STUDY SKILLS
Programme of Study – Key Stage 4 – BUSINESS STUDIES
Summary
Business is an option from Year 10 onwards. Each course offered to students facilitates the analysis of contemporary
events via a variety of activities that may be practical, written, collaborative or individual in nature.
Courses
GCSE BUSINESS STUDIES
Students analyse and evaluate the process of starting a new business and the issues that are likely to need consideration
as it expands from small and local to national or multinational. Should the business owner set up as a limited company or
not? Is buying a franchise a good idea? How do small business owners manage the financial, marketing and production
aspects of their business? How can the owners of the business maintain control of the financial, marketing and production
aspects of the new business? Will expansion of the business benefit all of its stakeholders?
Year 10
Unit 1 – Setting up a Business
This unit introduces students to issues concerning the setting up and operation of a business. It explores the activities of
business and the reasons for success or failure. It encourages candidates to appreciate that businesses must operate
within society and that this involves businesses engaging with a wide range of stakeholders who will hold differing
perspectives. Topics include:

Starting a business – introducing students to the issues involved with starting a business.

Marketing – students are introduced to marketing within the context of a business with a limited budget.
Consideration is given to the role of ICT in marketing;

Finance – students are introduced to the importance of finance to a business. It investigates sources of finance
and financial advice when setting up a small business. Students will be introduced to basic financial terms and
simple cash flow statements;

People in Business – this section of Unit 1 considers suitable ways by which businesses might recruit, motivate
and retain staff;

Operations – students learn about the importance of operational decisions in managing a business. It explores
how operations management can help businesses to be more effective, and the role technology can play in this
process.
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Assessment: students are assessed with a written examination, which lasts one hour. The examination is worth 60 marks,
and forms 40% of the overall GCSE grade.
Unit 3 – Investigating Businesses
Assessment: students are assessed with a controlled assessment. It is worth 40 marks 25% of the overall GCSE marks.
Year 11
Unit 2 – Growing as Business
This unit builds upon Unit 1, allowing students to study businesses as they grow and the issues expansion raises.
Topics include:

The Business Organisation – building from the work of Unit 1, students will consider how the methods of
expansion and objectives of larger businesses might differ from smaller businesses;

Marketing – building upon the marketing concepts introduced in Unit 1 and relates them to the context of a
growing business. Students will investigate each component of the marketing mix and review how a large
business may chose the most appropriate components of the marketing mix;

Finance – this section introduces students to aspects of finance faced by large businesses. Students will become
familiar with the sources of finance available to large businesses, compared to small/start-up businesses
covered in Unit 1. Basic, simplified financial statements are introduced in this section and students will learn how
to analyse the content of these documents;

People in Business – this section introduces students to the human resources function in larger businesses.
Students will also be introduced to the different organisational structures of a business and the processes by
which businesses recruit, motivate and retain their employees;

Operations – student will learn about the organisation of production or service provision. Students will increase
their understanding of production methods to include flow production. The concepts of efficiency and quality
assurance are introduced in this section.
Assessment: students are assessed with a written examination, which lasts one hour. The examination is worth 60 marks,
and forms 35% of the overall GCSE grade.
BTEC BUSINESS STUDIES
The BTEC Level 2 Business course will develop skills (such as communication, numeracy and ICT), knowledge and
understanding of business functions, environments and operations in a practical way that is relevant to today’s working
environment. Students learn through a combination of theory, practical work and trips/guest speakers, which helps them
to develop practical employability skills.
Assessment is both coursework- and examination-based. Students have to study four units in total, of which two are
mandatory.
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Year 10
Unit 1: Enterprise in the Business World (mandatory)
What is a business and what does it do? The term ‘business’ can cover anything from a sole trader in a local market to a
multinational corporation selling products to millions of people all over the world.
This unit introduces students to the language and terminology used in business. It explores what businesses do, trends
that affect them, how they operate and the factors that influence their success.
Assessment: students are assessed via a written coursework assignment.
Unit 2: Finance for Business (mandatory)
All businesses have to spend money before they can make a profit, and when they spend money, they incur costs. In this
unit, students will explore the types of costs that businesses incur, from the initial start-up costs involved in setting-up a
business to the ongoing daily costs of running a business. Students will then explore the ways in which the sale of
products and services generates revenue, so that they can develop their understanding of profit.
The ways in which businesses plan for success, the importance of budgeting and cash flow, and how businesses
measure success and identify areas for improvement will also be considered.
Assessment: students are assessed with a written examination.
Year 11
Unit 3: Promoting a Brand
A successful business promotes itself to customers through its brand and image. In this unit, students will find out what it
takes to build a brand and what a business has to consider when planning brand development. Students will investigate
the importance of branding to a business, the types of branding that are available and why businesses need to review and
update their brands.
In addition, students will consider the importance of the marketing mix and promotional mix. They will review branding
methods and techniques and consider how businesses promote their brand images.
Unit 4: Principles of Customer Service/Unit 12: Introducing Law and Consumer Rights
Unit 4 – In a world of increasing competition, businesses across all sectors realise that their level of customer service can
give them a competitive advantage. Keeping customers happy can be key to business success, especially as it costs a
great deal more to attract new customers than to keep existing ones. This unit develops and broadens students’
understanding of customer service in different businesses. Students will develop their knowledge and understanding of
customer needs and expectations and be given the opportunity to examine a wide range of different types of internal and
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external customers. It is also important to understand how businesses set internal policies and procedures to ensure that
staff maintain customer service standards.
Unit 12 – We are all consumers of goods and services. This unit will give students an understanding of what is meant by
‘the law’ and how it affects consumers. Students will learn the difference between civil and criminal law, and investigate
their courts, processes and personnel. They will also gain an insight into the laws that protect consumers, considering
them in relation to the laws of contract and negligence. This unit offers practical knowledge of the law that will allow
students to deal with basic legal terminology comfortably and accurately.
Further Resources
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zpsvr82- Business Studies at the BBC

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/ - Tutor2U

http://www.businessstudiesonline.co.uk/live/- Business Studies Online

http://www.revisionstation.co.uk/GCSE-Business-Resources(1723158).htm- GCSE Business Studies
Revision Resources
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