Curriculum
Business Studies is a Key Stage 4 subject that students have the choice to study in Year 10 and 11.
The current year 11 students are following the BTEC Tech Award Enterprise. The students study component three where there learn about promotion and business finance. They then sit an external examination. They then move onto component two where they explore ideas and plan for a micro-enterprise, create a detailed business plan with projected financial documents and pitch their micro-enterprise activity Dragons Den style and evaluate their performance. An excellent way to demonstrate their newly acquired business skills.
At year 10 Students are now following the Edexcel GCSE Business 9-1 qualification. The qualification is split into two externally examined Themes. Theme 1: Investigating small business, to be studied during year 10 and Theme 2: Building a business, to be studied during year 11. The examination allows students to demonstrate their ability to recall, explain, apply, analyse and evaluate they key concepts that are explored during the two years of study.
Business education has the capacity to open several doors to our students. The programmes of study on offer all give students the opportunity to progress onto apprenticeships, Post-16 study and then onto university.
Thorns Business Department work closely with local businesses, we really appreciate their generosity of time and support given to our students. They are an invaluable resource in helping students experience the world of work outside the classroom and help them apply their knowledge to real life business scenarios in the local community. We have run a very successful Apprentice Competition with the generous support of Dave King, owner Soccer Kings, Amblecote. Our business classes competed to design and sell hoodies and raised thousands of pounds for Cancer charity. Dave King was our very own Lord Sugar in our boardroom and hired the winning student, offering a part time summer job.
More recently we have enjoyed the generous support of Darren Parker, Director of Transervice Training and business speaker, who has worked closely with Thorns Business Studies students, providing interactive workshops an insight into the haulage and distribution network, even bringing their training lorry on site for the students to experience first-hand and being filmed by the Road Haulage Association during National ‘Love Your Lorry Week’! A great day and very informative.
Business is an exciting and demanding subject that requires students to possess a strong work ethic as they embark on new challenges. We are positively recruiting ‘girls’ into our Business department to reflect the national shortage of Women in business and encourage our girls in realising their entrepreneurial and leadership qualities.
