new business idea students explored in term 3 of Year 10. Students will then pitch their business plan in a video presentation. This report contributes 30% toward their final grade. Terms 2 and 3 in Year 11 are focussed on the topics of promotion and finance, which are key elements of Component 3 – the externally assessed module in the course. After the solid grounding that Component 1 and Component 2 provides in Year 10, students tend to find accessing this more complex content easier, and experience less cognitive overload. Students are externally assessed in May of Year 11, which makes up 40% of their final grade. |
Key Stage 4 (KS4) only:
What exam board/syllabus do you teach?
Edexcel (GCSE Course) and Edexcel BTEC Enterprise
Why have you chosen this syllabus?
GCSE - Structure of the examination suits the students in the way it is consistent across exam papers, which enables structures to be learned.
Scripts are easily able to assess and moderate marking. Results plus enable quick improvement of teaching and detailed exam analysis.
BTEC - The nature of the BTEC course suits our students and allows them to access a real applied understanding of Business and Enterprise. It’s assessment model is also inclusive and allows a range of students to achieve and access the curriculum.
In what ways is it suited to your students?
The nature of the assignments suits the prior knowledge and cultural capital of our students.
How do/will we ensure that teachers’ subject knowledge is continually developed?
P and E where moderation of marking takes place.
Attendance of Edexcel getting ready to teach CPD sessions.
Subscribed to Edexcel Subject Emails and Resources.
Curriculum Delivery
Subject: Economics
Intent
The subject specific habits and behaviours we develop (or intend to develop) in our students
Subject Specific Habits and Behaviours | How we embed these in our students |
| Use of context and data to support any arguments made in extended writing. Ensuring students are aware of current Business contexts examples | Discussions in lessons, peer marking guidance. Emphasis on including context in written work Questioning of students |
Academy Ethos
Academy Curriculum Intent | How our department’s curriculum content and teaching approaches reflect the whole Academy ethos |
| A curricular and pastoral commitment to Micah 6v8: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God High Expectations of students’ behaviour for learning, learning progress and respect for our community.
A commitment to develop knowledge, skills and character.
Highly skilled teaching which deepens understanding and stimulates curiosity.
Recognising and rewarding effective use of learning habits as well as academic achievement. | The consideration of justice and ethics in equality and ethics topics, non-financial objectives such as being environmentally are covered. Ethics and sustainability units make students more aware of the world around them. Stakeholder analysis further improves their ability to understand actions have consequences. Exchange rate simulation game introduces a level of challenge consistent with KS5 students while delivering a challenging topic. Regular assessments and low stakes testing ensure students are developing their knowledge. Follow Academy policies on behaviour, home learning, feedback and response to feedback. Sharing and discussion of lessons, for example sources of finance scenarios, which were created to engage critical thinking and enjoyment of a challenging topic. Early adoption of MS Teams showed collaboration with IT department. Knowledge of A Level Politics and Economics curriculum ensures a wide range of current affairs examples to stimulate curiosity. This is also the case in Key Stage 3 (KS3) Maths. Retrieval practice embraced and embedded within the subject. MS Teams and online resources prepared after using spec directly. Time set aside in P and E to write postcards rewarding learning habits. Focus on retrieval practice, such as the weekly knowledge quiz. |
Implementation
Academy Ethos
Micah 6v8: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God | ||||
Curriculum Content Opportunities | Curriculum Delivery Opportunities | |||
| Justice | KS4: Aims of being a business: Ethical considerations. The role of pressure groups in businesses. The characteristics of an entrepreneur, how capitalism is argued to give a just outcome for hard work. | Use of market trading games. Consideration of big business lobbying and whether regulatory outcomes are just. | ||
| Kindness | KS4: Providing a service, role of entrepreneurs. Effect of respectful customer service on repeat customers. | Outline the moral element of providing good working environments when teaching minimum wage and other HR considerations. | ||
| Humility | KS4: How honest self-appraisal and use of accurate market research can lead to more success. | Ability to take on feedback is vital when undertaking a BTEC extended project, including accepting ideas are not feasible. Students will be encouraged to take on the virtue of humility. | ||
Please click here to access the full Business Studies GCSE curriculum document.
Please click here to access the full BTEC Business Enterprise curriculum document.