Subject Leader:                   Miss C Treagus

Business Studies Teachers:   Mr Calver & Miss Perrin

Website:                  St Wilfrid's Catholic School - Business Studies

 

Overview 
In Business Studies we offer a range of academic and vocational subjects to meet different student’s needs.  We have highly equipped classrooms and the best most up to date resources to enhance teaching. 

 

Key Stage 3      
Not Applicable 

 

Key Stage 4 

In Business Studies students learn about 5 key areas of business, using up to date case studies and video media. 

 

• Businesses and their external environment - covering areas like the types of businesses that exist, the government and its impact on business, law and legislation and some basic economics. 
• Human Resources – how people are affected by business, organised and used in business as well as how they are paid and motivated. 
• Production – how companies make their products using people and machines. 

• Marketing – the art of the 4Ps – Price, Place, Promotion and Product - promoting and selling a business and its products and the media they choose to use. This unit is the basis for coursework. 
• Finance – where businesses get money from, how they manage it and where they use it.  Real Company accounts are used to analyse the performance of businesses. 

 

Students study the 9-1 GCSE which is assessed through 2 examinations at the end of Year 11. 

 

Key Stage 5 

The Pearson A Level in Business is designed to inspire, motivate and challenge students, it provides insight into, and experience of, how businesses work, and encourages students to engage with commerce in their everyday lives and to make informed choices about further study and about career choices. 

Through the study of A Level Business Studies students will gain an appreciation and understanding of how a business functions and achieves success in a global environment.  Students also learn how to make business decisions and solve problems, analyse business situations and create solutions to problems utilising business techniques.   

The course is composed of a variety of units as follows: 

 

UNIT NUMBER	Unit Content
Theme 1	Students will develop an understanding of: · meeting customer needs · the market · marketing mix and strategy · managing people · entrepreneurs and leaders.
Theme 2	Students will develop an understanding of: · raising finance · financial planning · managing finance · resource management · external influences.
Theme 3	This theme develops the concepts introduced in Theme 2. Students will develop an understanding of: · business objectives and strategy · business growth · decision-making techniques · influences on business decisions · assessing competitiveness · managing change.
Theme 4	This theme develops the concepts introduced in Theme 1. Students will develop an understanding of: · globalisation · global markets and business expansion · global marketing · global industries and companies (multinational corporations).

 

COURSE ASSESSMENT 

All of the units are examined through written assessment: 

 Paper 1 - Marketing, people and global businesses - 35% of total qualification.

Paper 1 will assess marketing, people and global businesses. Questions will be drawn from Themes 1 and 4, and from local, national and global contexts.

Paper 2 - Paper 2: Business activities, decisions and strategy - 35% of total qualification

Paper 2 will assess business finance and operations, business decisions and strategy. Questions will be drawn from Themes 2 and 3, and from local, national and global contexts.

Paper 3 - Paper 3: Investigating business in a competitive environment – 30% of total qualification

Paper 3 will assess content across all four themes. Questions will be drawn from local, national and global contexts.