Business
Key Stage 4
Pearsons BTEC Tech Award in Enterprise
COMPONENT 1 Exploring Enterprises (Internal, externally moderated)
Learning outcomes
- Understand how and why enterprises and entrepreneurs are successful.
- Understand customer needs and competitor behaviour through market research.
- Understand how the outcomes of situational analyses may affect enterprises.
COMPONENT 2 Planning and Presenting a Micro Enterprise Idea (Internal, externally moderated)
Learning outcomes
- Choose an idea and produce a plan for a micro-enterprise idea
- Present a plan for the micro-enterprise idea to meet specific requirements
- Review the presentation of the micro-enterprise idea to meet specific requirements
COMPONENT 3: MARKETING AND FINANCE FOR ENTERPRISE ( External Exam)
Learning outcomes
- Marketing activities - Learners will explore the activities of the marketing function including, develop a marketing mix, marketing campaigns and factors that influence the choice of marketing methods. They will also analyse the importance of brand image and reputation in attracting and retaining customers of enterprises.
- Financial documents and statements - Learners will complete and interpret financial documents, payment methods used by enterprises, complete and interpret financial statements for enterprises. Learners will also explore how these financial statements could be of interest to the stakeholders of an enterprise and develop skills in calculating and interpreting profitability and liquidity ratios.
- Financial planning and forecasting - Learners will explore the range of budgets used by enterprises, calculate simple budget figures and comment on the results.They will complete and interpret cash flow forecasts and statements, identifying possible issues and reasons for negative cash flows and suggesting solutions.Learners will calculate the break-even point and margin of safety, construct and interpret a break-even chart, and recognise the strengths and limitations of break-even analysis.
Syllabus link: BTEC Tech Award in Enterprise
Edexcel GCSE Business
Theme 1: Investigating Small Businesses - (Paper 1 External Exam, 50%)
1.1 Enterprise and entrepreneurship – students are introduced to the dynamic nature of business in relation to how and why business ideas come about. They also explore the impact of risk and reward on business activity and the role of entrepreneurship.
1.2 Spotting a business opportunity – students will explore how new and small businesses identify opportunities through understanding customer needs and conducting market research. They will also focus on understanding the competition.
1.3 Putting a business idea into practice – this topic focuses on making a business idea happen through identifying aims and objectives and concentrating on the financial aspects.
1.4 Making the business effective – students will explore a range of factors that impact on the success of the business, including location, the marketing mix and the business plan.
1.5 Understanding external influences on business – students are introduced to a range of factors, many of which are outside of the immediate control of the business, such as stakeholders, technology, legislation and the economy. Students will explore how businesses respond to these influences
Theme 2 Building A Business - (Paper 2 External Exam, 50%)
2.1 Growing the business – students are introduced to methods of growth and how and why business aims and objectives change as businesses evolve. The
2.2 Making marketing decisions – students will explore how each element of the marketing mix is managed and used to inform and make business decisions in a competitive marketplace.
2.3 Making operational decisions – this topic focuses on meeting customer needs through the design, supply, quality and sales decisions a business makes.
2.4 Making financial decisions – students will explore the tools a business has to support financial decision making, including ratio analysis and the use and limitation of a range of financial information.
2.5 Making human resource decisions – growing a business means that decisions relating to organisational structure, recruitment, training and motivation need to be made to influence business activity.
Syllabus Link: Edexcel GCSE Business
Key Stage 5
BTEC Level 2 Technical Certificate in Business Enterprise
This is a 1 year course, taken in Year 12, designed for those who did not meet the entry requirement for A level or a BTEC L3 course. Students will be given the opportunity to re-sit their GCSE English or maths when taking this course.
Course Content
Unit 1: The Business Enterprise Environment ( External Online Exam)
Unit 2: Researching a Concept for a New or Revised Product or Service Unit ( Internal)
Unit 3: Promoting and Financing an Enterprise Idea Unit ( Internal)
Unit 4: Planning and Pitching an Enterprise Idea ( Internal)
Syllabus link: BTEC Level 2 Technical Certificate in Business Enterprise
Pearsons BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business
Course Content
Year 12
- Unit 1 Exploring Business (Internal)
- Unit 2 Developing a Marketing Campaign (External Exam)
- Unit 3 Personal and Business Finance (External Exam)
- Unit 5 International Business (Internal)
- Unit 8 Recruitment and Selection Process (Internal)
- Unit 14 Investigating Customer Service (Internal)
- Unit 16 Visual Merchandising (Internal)
Level 3
Unit 4 Managing and Event (Internal)
- Unit 6 Principles of Management (External Exam)
- Unit 7 Business and Decision Making (External Exam)
- Unit 9 Team Building in Business (Internal)
- Unit 18 Creative Promotion (Internal)
- Unit 19 Pitching a New Business Idea (Internal)
- Exploring Business
- Developing a Marketing Campaign
- Personal and Business Finance
- Managing and Event
- International Business
- Creative Promotion
- Recruitment and Selection Process
Year 13
- Principles of Management
- Business and Decision Making
- Recruitment and Selection Process
- Team Building in Business
- Investigating Customer Service
- Pitching a New Business Idea
- Market Research
Syllabus Link: BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business
A level in Business AQA
This course is assessed through 3 external exam papers equally weighted.
Course Content
Year 12
1 What is Business
2 Managers, leadership and decision making
3 Decision making to improve marketing performance
4 Decision making to improve operational performance
5 Decision making to improve financial performance
6 Decision making to improve human resource performance
Year 13
7 Analysing the strategic position of a business
8 Choosing strategic direction
9 Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
10 Managing strategic change
Syllabus Link: AQA A level Business 7132
Independent Learning Resources
BTEC Tech Award In Enterprise
Component 3 Revision Guide by PG Online
GCSE Business
Revision World GCSE Business Past Papers
BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business
A level Business
Models, Theories and Framework Handbook A level Business
Careers Advice
Enrichment Activities
All staff in the business department are committed to providing students with enrichment opportunities that will help them apply their classroom learning in the real world of business and enterprise.
The Business Show
The Business Show provides a platform for entrepreneurs looking to start a business or SMEs looking to grow and develop their business. Our students have the opportunity to network with entrepreneurs who have been successful as well as find opportunities to set up their own SMEs. They attend the keynote speeches on how to develop a successful business and meet famous entrepreneurs from Dragons Den and The Apprentice TV Shows.
Annual Trip to the University of Cambridge
We want our students to have high aspirations. To encourage them, students are given the opportunity to take a tour of the university campus and attend a lecture combining the topics of science and industry. Students also take part in a workshop in which they develop skills in writing a personal statement for an application to Oxford and Cambridge.
SASS Pop Up Enterprises
The Business Department offers opportunities for students to apply what they learn in class and encourages students in Key stage 3 to take part in the Enterprise Club. Students set up micro enterprises within the school to raise money for charity. They undertake market research to select a business idea, fund and source supplies, promote their enterprise and apply financial skills to minimise cost and maximise profits. Students on the BTEC National Business course set up enterprises as part of their assessment for unit 4 Event Management.
Here are some of the promotional materials for the enterprise events.
