Business Studies Key information
“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estée Lauder
Introduction
Business Studies is taught in a single person department with students following the Edexcel 9-1 Specification, this specification was chosen as it prepared students well for A Level Business Studies. The department is led by Miss Jackson BA Business (Hons), an experienced Subject Leader with a background in marketing, finance and operations. She is also an experienced examiner for AQA and Edexcel.
Uptake of business studies as consistently above the national average. Business Studies is an optional subject (year 10-11) with all classes being mixed ability. All students in year 9 also have lesson of Business Studies, during this time they are introduced to some basic concepts, however other than this, students taking GCSE Business have no prior knowledge of the subject.
This is a successful department that gets above national results every year and has a history of positive school residual. Results are particularly good with higher ability students, generally achieving 15 – 20% grade 9s. Quality of teaching is generally seen as outstanding with a large number of students going on to study Business post 16
Course followed/Exam board
KS$ – Edexcel Business Studies 1-9
Skills the students will develop
Cognitive skills
- Non-routine problem solving – expert thinking, metacognition, creativity.
- Systems thinking – decision making and reasoning.
- Critical thinking – definitions of critical thinking are broad and usually involve general cognitive skills such as analysing, synthesising and reasoning skills.
- ICT literacy – access, manage, integrate, evaluate, construct and communicate.
Interpersonal Skills
- Communication – active listening, oral communication, written communication, assertive communication and non-verbal communication.
- Relationship-building skills – teamwork, trust, intercultural sensitivity, service orientation, self-presentation, social influence, conflict resolution and negotiation.
- Collaborative problem solving – establishing and maintaining shared understanding, taking appropriate action, establishing and maintaining team organisation.
Additional Employability skills
- Adaptability – ability and willingness to cope with the uncertain, handling work stress, adapting to different personalities, communication styles and cultures, and physical adaptability to various indoor and outdoor work environments.
- Self-management and self-development – ability to work remotely in virtual teams, work autonomously, be self-motivating and self-monitoring, willing and able to acquire new information and skills related to work.
Quantitative skills
- percentages and percentage changes
- averages
- revenue, costs and profit
- gross profit margin and net profit margin ratios
- average rate of return
- cash-flow forecasts,
Interpretation and use of quantitative data
- information from graphs and charts
- profitability ratios (gross profit margin and net profit margin)
- financial data, including profit and loss, average rate of return and cash-flow forecasts
- marketing data, including market research data
- market data, including market share, changes in costs and changes in prices.
Future careers and vocations:
Post 16 options:
- A Level Business Studies, A Level Economics
- T Level Business
- Apprenticeships
Higher Education:
There are countless different degree courses available throughout the country
Degree Level apprenticeships
Self Employment
Contacts: Paula.jackson@sjchs.uk
Enrichment
Competitions
- In house competitions in year 10 – Dragons Den style
- MyKindaCrowd competitions – when relevant
Reading
Reading for pleasure
Academic Reading Local and national news articles – current affairs linking to current topics
Resources
Websites
- GCSE Business – Edexcel – BBC Bitesize
- Business: Edexcel GCSE (senecalearning.com)
- Case studies | The Times
Please Click the following links to view the Learning Journey Roadmaps:
