Business and Economics

Welcome

Business and Economics are the salt of life! Our intent is to equip our learners with skills and knowledge that can be easily transferred and adapted to just about any future career or job position imaginable.

The aim of the Business and Economics Department is to equip learners with a broad understanding of the world of business and economics, by applying subject concepts to real-world issues. We do this by quality first teaching which ensures learners understand underlying Business and Economics theory which learners apply to a variety of familiar and unfamiliar case studies. We want learners to be able to think analytically, reach logical conclusions based on data, and make judgements on future changes to markets and the economy. As a natural part of virtually all lessons, learners are encouraged to look at what is happening in the world at all levels and to try and understand the issue and often the solution through the eyes of an economist or entrepreneur. This not only helps their learning, but also, it shows them the relevance and significance of the subject in today’s society.

We aim to deliver Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 curricula that stretches learners to think critically and evaluate different decisions taken by all levels of management within business. Learners will become ethically aware as they learn the principles and moral or ethical problems which can afflict households, businesses, and/or governments, and consider their place in tackling some of the challenges that face humanity. With the knowledge developed and retained using stringent assessment systems, learners are encouraged to make informed decisions in relation to different business contexts and economic scenarios. This builds confidence in learners and gives them an insight into real world decision making, which they are likely to use in their future working life. Cultural capital is an integral part of the subjects as we engage with broad political, economic, social, and technological cultural contexts and how they influence different types of business and individual lives.

Business and Economics are mixed ability options and high expectations are fundamental to the department. All learners are appropriately challenged irrespective of their ability. We ensure the level of challenge is high enough for the most able, with scaffold and support available for learners who need it. Our lessons are designed to inspire and challenge our learners to value diversity, be open-minded, develop teamwork skills, take risks and develop their financial awareness. Our curricula are well sequenced and layered to enable learners to develop their schema in their long-term memory, enabling our learners to effectively learn the curriculum. We aim for our curricula to be one where all learners develop deep, long-lasting knowledge that they use to process new information and form strong links within and between the different subject areas. All lessons have four essential aspects to them:

  • Retrieval practice – begin lessons with a short review of previous learning
  • Teacher input – questioning, guide student practice, provide models and provide scaffolds for difficult tasks
  • Assessment for learning – teachers checking that learners have understood taught content
  • Student application – independent, deliberate practice to reinforce and master learning.

Throughout the Business and Economics curricula, learners will take a journey that develops their knowledge and skills to evaluate the dynamics of a range of businesses and economies. This will lead to an outcome where learners enjoy their learning to make good progress by applying the knowledge and skills to the subject as well as events faced in their everyday pathways.

Key Staff

Mrs R Heffernan - Head of Business and Economics Department
Mrs C Shepherd - BTEC Quality Nominee; Teacher of Business
Mr M Jackson - Teacher of Business
Mr McCarthy – Teacher of Business

Curriculum Intent

Our intent is to equip our learners with skills and knowledge that can be easily transferred and adapted to just about any future career or job position imaginable.

Homework Intent

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

Key Stage 4

GCSE Business (Eduqas)

Curriculum Intent
The Key Stage 4 curriculum offered is Eduqas GCSE in Business. All learners have an expectation of achieving the highest possible outcome. Learners will leave Key Stage 4 having knowledge and understanding of the world of business including all aspects of business activity, business operations, finance, marketing, human resources and the impact of external influences on business.

GCSE Business is an exciting and fast-moving subject that looks at the way businesses start and operate to satisfy customers and make profits for investors. Students will be shown how business decisions are made and have the opportunity to practice their own business decision-making in a variety of simulated business situations. How would you set the price for a new games console? How would you raise the capital finance to start your own business? How can a new product idea be protected? Students’ business decision-making skills will gradually be improved and they will begin to understand business articles in newspapers, become confident in assessing business opportunities and discover a whole new area of study and possible future career paths. Studying Business Studies is engaging and inspiring, reflecting the demands of a truly modern and evolving business environment, which enables the subject to come to life for our students. The themes spark students’ imaginations and inspire commercial thinking as they develop their business knowledge. This qualification is one of the most popular options available at Key Stage 4 at Edgbarrow school.

Full course information can be found at qualification.eduqas.co.uk.

Summary Curriculum Plan

GCSE Business Year 10

GCSE Business Year 11
Business BTEC: Level 2 Tech Award in Enterprise

Curriculum Intent
The BTEC Tech Award in Enterprise enables learners to acquire knowledge through vocational contexts by studying the knowledge and behaviours related to researching, planning, pitching and reviewing an enterprise idea. The curriculum enables learners to develop their technical skills, such as market research skills, planning, promotional and financial skills using realistic work scenarios, and personal knowledge, such as monitoring own performance, time management and problem-solving.

Full course information can be found at: qualifications.pearson.com

Summary Curriculum Plan

Business BTEC Year 10

Business BTEC Year 11
GCSE Economics (OCR)

Curriculum Intent
The Key Stage 4 curriculum offered is OCR. It is a blend of theoretical macro and micro – economics and real-life application. The curriculum provides students with analytical tools to interpret the world around them and it shines a light on the great challenges that we face as a society. Our students will learn the detail that underpins economic systems, stakeholders, decision-making processes, responsive markets, supply and demand, fiscal and monetary policy, inflation and competition; and enjoy opportunities to calculate, interpret and manipulate data, and analyse assumptions and diagrams.

Full course information can be found at qualification.ocr.org.uk.

Summary Curriculum Plan

GCSE Economics Year 10

GCSE Economics Year 11

Key Stage 5

A-Level Business (AQA)

Curriculum Intent
Our A-Level Business curriculum is logically designed so that it is equally accessible by learners that have and have not studied business studies previously. It provides challenges and new experiences in organisational design, management and decision making, operations, marketing and finance. Learners will become confident at interpreting data such as calculation of cash flow, labour turnover rates and capacity utilisation to more complex calculations such as profitability ratios and investment appraisal calculations, in a range of contexts and analyse different outcomes in relation to changes in data and external influences. Learners will enjoy developing their understanding of the complexity of business strategies, international markets, organisational change and culture.

We aim to enable learners to develop a love for the subject and an understanding that there are no limits to their personal development. Learners will apply their expertise to a wide range of business case studies in a consultative capacity.

Business is a broad and interesting subject that enhances career and university choices. It fits well in combination with both arts and science subjects but in particular Maths, English, Government and Politics, Psychology, and Sociology complement the subject well, and can open up new areas of interest.

Summary Curriculum Plan

A-Level Business Year 12

A-Level Business Year 13
A-Level Economics (Edexcel)

Curriculum Intent
The A-Level Economics curriculum is designed to be broad, balanced and relevant to the experiences and needs of economics learners. It is easily accessible by learners that have and have not studied economics previously. Micro and Macroeconomics will be explored using a range of strategies to develop an understanding of behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. We carefully sequence and deliberately choose historic and current case studies to enable learners to make use of their knowledge to make connections whilst appreciating different contexts through varied perspectives. From a wider perspective, our learners develop an understanding of economic climates in different cultures and countries and how they contribute to and influence the global economy. 

A good grade in Economics at A-Level is highly valued by universities and employers because it requires the student to develop a high level of critical thinking and analytical skills. Potential careers include banking, finance, accounting, financial journalism and practice as a private or public sector economist. However, it is an excellent subject for any degree as a high grade in Economics shows that a student has a wide range of skills which are very attractive to universities and employers.

Summary Curriculum Plan

A-Level Economics Year 12

A-Level Economics Year 13
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. For example, the optional unit studied is Unit 14 Investigating Customer Service. This provides an opportunity for learners studying the BTEC qualification to enhance their employability skills. Our aim is to give learners transferrable skills to enable a smooth transition from the classroom to the work environment. To complement the customer service unit, learners will also explore different established businesses, develop a marketing campaign and examine personal and business finance. We believe this creates learners with a well-rounded experience of the world of business and vital knowledge of current affairs.

These courses would be ideal for a student wishing to go into business at some point in the future, although the course 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 for one of the several universities in the UK and abroad. 8 – 10 hours of self-directed study is required for success on the course.

Full course information can be found at qualifications.pearson.com.

Summary Curriculum Plan

Level 3 BTEC Year 12

Level 3 BTEC Year 13
Level 2 Retail Business (WJEC)

Curriculum Intent
The WJEC Level 1/2 Retail Business curriculum is designed to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the retail business sector and provide them with opportunities to develop associated practical skills. The curriculum enables learners to acquire knowledge through vocational contexts by studying the business of retail, customer service for retail business and merchandising and marketing retail products.

This is a vocational pathway for students who wish to study Level 3 courses but do not currently meet the entry requirements. This is a one-year course that will provide you with a practical, real-world approach to learning that will include relevant work experience. This pathway is designed to provide you with progression into future Level 3 courses, employment or apprenticeships. This is a stand-alone package and cannot be combined with any other Level 3 course that we offer.  

Programme of study is as follows:

  • WJEC Level 2 Award in Retail Business
  • Combined with other vocational courses such as IT and Leisure and Tourism
  • Resit opportunities for GCSE English and Maths (if required)
  • Work Experience
  • Enhanced tutorial
  • Access to a range of enrichment opportunities

Assessments are through assignment-based coursework and by examinations. The assignments are continuous throughout the course with a variety of written reports, reflective journals, presentations, teacher observation, discussions and written tests.

Full course information can be found at qualification.wjec.co.uk.

Summary Curriculum Plan

Level 2 BTEC Retail Business Year 12

Inclusion

Intent

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.

Our curricula in Business and Economics are ambitious and designed to give all learners, including disadvantaged pupils and including 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 magazine 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.

Select for Literacy Strategies 

Co-Curricular

We believe that at Edgbarrow, Business and Economics are living and breathing subjects and therefore as a department we must engage with local businesses so that we remain pro-active in our subject areas. We arrange local entrepreneurs to come in and speak to our learners to give them an understanding of the attributes required to be a successful businessperson. We run educational visits to Thorpe Park and Cadbury World. There will also be opportunities for learners to attend the Bank of England to improve their understanding of the Monetary policy and Financial Markets. We also run enrichment opportunities such as Tycoon in School and Tenner Challenge (Key Stage 4) and Year 12 learners participate in the Young Enterprise programme each year.

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Young Enterprise - Medusa Bracelet

IMAG0702 editYoung Enterprise - Succinct
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Dragons Den

 Independent Study

Key Stage 4

Select to view current revision material.
Key Stage 5

Select to view current reading lists.

For further information regarding our Business and Economics Curriculum please contact:
Miss Mills keniesha.mills@edgbarrowschool.co.uk