Pobalscoil Na Triónóide
Youghal
CO. CORK
Telephone: 024-25836 Fax: 024-25788
e-mail: admin@trionoide.ie
Subject Department Plan:
Business Studies 2011/2012
Index
 Mission Statement ................................................. Page 3
 Programmes and Levels ....................................... Page 3
 Subject Aims .......................................................... Page 3
 Subject Objectives ................................................. Page 4
 Subject Teachers ................................................... Page 4
 Time Allocation ...................................................... Page 5
 Options Structure .................................................. Page 5
 Timetabling ............................................................ Page 5
 Grouping of Pupils ................................................ Page 5
 Student Access to Subject/Level .......................... Page 5
 Class Organisation ................................................ Page 6
 Textbooks and Course Materials .......................... Page 6
 Planning for Students with Special Needs........... Page 6
 Cross-Curricular Planning .................................... Page 7
 Availability/Use of ICT facilities ............................ Page 7
 Provision for Health and Safety ............................ Page 7
 Homework Procedures .......................................... Page 8
 Assessment Procedures ....................................... Page 9
 Record-Keeping Procedures................................. Page 9
 Curriculum Content
 Year 1 ...............................................
 Year 2 ...............................................
 Year 3 ...............................................
2
Mission Statement:
To foster in students an understanding of the Business world
and appreciate the interaction between Business and
Society.
Programmes and Levels
Business Studies is an optional subject in Pobalscoil Na Trionóide. It is offered
at higher level and ordinary level.
The school follows the Junior Certificate
Business Studies Syllabus as laid down by the Department of Education and
Science.
Aims
Pobalscoil Na Trionóide has adopted the aims of The NCCA Business Studies
Syllabus. According to this, the aims of Business Studies are:
-
To contribute to a balanced and appropriate general education at the Junior
Cycle level – leading to the personal and social development of each student.
-
To develop, in each student, habits and methods of investigation, analysis
and problem solving at an appropriate level.
-
To familiarise each student with technological developments in the business
environment.
-
To encourage initiative and develop self-reliance in each student.
-
To provide each student with an appropriate level of economic/business
literacy.
-
To develop in each student a positive attitude to the creation of wealth and its
distribution.
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-
To provide a foundation for students which could lead to employment/further
studies in the business field.
Subject Objectives:
According to the syllabus, as adopted by Pobalscoil Na Trionóide, the general
objectives of business studies are:
-
To encourage in students an interest in, and a positive attitude towards, the
business world and to enable them to acquire a knowledge and an
understanding of commercial activities and to provide an introduction to the
structures and functions of business institutions and their inter-relationships.
-
To develop in students skills of communication, use of technology and
recording of information and transactions.
-
To enable students to apply oral and written communication skills to business
activities and to develop the vocabulary necessary for further progress in the
business world.
-
To enable the students to develop skills in numeracy, neatness and accuracy
in respect of recording transactions, summarising these and interpreting the
results.
-
To develop the skills of accurate keyboarding.
-
To develop in students an understanding of the new information technologies
and, as far as possible, to enable them to establish a practical and useful skill
in the use of computers and office technology.
-
To enable students to integrate knowledge and skills in a practical and useful
way and in particular in applying them to realistic business/personal
situations.
-
To encourage students to apply business knowledge and skills to the
commercial aspects of their own lives and that of their households
Subject Teachers:
Ms Maggie Cronin
Ms Siobhan Durkan
Mr Edmond Flavin
Ms Claire Fitzgerald
Ms Therese Troy
Ms Aileen Walshe
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Time Allocation:
All first year and third year Junior Cycle Business Studies students have four
lessons of Business Studies per week. Each lesson lasts 40 minutes.
All second Business Studies students have three lessons of Business Studies
per week. Each lesson lasts 40 minutes.
Options Structure:
Business Studies is an optional subject in Pobalscoil Na Trionóide.
For
2011/2012 Business Studies at Junior Certificate level is timetabled opposite
Home economics/Woodwork/Metalwork/Technical graphics/Art/History.
Timetabling:
All first year and third year Junior Cycle students have 4 periods of Business
Studies per week, including one double period.
All second year Junior Cycle students have 3 periods of Business Studies per
week, including one double period.
Grouping of Pupils:
All students taking Business Studies at Junior Certificate level are offered the
opportunity to do so at higher or ordinary level. Students are taught in a mixed
ability setting.
Student Access to Subject / Level:
All students in the school are offered the opportunity to study Business Studies at
Junior Certificate level.
Upon entering First Year, students study Business
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Studies for four/five weeks each and then decide which subject to study up to
Junior Cert level.
This decision is made in consultation with the student,
parents/guardians and the school’s career guidance teacher.
The common elements of the syllabus at higher and ordinary levels allows
students to follow the same course but students are encouraged to choose the
most appropriate level for their needs, during the final year of the course.
Class Organisation:
Business Studies is taught in a general-purpose classroom and on occasion, the
students are may avail of the ICT facilities in the school. Each student has
his/her own copy of the textbook, past examination papers (Junior Cert pupils
only) and copies/business studies record books.
Textbooks, Course Materials and other Resources
-
Ready for Business.
Richard Delaney.
Edco and accompanying and
work book
-
Past Examination Papers
-
www.skoolnet.ie - Junior Cycle Business Studies section
-
Business Studies record books – Journal, Ledger and Cash Book
-
Blank banking documents e.g. lodgement/withdrawal slips, cheques etc.
-
Relevant newspaper articles/news reports
-
Computer with data projector, PowerPoint presentations
Planning for Students with Special Needs:
While pupils with special needs are exposed to the syllabus as it laid out by the
DES, every effort is made to enable them to understand the core topics through
the repetition of these topics on a continuous basis.
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While every student is encouraged to develop to his/her full potential, those
students presenting particular difficulties are taken into account when setting
assessment tests and may, on occasion, be offered a specially designed test
paper. However, it must be recognised that these students will invariably sit the
Business Studies paper set by the State Examination Commission, and as a
consequence, will be prepared for this paper in the classroom situation.
Cross-Curricular Planning:
All Junior Cycle students of Pobalscoil Na Trionóide participate in ICT classes.
The skills developed in these classes are put to use by the Business Studies
students.
Students are required to display a number of mathematical skills: these skills are
part of the Business Studies syllabus. For the most part the teaching of these
skills will involve the reinforcement of skills acquired in maths classes.
The communication skills specified in the syllabus are an integral part of the
Business Studies course. In some cases it will involve the reinforcement of skills
acquired in language class; in others it will involve their introduction ab initio. For
many students the vocabulary associated with parts of the course will be totally
new – weaker students especially will require time to be spent on familiarisation
with the ‘new language’.
Availability/Use of ICT Facilities:
Students of Business Studies have access to the school’s ICT facilities (timetable dependant). These include:

30 Personal Computers in each of the 4 computer rooms.

1 LCD projector in classroom and 1 in computer room.

I Laser printer

Broadband access
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
Spreadsheet, database and word processing software.
Provision for Health and Safety Requirements:
The school’s Health and Safety Policy is adhered to during to Business Studies
classes. Each classroom has a fire exit plan, indicating where the students are to
go should an emergency arise. (See appendix)
The basketball courts and car
parks are the general assembly area should a fire occur.
All Business Studies teachers have been issued with an Accident Report form
which they fill out in the event of an accident occurring in the room.
(See
appendix 1)
Homework Procedures:
At the end of each lesson, students are given both written and learning
homework.
This is based on the material covered in class.
Students are
required to enter this into their homework journals.
Written homework may take the form of written questions from the end of the
chapter, past exam questions or questions formulated by the teacher.
“learning” homework is based on key words and summaries.
The
The Business
Studies teachers encourage the use of flow charts/diagrams to assist the
learning process.
A record of all homework given is kept by the teachers in their teachers journals.
Written homework is checked by the teachers on a regular basis and oral work is
examined in class daily.
The school’s homework policy is followed by the Business Studies teachers. If a
student fails to present homework, it will be noted by the teacher in their journal,
the student may be given a punishment exercise and if the teacher deems it
necessary, a note may be forwarded through the student journal to the
parents/guardians informing of the situation.
Where the non-presentation of
homework happens three times, this is recorded in the homework book in the
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staff room. a formal homework letter is posted to parents/guardians. (See
appendix 3). In more serious case a homework monitoring card may be issued
by the Business Studies teacher.
Assessments/Examinations Procedures:

On a daily basis, the teacher examines oral work in class. The teachers also
check written homework on a regular basis.

On the completion of topic, the teachers may give a class-based test.

Pobalscoil has a policy of whole school assessments in every subject at
regular intervals throughout the year. Students/parents are made aware of
these dates at the beginning of the school year. An entire school day is set
aside for these assessments. The material assessed in these tests is based
on what has been covered in class since the previous assessment. The
Business Studies teachers keep copies of the assessment given and the
result that each student achieves.
A copy of this result is posted to the
parent(s) guardian(s).

In February of the Junior Cert year all Business Studies students are required
to sit the pre-Junior Cert Business Studies examination. For some students,
the result achieved in this examination will help them/their parents to decide
the appropriate level at which they should sit the state exam.

At the end of the three-year Business Studies course, all students sit the state
examination held in June.
Record Keeping Procedures:
-
At the beginning of every lesson a roll call is taken and any absences
noted. If students leave the classroom, for any reason, this is recorded by
the teacher in the students’ journals.
-
At the end of the lesson, a record is taken of the material covered in class.
The teachers record homework given.
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-
The teacher keeps a record of students who fail to complete homework.
This may also be recorded in the students’ own journals, informing parents
of same. If a homework letter has been forwarded to parents/guardians
this is noted by the teachers.
-
Assessment and in-class test results are recorded in the teachers’ own
journals.
-
If a disciplinary issue arises during the lesson, this may be recorded in the
students own journal and/or the discipline book in the staff room. This is
done
to
keep
parents/guardians
management informed.
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and
the
class
teacher/school