Business Studies at KS5

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If you require any further information about the curriculum we are following in this subject, please contact the Head of Department.

Course ID
AQA 7132
Faculty
Social Sciences
Department
Business Studies
Level
Key Stage 5 (A-Level)
Head of Faculty
B. Smith
Head of Department
B. Smith

We offer a GCE in A-Level Business Studies and students follow the AQA specification. There are clear links to the GCSE (KS4) specification in terms of assessment criteria and previous knowledge, but this is not a pre-requisite for the subject.

We cover a range of functional areas in Business Studies and this is focused on Marketing, Finance, Management and Operational decisions. In class, we will develop critical and reflective thinking skills. Students will be encouraged to use the theories and models to both structure model examination style questions. Other aspects of focus during the year is the interrelated nature of business activities and how they affect competitiveness, the competitive environment and the markets in which businesses operate, the influences on functional decisions and plans including ethical and environmental issues.

Curriculum Termly Breakdown by Year

Year 12

 

Term Unit of Work Assessment
Autumn 1 Introduction to Business and Objectives – Different forms of business, Issues in understanding forms of business, What managers do, Management and leadership styles, Stakeholders.
Marketing – Marketing and Decision Making, Marketing and Competitiveness, Setting marketing objectives, Understanding markets, Market research, interpreting marketing data, Elasticity of demand, Market Data and Analysis, Segmentation, targeting and positioning, Niche and mass marketing.
Decision Making – decision trees, opportunity costs, operational objectives, Efficiency and labour productivity, lean production, Capacity utilisation, Technology, Quality, Supply chain management.
Finance – Sources of Finance and Break-Even Analysis.
Essay 10 – 12 Marks on topics covered.
Essay 10 – 12 Mark essay on topics covered.
End of section mock examination.
Autumn 2 Introduction to Business and Objectives – Different forms of business, Issues in understanding forms of business, What managers do, Management and leadership styles, Stakeholders.
Marketing – Marketing and Decision Making, Marketing and Competitiveness, Setting marketing objectives, Understanding markets, Market research, interpreting marketing data, Elasticity of demand, Market Data and Analysis, Segmentation, targeting and positioning, Niche and mass marketing.
Decision Making – decision trees, opportunity costs, operational objectives, Efficiency and labour productivity, lean production, Capacity utilisation, Technology, Quality, Supply chain management.
Finance – Sources of Finance and Break-Even Analysis.
20 Mark Essay on topic covered.
20 mark essay on topics covered.
End of Section Examination.
Spring 1 Marketing Mix 7Ps, product life cycle and product portfolio, pricing decisions, place and promotion decisions, integrating the marketing mix.
Human resource objectives, motivation in theory, motivation in practice, organisational design, human resource flow, employer-employee relations, human resource data, decision making and improved H.R. performance.
Finance – Cash flow management, budgeting and profit analysis.
10 – 12 mark essay on topics
covered.
16 – 20 mark essay on topics
covered.
16 – 20 mark essay on topics
covered.
Spring 2 Marketing Mix 7Ps, product life cycle and product portfolio, pricing decisions, place and promotion decisions, integrating the marketing mix.
Human resource objectives, motivation in theory, motivation in practice, organisational design, human resource flow, employer-employee relations, human resource data, decision making and improved H.R. performance.
Finance – Cash flow management, budgeting and profit analysis.
10 – 12 mark essay on topics
covered.
16 – 20 mark essay on topics
covered.
16 – 20 mark essay on topics
covered.
Summer 1 Year 13 content.
Change Management – Section on the syllabus for Year 13 that will be covered in Year 12.
Mock examination based on Year 12 content. Paper 1 and Paper 2.
Summer 2 Year 13 content.
Change Management – Section on the syllabus for Year 13 that will be covered in Year 12.
25 mark essay for Summer Holiday based on change management.

 

Year 13

Term Unit of Work Assessment
Autumn 1 Mission, corporate objectives and strategy, internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses, financial ratio analysis, internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses, overall performance.
Opportunities and threats: political and legal change, economic change, the opportunities and threats: social and technological.
Assessing innovation, assessing internationalization, assessing greater use of digital technology.
Essay 16 – 20 marks on topics covered.
Essay 16 – 20 mark essay on topics covered.
End of section test.
Autumn 2 Mission, corporate objectives and strategy, internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses, financial ratio analysis, internal position of a business to assess strengths and weaknesses, overall performance.
Opportunities and threats: political and legal change, economic change, the opportunities and threats: social and technological.
Assessing innovation, assessing internationalization, assessing greater use of digital technology.
24-mark essay on topic
covered.
25-mark essay on topics
covered.
Dec / Jan mock examination, paper 1.
Spring 1 Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats, the competitive environment. Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal.
Strategic direction: choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer Strategic positioning: choosing how to compete.
February mock examination.
Paper 2.
Spring 2 Analysing the external environment to assess opportunities and threats, the competitive environment. Analysing strategic options: investment appraisal.
Strategic direction: choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer Strategic positioning: choosing how to compete.
Mock examination.
Paper 3.
Summer 1 Revision.  
Summer 2 ‘A’ Level Examination. ‘A’ Level Examination.

 

Extended Learning

Year 12

Websites Read Visit or Watch Extra
Seneca Learning; Tutor2u. Business for AQA A Level Answer Guide (Marcouse I. & Marcouse C.); Standard Marcouse Answer Guide; Marketing, 3rd Edn (Baines P. & Fill C.); The Daily Drucker (Drucker & Maciatello Butterworth); The Business Book (Ian Marcouse, Nigel Watson and others); How to Start your own Business (Ashton R.). Bizconsesh YouTube. Leadership opportunities – Individual tutoring opportunities for the Sixth Form students. Visit to New York. Trip to Brussels.

 

Year 13

Websites Read Visit or Watch Extra
Seneca Learning; Tutor2u. Business for AQA A Level Answer Guide (Marcouse I. & Marcouse C.); Standard Marcouse Answer Guide; Marketing, 3rd Edn (Baines P. & Fill C.); The Daily Drucker (Drucker & Maciatello Butterworth); The Business Book (Ian Marcouse, Nigel Watson and others); How to Start your own Business (Ashton R.). Bizconsesh YouTube. Leadership opportunities – Individual tutoring opportunities for the Sixth Form students. Visit to New York. Trip to Brussels.