Business Studies

Head of Department: Mr Miller

The Business Department aims to develop young people as Business specialists and Entrepreneurs. Through the study of A level Business, students will discover how businesses operate, from start-ups to multinationals. Business equips students with a range of transferable skills that will prepare them for the world of work such as problem solving, independence, employability and teamwork.

What we think is important about our subject?

With the ever growing emphasis on schools preparing students for the world of work, Business equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to have a broad understand of how businesses work from different perspectives. Students will develop the necessary research, communication and transferable skills they need in order to be tomorrow’s business leaders.

There is a strong literacy and numeracy focus within Business, allowing students to apply these skills in different business scenarios. Students learn and apply a number of financial models. For example students have to research a business idea and the resources required, work out costings, marketing strategies and potential revenues. From this they would then create cash flow forecasts, break even charts, income statements and statements of financial positions. These research and problem solving skills are developed in an engaging way.

In Business students are required to work independently and develop their communication skills by presenting to the class. This builds resilience and confidence in our students. Through the development of case studies students develop their IT and communication skills which is transferable to other subjects across the school and beyond their time at school.

Intent at KS5

The Business curriculum aims to deliver an innovative teaching and learning opportunity that fuels risk-taking and energetic entrepreneurship for the future of the local, national and global economy. We aim to promote a love of learning by encouraging students to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about business and the economy. We ensure all pupils develop a deep knowledge, backed up by a strong conceptual understanding and achieved through the quality of teaching. The professional working environment challenges all learners to explore and apply different perspectives in order to answer questions about the world around them. High levels of teaching and learning enable students to apply the language of business and understand how they can draw on their full potential in Business to make a positive contribution to society.

The programme of study supports students in becoming aware of current affairs in business and economics and gives them a framework to question how this affects them and other members of the community. This ensures that teaching reflects the moment and helps to bring learning to life. Active use of IT and quality local and national media supports this objective of developing active learners, who are engaged in the ever-changing world.

Implementation

The heart of what we do in the department lies in collective, comprehensive and rigorous curriculum preparation. To ensure that students have a thorough knowledge of the requirements and are willing to go beyond what is taught in lessons, we use all available tools and strategies. Techniques are incorporated in the curriculum to improve long-term memory and help students master subject material. These centre on embedding challenges, metacognition, methods of memory, numeracy and literacy into our departmental curriculum. Assessment of and assessment for learning are embedded in classroom pedagogy. 

To compliment the schemes of work, students also engage in Business through a large variety of contemporary sources; being such a ‘living subject’, current podcasts, documentaries and quality print media further support students in developing a comprehensive understanding. These activities allow students to gain valuable insight into the subject and the demands of the examination.

Impact

Student progress will be partially demonstrated by their ability to articulate their thorough understanding of the course and how individual units fit into the broader business landscape. Their deep understanding of how personal performance in assessments compares against their individual target is key. The willingness of students to express their interpretation and the results of the tests will reflect student development. In their reflection work, they will also have the opportunity to demonstrate a deeper understanding, in which they respond to feedback offered by their teacher. Feedback in Business is formative and designed specifically to highlight improvement opportunities in a timely way in a way that builds rapid development.

Data obtained from mock exams and previous papers helps students to see if they are progressing as the year continues. The employability skills that students have cemented in KS5 will then be directly transferable to further study, as well as ensuring our learners are prepared successfully for the world of work. A thorough understanding of the corporate and public employment landscape helps our young people to make choices that are relevant to their context, enabling them to have both the ability and skill set to do what matters most.