Business and Economics
Acting Head of Department
Mr A Staff
astaff@commonweal.co.uk
Overview
Want to be the next Alan Sugar or Richard Branson? Or maybe set up your own small business in the future? Business Studies is the perfect option, whether you are an enthusiastic entrepreneur and want to know the ways you can set up a Business, or you are interested in finding out more about the UK Economy and what the future holds for us.
A famous quote from Bill Gates reads “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”. Within Business Studies we encourage students to become resilient and independent learners and to develop skills that will not only enable them to be successful at school but also in their future.
In class we expect students to work in groups and individually, taking part in a range of activities such as designing their own brands, carrying out market research, presenting ideas to their peers.
Top Tips to do well in Business and Economics
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Learn your key terms.
Business terminology is like a whole new language, you need to know the meanings of key terms from entrepreneur to exchange rates.
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Take advantage of trips.
We have an excellent 2 day trip to London where we visit the Bank of England, check out the customer service at Westfield Shopping Centre and take a tour of the London Financial District.
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Watch the news or download an app.
You will be surprised how much more you understand after a couple of weeks studying the subject. It is vital you have a good understanding of what is going on in the business world and the economy around us.
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Go above and beyond.
The best students ask questions, complete all their work to a detailed standard and reach the extension tasks in class.
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RCC.
Reason Cause Consequence, when you are answering a question remember to give your reason/point explain what that is going to cause and always remember to put the consequence on the business.
The Curriculum
GCSE Option for Year 10 and 11 students
There are three units that make up the GCSE in Business studies:
Unit 1 – Introduction to Small Business
Overview of content
- Spotting a business opportunity
- Showing enterprise
- Putting a business idea into practice
- Making the start-up effective
- Understanding the economic context.
Overview of Assessment
Examination: 45 minutes multiple choice questions (25% of GCSE)
Unit 2 – Investigating Small Business
Overview of content
- Same content as Unit 1
Overview of assessment
This unit is internally assessed under controlled conditions.
Students complete one Edexcel-set task with a total of 40 marks.
Research/investigation
Analysis/evaluation of task – final write-up (25% of GCSE)
Unit 3 – Building a Business
Overview of content
- Marketing
- Meeting customer needs
- Effective financial management
- Effective People Management
- The Wider World Affecting Business.
Overview of assessment
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes (50% of GCSE)
Both Unit 1 and Unit 3 Examinations are taken at the end of Year 11
Independent learning
There are four main types of homework:
Doddle. Each term all students across Year 10 and 11 will have independent Doddle assignments to complete. This is an excellent way to consolidate understanding of topics covered in class and is encouraging students to become independent learners.
Past Paper Questions. Once students reach Year 11 they will have weekly past paper questions to complete, these will then be marked and students can set SMART Targets on how to improve.
Revision and improvements. Whether you are working towards an assessment or a project, you will always need to go ‘above and beyond’ to improve their business knowledge.
Up to date with the news. Students are expected to watch the news on a regular basis or download an app to their phones. Especially on the run up to major events such as the Budget and EU Referendum.
Enrichment and trip possibilities
Year 10 Business Trip to London
Student have the opportunity to attend a two day trip to London where we have the opportunity to put some of the theory they have learnt in lessons in to practice.
Year 10 Young Enterprise
Excellent opportunity for students to work in teams and set up their own business, they take part in competitions, trade shows and events.
