Business, Economics and Travel & Tourism

Welcome

Our Business courses offer students insights into the main functions of running a business which include but are not limited to finance, marketing, operations, human resources and management and leadership. Moreover, they will learn how businesses are influenced by wider social trends, changes in law and the economic environment. Our business courses support a range of future career pathways in any of these business areas and can complement their employability in a range of industries as they develop a broader understanding of different business contexts as well as further study.

Our Economics courses offer students the opportunity to build foundational understanding of abstract models of individual consumer and business behaviour relating to the allocation of scarce resources, how prices are determined in a market economy, and how financial markets operate. Moreover, they will understand how to model and predict likely outcomes in markets following policy changes and wider events (shocks) such as changes in interest rates or tax rates as well as international trade flows and foreign exchange markets. Our economics courses support a range of future career pathways in a range of sectors or specialisms and complement their employability as well as further study.

Key Staff

Mrs R Heffernan - Head of Department for Business, Economics Department and Travel & Tourism
Mrs C Shepherd - Teacher i/c of BTEC Business and Travel & Tourism
Mr M Jackson - Teacher of Business, Economics and Travel & Tourism
Mr A Chowdhury - Teacher of Business, Economics and Travel & Tourism

Curriculum Intent

“People who avoid failure also avoid success.” Robert T. Kiyosaki

Our intent is to equip our learners with confidence and resilience to take on an entirely new subject. We will support them in developing a detailed understanding of new vocabulary and concepts and seek to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills to progress well on the courses as well as support their future employment.

Key Stage 4

GCSE Business (Eduqas)

We offer the Eduqas GCSE in Business, which is a 100% exam at the end of Year 11 with no coursework. Students will learn 6 topic areas: Business Activity; Marketing; Finance; Operations; Human Resources; and External Influences on Business. We support students with real-world examples and opportunities to develop their subject-specialist vocabulary to succeed in the course. Our students will develop the ability to analyse a range of different business contexts and scenarios as well as develop their ability to make informed final decisions for a business. GCSE Business - Eduqas

Summary Curriculum Plans

GCSE Economics (OCR)

We offer the OCR Economics GCSE in Economics, which is a 100% exam at the end of Year 11 with no coursework. The course is split between microeconomics (individual consumer and producer behaviours and markets including financial and labour markets) and macroeconomics (national and international economics which includes policies from governments relating to taxes, spending and trade, central banks, globalisation, and money and foreign exchange markets). Our students will develop the ability to apply economic theory and models to real-world situations and contexts to support analysis and critical thinking. This will allow students to weigh up costs and benefits for different stakeholder groups in different scenarios and predict likely outcomes. GCSE Economics - OCR

Summary Curriculum Plans

Key Stage 5

A-Level Business (AQA)

Curriculum Intent

We offer the AQA A-level Business course, which consists of 3 exams at the end of Year 13 and no coursework. Students do not need to have studied Business GCSE to join the course. Students will learn about business functions (marketing, finance, human resources, leadership and management, operations) in-depth as well as gain insights into the development of business strategy, organisational culture and the ability to use tools to assess business performance and business decision-making including critical path analysis and investment appraisal techniques. We seek to offer students opportunities to enrich their understanding beyond the exam specification with a range of in-class and outside-of-lesson activities throughout the year. This course supports students in pursuing degree and non-degree apprenticeships as well as further study of Business and related subjects at University. A-Level Business - AQA

Summary Curriculum Plans

A-Level Economics (Edexcel)

Curriculum Intent

We offer the Edexcel A-level Economics course, which consists of 3 exams at the end of Year 13 and no coursework. Students do not need to have studied Economics GCSE to join the course. Students will learn about microeconomics (individual and collective behaviour, model the impact of policies and events on individual markets and the impact on a range of agents; market failure and policies to resolve them; market structures firm behaviour and regulation and labour markets) as well as macroeconomics which is split into National Economy (macroeconomic indicators, monetary policy, government taxation and spending, public finances; as well as modelling the impact on households and investors to economic shocks and changes in policies) and International Economy (International Trade Models, Foreign Exchange Markets, Poverty and Inequality and Financial Markets and Development Economics). We seek to offer students opportunities to enrich their understanding beyond the exam specification with a range of in-class and outside-of-lesson activities throughout the year. This course supports students in pursuing degree and non-degree apprenticeships as well as further study of Economics and related subjects at University. A-Level Economics - Edexcel

Summary Curriculum Plans

Level 3 Business Diploma and Extended Certificate BTEC (Edexcel)

Curriculum Intent

The Level 3 BTEC Business curriculum aims to offer learners a wealth of opportunities to develop academically and personally. Learners will explore different established businesses, develop a marketing campaign and examine personal and business finance. The optional unit is Unit 14 Investigating Customer Service which provides an opportunity for learners studying the BTEC qualification to enhance their employability skills. We aim to give learners transferable skills to enable a smooth transition from the classroom to university or apprenticeships. We believe this creates learners with a well-rounded experience of the world of business and vital knowledge of current affairs.

These courses are ideal for students wishing to work in any business environment in the future and could be taken alongside other AS/A2 qualifications (but not A-Level Business). The course has UCAS points and can therefore be used to apply at many universities in the UK and abroad.

Full course information can be found at:Level 3 Business Diploma and Extended Certificate BTEC - Edexcel

Summary Curriculum Plans

Homework Intent

Our intent is to provide opportunities for extended practice, create opportunities for creativity and choice, and develop students’ capacity for independent learning.

Inclusion

We intend that pupils with special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum, learn alongside their peers and achieve similar outcomes.

In addition, they may benefit from additional opportunities in the lessons and in the co-curricular activities that are arranged especially for them.

Our curricula in Business and Economics are ambitious and designed to give all learners, including disadvantaged pupils and learners with SEN/D, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We ensure the level of challenge is appropriate for all, with scaffold and support available for learners who need it.

SEND Implementation and Impact

Pupil Premium Intent

Literacy

Reading Aims:

To ensure students are equipped to understand command words in questions.
To ensure students are equipped with a range of independent reading strategies to aid comprehension when reading.
To ensure students are equipped with a range of independent reading strategies when interpreting company reports/business and economics magazines identifying key topic-related issues, and evaluating qualitative and quantitative data.
To support students in understanding the demands of the questions that they encounter in their reading, for example, context and evaluation hooks.
To encourage students to read for pleasure outside of the lessons.

Literacy Strategies

Co-Curricular

Broader experiences that take the subjects beyond the confines of the classroom and the exam board enrich the lives and opportunities of all our students.

We currently run an annual Stock Market Challenge Day trip to the ICMA Centre at Reading University where students get the opportunity to trade stocks and shares, negotiate prices to buy and sell and improve their real-time analytical skills for Year 12 Business and Economics students.

In Business, we also offer Year 9 students a Tuesday lunchtime drop-in ‘Watch and Learn’ club to talk to us and watch snippets of documentaries to learn more about businesses in the real world and understand the connection to the course.

In Economics, we offer a trip for A-Level students to the annual Festival of Economics in Bristol for students to experience a range of lectures from academics from the major British universities such as Cambridge and Bristol as well as notable economists from the Bank of England, as well as journalists from The Times, and Financial Times. We also arrange for students to stretch their academic abilities and enter the Harvard International Economics Essay Competition open to Year 10 to Year 12 Economics students and engage with workshops at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Westminster.

Festival of Economics

Festival of Economics

Stock Market Challenge Day

Stock Market Challenge Day

Independent Study

Key Stage 4

View revision material

Key Stage 5

A-level BTEC Business Transition Work

Level 3 Travel & Tourism

"The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself” – Wallace Stevens

A BTEC in Travel and Tourism is designed to give students the opportunity to gain a realistic idea of what a career in the Travel and Tourism sector can offer. However, it is not just about gaining skills that can only be used in this sector. The course will give students the knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to prepare for employment in several industries such as travel and tourism, hospitality, events and business. The qualification will offer opportunities for progression to higher education and degree programmes within the same or related areas of study, as well as opportunities for full-time employment in the industry.

Travel and Tourism (BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate)

Students will study the following units over two years:

The World of Travel and Tourism (Exam)
Global Destinations (Exam)
Principles of Marketing in Travel and Tourism (coursework)
Visitor Attractions (coursework)

Lessons are varied and include opportunities for both group work and independent learning. The course allows students to develop:

Problem-solving skills e.g. using critical thinking, approaching non-routine problems and applying expert and creative solutions.
Interpersonal skills e.g. communicating, working collaboratively, negotiating and influencing, self-presentation.
Interpersonal skills e.g. self-management, adaptability and resilience, self-monitoring and development.

Course Details:

Unit 1: The World of Travel and Tourism (Exam)

This unit provides the foundation for learners to study other units in travel and tourism. They will explore the key components and scale of the industry, using data to analyse key trends and their impact.

Unit 2: Global Destinations (Exam)
Learners investigate and analyse information regarding the features and appeal of global destinations, travel planning, and the factors and trends affecting the changing popularity of global destinations.

Unit 3: Principles of Marketing in Travel and Tourism (internal assessment)
Learners investigate the use of marketing in travel and tourism organisations and how to meet customer expectations to inform a promotional campaign of their design.

Unit 4: Visitor Attractions (internal assessment)
Learners develop analytical skills as they investigate the nature and role of both built and natural visitor attractions, their commercial success, appeal, response to diverse visitor needs and the importance of delivering a memorable visitor experience.

Summary Curriculum Plans

Inclusion

It is our intent that pupils with special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum, learn alongside their peers and achieve similar outcomes. In addition, they may benefit from additional opportunities in the lessons and in the co-curricular activities that are arranged especially for them.

SEND Implementation and Impact

Pupil Premium Intent

Literacy

Reading Aims:

To ensure students are equipped to understand command words in questions.
To ensure students are equipped with a range of independent reading strategies to aid comprehension when reading.
To support students in understanding complex vocabulary that they encounter in their reading.
To encourage students to read geographical literature for pleasure outside of the lessons.

Writing aims:

To ensure students are equipped with strategies to construct their answers.
To ensure students are equipped with a range of independent strategies to enable them to plan their answers carefully.
To equip students with strategies to reflect on their written responses.
To explicitly teach subject specific key terms and their application within written tasks.
To support students in writing clearly and concisely making good use of subject specific vocabulary.

Spoken Language Aims:

To ensure students are equipped to use a range of vocabulary as well as subject specific vocabulary in their spoken language
To support students to use spoken Standard English
To teach students how to listen and respond formally
To provide students with opportunities for structured talk

Literacy Strategies