Career Paths in Business

There are a wide range of careers in business as it includes a wide range of topics.  Common career paths include:  Accounting & Finance, Commercial Banking, Corporate Finance, Insurance, Investment Banking, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations, Market Research, Product Management & Retail.

Business Studies

Mr A Waterhouse - Head of Department         

Examination Board: AQA

AQA Level 3 Extended Certificate in Applied Business

Learners gain a broad understanding of business topics and consider how to plan and deliver a product or a service.

Unit summary

The Level 3 Extended Certificate in Applied Business Certificate in Applied Business consists of three mandatory units (units 1 – 3 below). plus units 4, 5 and 7 below.

Unit 1 planning and analysis

Financial issues enterprises need to consider. Learners explore ways enterprises can be owned and financed. Learners will need to understand the issues that enterprises face concerning cash- flow and be able to calculate profit, break-even and cash-flow. They will use this information along with final accounts and market information to make business decisions.
External examination

Unit 2 Business dynamics

Human, physical and financial resources are essential for the success of business organisations. Learners will investigate factors contributing to the success of businesses, focussing on the role of managers, supervisors and employees. They will consider how businesses organise themselves and will develop the ability to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of organisational structures.
Internally centre assessed

Unit 3 Entrepreneurial opportunities

Learners develop an understanding of entrepreneurial opportunities and investigate how individuals can exploit these through personal enterprise, e.g. offering a service. They will consider opportunities for their own personal enterprise, a given context and propose marketing and operations activities to take advantage of the entrepreneurial opportunity.
External assignment

Unit 4 Managing and leading people

Learners explore how organisation operate in a changing environment and use managers and employees to achieve objectives. They study the importance of leadership, how employees and managers interact in the workplace and the impact of different organisational structures on managers and employees.
External examination

Unit 5 Developing a business proposal

Learners investigate the processes required to develop, present and evaluate a business proposal. The business proposal will require human resources beyond those provided by the learner. Learners will develop a concise proposal and present this to funding providers.
Internally centre assessed

Unit 7 Managing an event

Learners investigate the processes required to plan for, co- ordinate and manage a one-off event. This event will be related to the business proposal. Learners will review the success of the event and modify their business proposals accordingly.
Internally centre assessed

 

GCSE Business (9-1)

Mr A Waterhouse - Head of Department 

Examination Board: OCR

Method of Assessment:

Business (01): Business activity, marketing and people

1 hour 30 minutes = 50% of the qualification

Business (02): Operations, finance and influences on business

1 hour 30 minutes = 50% of the qualification

GCSE in Business equips students with the skills and confidence to explore how different business situations affect decision-making. They develop their understanding of concepts, objectives and terminology, and the impact of issues on a business’s operations.

Business 01: Business activity, marketing and people

Students are introduced to business concepts and issues concerning the activities of a business. They explore the purpose and role of a business from spotting an opportunity through to the growth of an established business. They also look at the role of marketing and human resources.

Topic 1 includes: The role of business enterprise and entrepreneurship, business planning, business ownership, business aims and objectives, stakeholders in business and business growth.

Topic 2 includes:  The role of marketing, market research, market segmentation and the marketing mix.

Topic 3 includes: The role of human resources, organisational structures, communication in business, recruitment and selection, employee motivation and retention, training and development and employment law

Business 02: Operations, finance and influences on business

Students take a closer look at the role of operations and finance in business activity. Operations include production processes, quality of goods and services, customer service, and working with suppliers. Finance covers its role, its sources, costs, profit and loss, cash and cash flow.  They also explore how business responds to external influences, such as ethical and environmental considerations, the economic climate and globalisation, and the interdependent nature of business.

Topic 4 includes: The production processes, ensuring the quality of goods and services, the sales process and customer service, consumer law, influences on business location and the importance of working with suppliers

Topic 5 includes: The role of the finance function, sources of finance, calculating revenue, costs, profit and loss, calculating break-even and cash flow.

Topic 6 includes: Ethical and environmental considerations, the economic climate, globalisation and the interdependent nature of business

Internal Assessment

Each topic once completed will be internally assessed and at the end of Year 11 there are two external examinations.