Key Stage 4
Subject: GCSE Business
Aims of the subject:
To provide pupils with a creative and stimulating learning experience that will give them the confidence and enthusiasm to further their education in Business and apply their skills and knowledge to the world of employment.
GCSE Examination Board: Edexcel/Pearson
Assessment Overview:
The course is broken into 2 components: THEME 1: INVESTIGATING SMALL BUSINESS is worth a possible total of 50% of the final mark and is covered in Y10.
THEME 2: BUILDING A BUSINESS is worth a possible total of 50% of the final mark and is started in Term 3 of Y10 and then completed in Y11.
There will be two 1.5 hour exams for each them at the end of Y11. The papers will consist of calculations, multiple choice, short-answer and extended-writing questions. Calculators can be used during these exams.
| Year | What will I learn? | Assessment |
| 10 | Term 1
1.1 – Enterprise and Entrepreneurship 1.2 – Spotting a Business Opportunity Term 2 1.3 – Putting a Business Idea into Practice 1.4 – Making the Business Effective Term 3 1.5 – Understanding External Influences on Business 2.1 – Growing the Business |
End of Topic Progress Test that as well as assess the current topic, also cumulatively assess the previous topics.
End of Year 10 mock assessment – a full past paper for Theme 1. |
| 11 | Term 1
2.2 – Making Marketing Decisions 2.3 – Making Operational Decisions Term 2
2.4 – Making Financial Decisions 2.5 – Making Human Resource Decisions Term 3 Revision and final exams.
|
End of Topic Progress Test that as well as assess the current topic, also cumulatively assess the previous topics.
Year 11 January mock assessment – a full past paper for Theme 1 and a paper for the Theme 2 topics covered up to the point of the mocks. |
Extra-curricular opportunities
- Enterprise projects such as working as a team designing a healthy cereal/cereal bar for children.
- Tenner Challenge
- Links with J&K Confectionery in Wigan – work as part of a team to design, research and present a new sweet/chocolate idea for an existing retailer e.g. M&S.
- Revision sessions are ran of a Friday lunchtime and after school each week.
How you can support your child’s progress
Please be aware that pupils will be given homework tasks, all of which are important elements of the course. These will always be recorded on the school’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE – accessed via the internet). We would be grateful if you could support your child when completing these tasks and bringing them into school on time for the deadlines. There will also be regular progress test assessments and we would ask parents to ensure their child revises all work thoroughly for all assessments so that we can get an accurate picture of each pupil’s progress. A minimal amount of equipment will be needed at home but it is important that pupils have access to a PC with Internet access. They should be using websites called Quizlet and Seneca Learning to help them revise. They will also be issued with a GCSE Business Revision Guide by Edexcel which they can have on loan until the end of the course. I would also encourage your child to regularly read/watch/listen to business stories in the UK Media to gain a wider and deeper understanding of real life business. Watching BBC programmes such as ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘Dragon’s Den’ would also be highly recommended.
