Business – GCSE

Year 10.

Big Picture – Intent: Students will work through topics 1.1 – 1.5 of Business Theme 1 (Paper 1). 

Students will build up a knowledge of what it takes to setup a new business and the risks involved for start-ups and small businesses. They will understand how the elements of the external environment impact small businesses decision making. 

Topic 1.1 Enterprise and Entrepreneurship – students will learn about 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.

 Topic 1.2 Spotting a Business Opportunity – students will learn about how new and small businesses identify opportunities through understanding customer needs and conducting market research. They will also focus on understanding the competition. 

Topic 1.3 Putting a Business idea Into Practice – this topic focuses on making a business idea happen, students will learn about aims and objectives of small businesses, how small businesses source finance and will work through revenue, costs, profit, breakeven, cash flow, interest concepts and calculations. 

Topic 1.4 Making the Business Effective – students will learn and explore a range of factors that impact on the success of a small business, including location, the marketing mix and the business plan.

Topic 1.5 Understanding External Influences on Business – students will learn about the impact of a range of external 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 small businesses respond to these influences. 

All students will be able to access the main content of all lessons and all students will be taught to the top with scaffolding, adaptive teaching and stretch and challenge provided where necessary.

Year 11

Big Picture – Intent: Students will work through topics 2.1 – 2.5 of Business Theme 2 (Paper 2). 

The year 11 programme is focussed on how businesses develop with an emphasis on how larger businesses organise their business operations.

Topic 2.1 Growing the business- students will learn and explore the process of how to grow a business including business aims and objectives, business and globalisations and ethics, the environment and business.

Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions- Students will learn how business may choose to market themselves including the design mix, the marketing mix and product life cycle.

Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions – Students will explore and learn about methods of production, stock managing stock, working with suppliers and managing quality.

Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions- Students will learn about business calculations, business performance and how to interpret data.

Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions – Students will learn and explore organisational structures, effective recruitment, training and development and motivation.

All students will be able to access the main content of all lessons and all students will be taught to the top with scaffolding, adaptive teaching and stretch and challenge provided where necessary. 

Students will work through the 5 topic areas during year 10 and again in year 11 reflecting regularly on their knowledge and understanding throughout.

Each topic provides opportunities to build up skills through practical and theoretical activities. Each unit will conclude with a formal in class assessment.

Assessment 1 will focus mainly on explain (3 mark question). Assessment 2 will include  discuss, analyse (6 mark questions). Leading to the students completing justify (9 mark questions) and evaluate (12 marks questions) in the later assessments.

Students will work in groups, communicating with each other, demonstrating high levels of leadership and organization. A key focus will be made on understanding key terminology and command verbs, along with regular opportunities to challenge student’s ability to apply knowledge to extended answer questions. 

Directing students to re-visiting prior knowledge (via knowledge organisers ) will formulate most of the home learning, this will be followed up by retrieval activities.