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Business Studies

Business Studies is a subject of great relevance in a period of rapid change. Business Studies emphasises the diverse nature of business enterprise, the ever-changing character of business and the interdependence of the various parts of the business world. It is concerned with themes such as innovation and change, social and environmental responsibilities, take-overs and mergers and ethical considerations. It provides with a unique insight into the world of work. You will discover how businesses operate and learn about their key elements and essential business functions. This knowledge, and the holistic understanding that develops, is invaluable and it offers an excellent foundation for those wishing to pursue careers in management, marketing, project management, business accounting, management consultancy, human resources, and business journalism as well as those interested in continuing on to further study.

Key Stage 4

In our KS4 curriculum, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the role and purpose of the four essential business functions: marketing, human resources, operations, and finance. They will learn about the interdependent nature of these business functions and how these interdependencies underpin business decision making. Business Studies is a subject of great relevance in a period of rapid change. Students will understand the dynamic nature of business with a focus on the importance of social and environmental responsibilities and ethical considerations in the business world.

They will be provided a range of opportunities to apply their knowledge and understanding to different business contexts ranging from small enterprises to large multinationals and businesses operating in local, national, and global contexts. Students will develop an understanding of how these contexts impact on business behaviour and how they affect business decisions considering the use and limitation of quantitative and qualitative data in making business decisions.

Units covered

Year 10

Unit 1 – Business in the real world

In this unit students are introduced to business and will gain an overall understanding on why businesses exist. This unit is examined in both exam papers and will be referred to throughout the GCSE course.

Students will learn about:

  • The purpose of business activity
  • The role of business enterprise and entrepreneurship
  • Dynamic nature of a business
  • Legal forms of businesses and goals they set themselves
  • The different types of stakeholders and how they impact business decisions
  • Where businesses decide to locate and how they plan their activities

Unit 2 – Influences on business (split amongst units)

All businesses are influenced by external factors and this unit considers the impacts these have on decision making. This unit is examined in both exam papers and will be referred to throughout the GCSE course.

Students will learn about:

  • Political influence
  • Economic environment
  • Social impacts
  • Technological developments
  • Legal influences
  • Ethical & environmental considerations
  • Competitive environment

Unit 4 – Human Resources

In HR, students will learn how businesses organise, recruit, motivate & train their employees to supply products/services in the most efficient ways.

Students will learn about:

  • The organisational structure of the business,
  • The importance of recruiting the right employees
  • The impact of motivated workforce,
  • The training provided to employees to improve performance of both employees and the business

Unit 5 – Marketing

In Marketing, students will gain an understanding of the main purpose of Marketing, its role within businesses, how it affects other functional areas and how it influences business activity. Students will also gain a knowledge of businesses understanding its customers and meeting their needs and wants.

Students will learn about:

  • Understanding customer needs and wants effectively to give a competitive advantage
  • How the market is segmented and what this means for businesses
  • The benefits of market segmentation and how they help gain a competitive advantage
  • The purpose of market research and the benefits it brings to new and existing businesses
  • How market research helps with decision making
  • The elements of the marketing mix and factors that will influence the appropriate marketing mix strategy

Year 11

Unit 3 – Business Operations

In Operations, students will understand how the role of production and production processes, procurement, customer service & quality impacts business, also how it affects other functional areas and how it influences business activity.

Students will learn about:

  • The benefits & drawbacks of different production methods
  • How suppliers are chosen and the impacts they have on businesses
  • The concept of quality and how it can be achieved
  • The importance of customer service & the benefits good customer service brings

Unit 6 – Finance

In finance, students will understand the purpose of the finance function, its role within business, how it affects other functional areas and how it influences business activity.

Students will learn about:

  • The different methods business use to raise finances
  • The importance of cash flow and how business use cash flow forecasts and statements to evaluate possible solutions to cash flow problems
  • How to use key financial terms confidently to explain business activity and be able to complete basic financial calculations
  • The meaning of break-even and its use and limitations
  • The key elements of the income statement and the statement of financial position and use it to make calculations to assess financial performance

Key Stage 5

In our KS5 curriculum, students build on the knowledge they have gained from KS4 by developing their understanding of the interrelated nature of businesses by using business models, theories, and techniques to support analysis of modern business issues and situations to provide a dynamic learning environment. By engaging students through topics and issues that are relevant in today’s society they will investigate key current developments such as digital technology, business ethics and discover the impacts this has on business decisions. Students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyse data, think critically about issues, and make informed decisions.

Our curriculum aims to develop comprehensive knowledge about how businesses operate locally and globally which builds on students understanding of what makes a business successful and is explored in more depth through the functional areas across a range of sectors.

Year 12

Year 12 begins with topics that introduce students to Business if they have not studied it before and provides a through re-cap for those continuing their Journey from KS4 Business. Topics such as What is a Business and Managers, Leaders & Decision making provide a core foundation of how each functional area is impacted dependent on objectives and leadership style of the business. This is followed by the four main functional areas of a business: Marketing, Finance, Operations and Human Resources outlining how businesses co-ordinate, measure and adjust these four to remain competitive but profitable. 

Year 13

The second year of KS5 expands students knowledge from year 12 to with how corporate performance is actually measured, how changing external influences, business activities including technology, competition, the economy and globalisation and finally to compare how different businesses manage change. 

Students will learn about:

  • How to analyse the strategic position of a business
  • What needs to be considered when choosing a strategic direction
  • How to pursue strategic strategies
  • How to manage strategic change