Business Studies

As a department, our ambition is to help students recognise the dynamic range of areas which encompass Business Studies and prepare them for the challenges of adult life through the teaching of foundational skills. We hope to inspire our students to understand the fundamentals of running a business so that they too might one day decide to become entrepreneurs or business leaders.

The course emphasises the dynamic nature of business, its functional areas, the environment within which they operate, and the importance of creativity in order to survive in fast-changing times. Often our students are able to relate the knowledge learnt in lessons to the real world which they see everyday, and it is this interest which we hope to foster in every one of our Glyn Entrepreneurs.

In addition to their progression through the course, Glyn Entrepreneurs will also develop their own transferable skills to achieve the best outcomes in their lives and careers. From the confidence to lead presentations to an active participation in large group discussions, we aim to inspire the students to excel in their future endeavours.

This subject is right for you if you:

• Enjoy studying a subject that affects your everyday life
• Enjoy communicating and explaining your ideas, thinking creatively and making decisions and working with numbers to solve business problems
• Want to learn about the world of business through research and investigation, as well as through practical tasks
• Want to keep your options open since Business Studies can be combined with a wide range of Science, Social Science and Humanities subjects.

HALF TERM 1 - Entrepreneurship and how businesses spot an opportunity

Students start the GCSE course by exploring the rationale behind individuals or groups (known as entrepreneurs) starting their own enterprises. The classes will use real world case studies to look at how markets change to create new product opportunities, as well as the risks and rewards associated with an entrepreneur starting their own business. From there, students examine the methods that an enterprise can use to understand their customers and better compete in their highly competitive markets.

HALF TERM 2 - Putting business ideas into practice

Once students are familiar with the motives and characteristics demonstrated by entrepreneurs, we move on to discuss the practical development of their business. Here, we explore the aims and objectives that are created to guide the organisation from the outset, being careful to explain that a business will not solely be focusing on making profit from day one.

A key element of this unit are the fundamental formulas and terms which will be used throughout the two-year course - revenue, cost and profit. Using worked examples, we explain the formulas and their importance so the students can understand how a business can improve its financial situation.

HALF TERM 3 - Making the business effective

The term starts with the students completing an investment style activity where they must come up with and implement their own business idea. A business plan covering the core aspects of their business will need to be created and presented to Year 12 students in order to seek their investment.

Having understood how and why businesses are started, the students will progress to learn about the different forms that a business will take in order to operate and the impact of location on their decision making. We then move on to look at one of the most significant elements of Business Studies - the marketing mix. Here, we analyse how the product, price, place and promotion come together to help the business achieve success. This aspect of the course is covered in more depth during Year 11 and appears on both exam papers.

HALF TERM 4 - Understanding external influences on business

To round off Theme 1 of the course, we scrutinise the various individuals and groups which take an interest in the running of a business (known as stakeholders). This aspect of the course appears frequently over the two years and on both exam papers, requiring a strong understanding of how a business positively or negatively impacts them. It is also necessary to look at the influence that these individuals and groups have on the business as they seek to project their interests onto the organisation.

Businesses do not exist in a vacuum and are constantly subject to the changing nature of the world around them. It is therefore essential for the students to understand how different aspects (the economy, legislation and technology) affect the strategy and success of the business.

HALF TERM 5 - Investigating a small business

Having covered the subject content for Theme 1 of the course, we are now in a position to review the key elements ahead of the Year 10 End of Year Assessments which take place before the May half-term. The students will sit a full paper 1 mock which covers the different question types that they will experience on their actual exams in Year 11 - multiple choice, short answer and longer essay responses. By sitting a mock paper 1, we also gain a strong understanding of how they are understanding the course and what aspects to focus on for improvement.

HALF TERM 6 - Growing the business

After sitting the End of Year assessment, the classes will move on to learning about Theme 2 of the course. This explores the ways in which businesses grow from being small start-ups to larger national or multinational organisations that we have come to recognise today. This part of the course examines the different methods of growth open to a business, particularly focusing on the rise of globalisation and how businesses can look to expand their influence to other countries around the world.

To end the school year, we will run another project to explore different real-world businesses to discuss their characteristics and factors contributing to their success. This will review the content covered throughout the year and help the students to work on their application skills, necessary for answering questions in the exam.

HALF TERM 1 - Making marketing decisions

To start Year 11, we begin to focus our attention on the specialist functions of a business, starting with marketing. Here, we explore the marketing mix in more depth than was covered in Year 10, by looking at the different strategies used by a business to create awareness around and sell their products to customers. Students will recognise that the marketing mix plays a crucial role in allowing the business to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals and establish themselves in their market. Throughout the teaching, we will be referring back to real world case studies to analyse the marketing mix elements.

HALF TERM 2 - Making operational decisions

This aspect of the course explores how a business works with their suppliers to source materials and produce the products needed to meet customer demand. Operations represent a fundamental part of the business as without it there will be no product to sell to customers. We examine the different methods for producing products and how the quality of each product is checked to ensure that it meets the customers’ expectations. We also discuss the process which businesses go through to tell their customers about the product and support their sales process. Throughout the teaching, we will be referring back to real world case studies to analyse the impact of issues with suppliers or perceptions of product quality.

HALF TERM 3 - Making financial decisions

In Unit 2.4 of the course, the students examine key business calculations which help to understand how the business is performing. By looking at a range of data concerning marketing, the market and finance, the class should be able to see how key decisions are made. The calculations which we teach are gross and net profit (along with their profit margins). To help the students understand the formulas and meanings, we will use practice workbooks before discussing the resulting values.

HALF TERM 4 - Making human resource decisions

The final unit of the GCSE course examines the way in which organisations shape and manage their workers in order to maximise their productivity. Here, we discuss the merits and drawbacks of the differing organisational structures to show how they impact on communication throughout the company, as well as the new working practices which have begun to be used (e.g. flexible working). From there, we move on to look at the ways in which businesses recruit workers before training them to fulfil their job roles. The final topic focuses on the role of motivation in creating a happy workforce through financial and non-financial incentives - some of which the students can relate to in their own lives.

HALF TERM 5 - Revision and exam preparation

Now that we have finished teaching the content of the course, we will move on to recapping the key elements across Year 10 and 11. Alongside class activities, students will be completing independent tasks tailored to their own preferred learning styles. A key element of our focus is to get the students used to writing essay answers in the exams and completing all their work within the allotted time given.

How is this course assessed at A-Level?

Three written exams with each paper lasting for 2 hours and consisting of open response questions based on case study extracts:

• Paper 1 - Marketing, People and Global Business (35% of total qualification)
• Paper 2 - Business Activities, Decisions and Strategy (35%)
• Paper 3 - Investigating Business in a Competitive Environment (30%)

Two written exams with each paper lasting for 1 hour 45 minutes and making up 50% of the final grade:

• Paper 1 - Investigating small business
• Paper 2 - Building a business

You will become skilled in: making decisions, being creative, solving problems, understanding finance, dealing with data, communicating and working as part of a team. 

HALF TERM 1 - Meeting customer needs and assessing the market

Students start the A-Level course by learning about the reasons why an entrepreneur decides to start their own business. They move onto assessing the different markets which businesses operate within, mass or niche, and how this determines the decision making process of products. Alongside this, the classes will also look at the factors affecting the demand and supply of products within their respective market,

This topic covers a number of fundamental business concepts which students will need throughout the two year course, and bridges the gap for students who have not studied Business at an early key stage.

HALF TERM 2 - The marketing strategy

Once students are familiar with how and why businesses are formed, they move on to explore the different elements of the marketing mix. These help businesses to create suitable products, price them at a suitable rate for their customers, promote them in a way that generates substantial awareness and locate themselves in a place which will maximise their sales. Once understood, it will help the students when they come to look at marketing theories which shape business practice (e.g. Boston Matrix and Product Life Cycle).

Students who have studied GCSE Business will likely be familiar with their element of the course given the depth covered in key stage 4. For A-Level, we break down each part into more depth to show the differing strategies adopted by businesses according to their circumstances and objectives.

Half Term 2 - Managing people

During this unit, the students study different management and leadership theorists to allow students to assess the most effective methods for motivating an individual based on specific circumstances. We move on to examine the various organisational structures which businesses adapt to organise their workers, and talk through the recruitment and selection process which ensures that they have the right calibre of employee.

After focussing on the key stakeholder group for any business, the customer, focus is now applied to how human resources are managed to deliver on the business’s objectives.

Half Term 3  - Globalisation

After covering theme 1, the class should be familiar with how organisations are formed and establish themselves in their domestic markets. Following this, students investigate how emerging economies provide growth opportunities for multinational business when they look to expand their operations after successfully establishing their presence at home. In this unit, we go into depth to analyse the factors causing more globalisation in business today but also the measures taken by governments to protect their own businesses. The abundance of real world case studies linked to globalisation helps us to bring this unit to life and relate it to the students’ own lives.

This commences Theme 4 which fundamentally applies the knowledge covered in Theme 1 to a global context.  Students now have a sound knowledge of business concepts which now makes investigating multinational businesses more accessible to students

Half Term 4 - Global markets

Students investigate why businesses enter certain global markets and what barriers exist including tariffs and quotas. There are various factors, positive or negative, which encourage domestic firms to look at other global markets to enter. In this unit, we approach the teaching from the perspective of a British business looking to open up factories or stores in other countries. We explain to the students that a common method of achieving this is through the use of joint ventures and mergers, which we evaluate in depth, and show how they have to boost global competitiveness.

Once students understand the importance of businesses targeting emerging economies, they can now understand the strategies required to implement a global expansion strategy.

Half Term 5 - Global industries and companies

To begin with, the students analyse how businesses decide to market their products in other countries using a polycentric, ethnocentric or geocentric approach. Once established in a new market, the multinational corporations (MNCs) will have a positive and/or negative impact on the economy and population which the students need to be aware of. We focus on the problems caused by these MNCs and how ethics has begun to change business attitudes for the better. Additionally, we examine the actions of governments and other stakeholders in trying to control MNCs, whilst also benefiting from them at the same time.

Half Term 6 - Financial planning and methods

At this stage of the course, we have covered themes 1 and 4 of the course, putting us in a position to give the Year 12 students a mock assessment. After the PPE window, we move on to look at the more intricate decisions of a business when they come to making decisions and strategies. To start, the students learn about the methods which businesses use to raise finance, either internally or externally. We talk about the importance of financial planning in order to help them manage their resources effectively so that they do not fail. Students should be able to recognise the importance of maintaining budgets and forecasting financial details - which we stress is also relevant in their own lives.

HALF TERM 1 - Resource management

At the beginning of Year 13, we examine the production process of a business. This topic discusses the methods of production used for different types of product, and how the organisation looks to maintain high levels of productivity amongst their workforce. Each business will be different in their chosen production method but the outcomes will be the same for all.

Additionally, we analyse the importance of businesses maintaining good relations with their suppliers in order to keep stock control at a suitable level. Finally in this unit, we talk about the importance of quality control by looking at the merits of each element, in order to help a business maintain its strong reputation and keep their customers happy.

HALF TERM 2 - External influences

Businesses do not operate within a vacuum and there are various external forces which impact on their success. Within this unit, we break down the different forces with a particular focus on the economic factors (interest rates, inflation and taxation), legal factors (legislation around employee and consumer rights) and the wider competitive environment. This area of focus is a key synoptic topic as it connects with several others taught throughout all themes of the course. Students need to be able to develop their ability to link these topics in their answer to show that they have a wider understanding.

HALF TERM 3 - Business strategy and growth

As we move through Year 13, we begin to explore the different theories of corporate strategy (Ansoff and Porter) which are used to help the business achieve their main objectives. These tools and frameworks provide an overview of the business’ products in order to see where their focus, in terms of capital and effort, should  be focused. Students typically complete research projects here which showcase real world examples.

After learning about the theories of strategy, the students progress onto exploring the different methods used to grow a business. These include the use of mergers and takeovers, or more organic methods where the business focuses on their internal aspects. For all methods, we explore the rationale for their use but also discuss the problems associated so students can analyse real world examples. It is also prudent in this unit to cover the reasons that some businesses decide to remain at their current size and not look to increase their reach to other markets.

HALF TERM 4 - Decision making techniques

An important part of business strategy is the ability to examine a range of data and factors in order to come to an appropriate decision. This unit looks at three decision making techniques which can be adopted by businesses - investment appraisal, critical path analysis and decision trees. To support the teaching of the content, we use examples to help students work through the different stages involved. As well as being able to calculate these different techniques, it is also important that students are able to evaluate their effectiveness by looking at the limitations associated.

Once the class understands the techniques, we progress on to assessing the factors which will influence a business’ decision making outside of what the data says. These factors include the corporate culture of the organisation, whether they have a preference towards their shareholders or other stakeholders, and the ethical approach of business leaders. A holistic approach is important for decision making as the qualitative and quantitative research may offer different outcomes.

HALF TERM 5 - Assessing competitiveness and managing change

Businesses need to understand their degree of competitiveness in relation to their market, and recognise any areas where they need to make improvements in order to be more successful. This unit involves the calculation and interpretation of financial documents (e.g. balance sheets and profit/loss accounts) and different ratios (e.g. gearing and return on capital employed). Each measurement provides a different indicator to the business but together they provide a clearer picture of their place in the market.

Once students recognise how competitive a business is, we move on to teach the classes about the causes of change in organisation sizes and performance so that they can recognise these when completing research tasks. It is important that the students are able to understand the effects of these change factors on different aspects of the business, such as productivity. From here, we go on to look at the role of scenario planning where businesses undertake risk assessments into possible areas of concern (e.g. natural disasters) and plan for risk mitigation by identifying talented employees to promote and drive the business forward.

After completion of this unit, we will move onto revision of key topics from across the whole course in preparation for the final exams.

Business Studies is useful if you are considering working in, for example: Management, Sales or Human Resources, Accountancy, Law, Marketing or in any commercial organisation.