Curriculum Intention:

Theme 1: Investigating small business

Theme 1 concentrates on the key business concepts, issues and skills involved in starting and running a small business. It provides a framework for students to explore core concepts through the lens of an entrepreneur setting up a business. In this theme, students will be introduced to local and national business contexts and will develop an understanding of how these contexts impact business behaviour and decisions. Local contexts refer specifically to small businesses or those operating in a single UK location and national contexts relate to businesses operating in more than one location or across the UK.

Paper 1 is worth 50% of the final grade and is on theme 1.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th

1.1: Enterprise and entrepreneurship

1.2  Spotting a business opportunity

Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb

1.4: Making the business effective

20^th April – 18^th May

Enterprise Day

Recapping Theme 1

Half term

Half term

Half term

Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th

1.3: Putting a business idea into practice

24^th Feb – 30^th March

1.5: Understanding external influences on business

1^st June – 13^th July

Business Trip

Introduction of Theme 2

Christmas Holidays

Easter Holidays

Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students moving from 4 to 5 and above for grades

Ability to relate theory to context

Confidence in Theme 1

Employability skills:

Through studying this qualification students will:

• apply knowledge and understanding to different business contexts. These include businesses ranging from small enterprises to large multinationals and businesses operating in local, national and global contexts
• develop an understanding of how these contexts impact on business behaviour
• use business terminology to identify and explain business activity
• apply business concepts to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

Students will also create CVs ready for employment and look at customer service as a topic

Curriculum Intention:

Theme 2: Building a business

Theme 2 examines how a business develops beyond the start-up phase. It focuses on the key business concepts, issues and decisions used to grow a business, with emphasis on aspects of marketing, operations, finance and human resources. Theme 2 also considers the impact of the wider world on the decisions a business makes as it grows. In this theme, students will be introduced to national and global business contexts and will develop an understanding of how these contexts impact business behaviour and decisions. National contexts build on those in Theme 1 and relate to businesses operating in more than one location or across the UK. Global contexts relate to non-UK or transnational businesses. Students must develop an understanding of the interdependent nature of business activity through interactions between business operations, finance, marketing and human resources, as well as the relationship between the business and the environment in which it operates. Students must understand how these functional areas influence business activity and how interdependencies and relationships between them underpin business decisions.

Theme 2 is 50% of the final grade and content for Paper 2.

Theme 2 comprises five topic areas.

1. Topic 2.1 Growing the business – students are introduced to methods of growth and how and why business aims and objectives change as businesses evolve. The impact of globalisation and the ethical and environmental questions facing businesses are explored.
2. Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions – students will explore how each element of the marketing mix is managed and used to inform and make business decisions in a competitive marketplace.
3. Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions – this topic focuses on meeting customer needs through the design, supply, quality and sales decisions a business makes.
4. Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions – students will explore the tools a business has to support financial decision making, including ratio analysis and the use and limitation of a range of financial information.
5. Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions – growing a business means that decisions relating to organisational structure, recruitment, training and motivation need to be made to influence business activity. These aspects are considered in this final topic.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th

2.1 Growing the business

2.2 Making marketing decisions

Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb

2.4  Making financial decisions

20^th April – 18^th May

Revision of Theme 1 and 2

Half term

Half term

Half term

Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th

 2.3 Making operational decisions

24^th Feb – 30^th March

2.5 Making human resource decisions

1^st June – 13^th July

Christmas Holidays

Easter Holidays

Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

• End of unit tests
• Assessment folders
• Ability to relate theory with context
• Confidence in Theme 1 and 2
• Confidence in answering 9 and 12 mark questions

Employability skills:

Through studying this qualification students will:

• apply knowledge and understanding to different business contexts. These include businesses ranging from small enterprises to large multinationals and businesses operating in local, national and global contexts
• develop an understanding of how these contexts impact on business behaviour
• use business terminology to identify and explain business activity
• apply business concepts to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

Students will also create CVs ready for employment and look at customer service as a topic.

Curriculum Intention:

The Scheme of Work has been put together as Theme 1 and 2 offers recap of GCSE content but goes deeper

Exam skills and command words are embedded from the start through homeworks and assessments

Theme 2 must be taught before Theme 3 as prior knowledge is essential

Refresher content also allows for building of skills with prior knowledge

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th

Theme 1.1- Meeting Customer Needs

Theme 2.1- Raising Finance

Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb

Theme 1.3-Marketing Mix and Strategy

Theme 2.3- Managing Finance

20^th April – 18^th May

Theme 1.5- Entrepreneurs and Leaders

Theme 2.5- External Influences

Half term

Half term

Half term

Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th

Theme 1.2- The Market

Theme 2.2- Financial Planning

24^th Feb – 30^th March

Theme 1.4- Managing People

Theme 2.4-Resource Management

1^st June – 13^th July

Revision and start theme 3

Christmas Holidays

Easter Holidays

Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

• Increase in overall analysis and evaluation marks
• Homework and in class assessments- marks as well as grades

Employability skills:

Every aspect fits into industry skills.

Also develops wider skills such as commercial acumen, organisation, time management.

Curriculum Intention:

• Themes in order and link back to prior content
• These themes allow for synoptic and holistic nature of paper 3 where themes 1 and 2 have been taught already
• Case study launch in December allows us to gear more tailored learning

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th

Theme 3.1 objectives and Strategy

Theme 3.2 Business Growth

Theme 3.3 Decision Making Techniques

Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb

Theme 3.6- Managing Change

Theme 4.1 Globalisation

Theme 4.2 Global Markets

20^th April – 18^th May

Revision

Case study

Practice papers

Half term

Half term

Half term

Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th

Theme 3.3 Decision Making Techniques

Theme 3.4- Influences on Business Decisions

Theme 3.5- Assessing Competitiveness

24^th Feb – 30^th March

Theme 4.3- Global Marketing

Theme 4.4- Global Industries

Exam Case Study work

1^st June – 13^th July

Christmas Holidays

Easter Holidays

Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

• Increase in overall analysis and evaluation marks
• Homework and in class assessments- marks as well as grades
• Holistic nature of exam answers
• Use of application building

Employability skills:

Every aspect fits into industry skills.

Also develops wider skills such as commercial acumen, organisation, time management