Est. 1921

Business

CURRICULUM VISION

INTENT:

What is the curriculum aim / vision for this subject?

To provide the students with an insight to how businesses operate within the real world and understand the integration of each of the functional areas.

Knowledge and understanding

Edexcel GCSE Business Theme 1 – Investigate small businesses and their impact on local communities in terms of providing relevant goods and services as well as employment opportunities. In addition the specification covers economic, legal and political decisions and their impact on business decisions.

Edexcel GCSE Business Theme 2 – looks at the broad aspect of business including national and international business.

Literacy – reading case studies and understanding the terminology.
Numeracy/Critical thinking – Calculation of revenue, profit, cash flow, investment, financial ratios, interest rates/APR. Using financial data to assess the performance of businesses, such as the success of Aldi and Lidl and the failure of Wonga and BHS.

IMPLEMENTATION:

How does learning develop over the years?

Edexcel GCSE Business

Theme 1 Year 10 – Investigating Small Business

Topic 1.1 Enterprise and entrepreneurship
Topic 1.2 Spotting a business opportunity
Topic 1.3 Putting a business idea into practice
Topic 1.4 Making the business effective
Topic 1.5 Understanding external influences on business.

Theme 2 Year 11 – Building a business

Topic 2.1 Growing the business
Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions
Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions
Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions
Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions

Year 11

R066 Market and pitch a business proposal

Be able to develop a brand identity and promotional plan to target a customer profile
Be able to plan a pitch for a proposal
Be able to pitch a proposal to an audience
Be able to review the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal and pitch

What principles have guided our decision making in developing this curriculum? What is distinctive about our curriculum?

The implementation of new specifications at KS4 has been the main guide in decision making.

Additionally, the courses provided at KS4 offer clear progression to A level courses that offered by the department AQA A level Business and Economics.

How is the timetabled curriculum supplemented or enriched by other approaches to learning?

Each element of the course will be linked to an up to date business scenario. We extensively use Tutor2u blogS which are relevant to the syllabus content. During the ownership element of the course students take part in a stock market investment exercise with real time share prices.

The course content is linked to the wider environment in terms of digital marketing and guest speakers provide additional information to students.

In what ways does the curriculum help to develop …?

Cultural diversity and identity: Within the course syllabus sources of finance are discussed along with ‘Sharia compliant finance’. Also exchange rates of various countries against the pound will draw upon the diverse family nationalities within the classroom. Business ethics and ‘The Equality Act’ are also part of the syllabus.
Physically and mentally healthy lifestyles: The impact of the government’s sugar tax is topic of discussion particularly its impact on the marketing of these firms and the link is made to the impact of obesity on the NHS.
Community participation: The impact on internal and external stakeholders is part of the syllabus. This is related to Calderstones students through the impact of Redrow housing project on Harthill Road and the impact the school has to the revenue of the shops on Allerton road particularly Subway.
Careers and enterprise: The syllabus is centred around various job roles and each member of the department has extensive industrial experience and advice on future career paths is continually provided.
Technology and the media: The impact of technology on business is part of the syllabus and the impact of digital marketing.
Creativity and critical thinking: The nature of the subject requires student to critical analyse various business decision and evaluate which action the business should take.

IMPACT:

What forms do assessments take? What is the purpose of assessment?

The assessment is centred on exam style questions to prepare students for their final exams. The department also uses knowledge organisers which students are tested upon through low-stake quizzes.

How do we know if we have a successful curriculum?