Schemes of Work and Syllabus Information

Business Studies is the study of UK businesses ranging from small enterprises to large multi-national PLCs. The main theoretical topics covered are marketing, accountancy, human resource management, operations and economics. Pupils are set practical business tasks, which will be useful to them in the world of work.

Higher Line

AS Business Studies (Poetry) and A2 Busines Studies (Rhetoric)

Business Studies is a very popular A Level subject and works well with all combinations of subjects. At AS level pupils are introduced to the idea of enterprise and study the way in which start-ups are organised and financed. Pupils then move on to consider the expansion of successful businesses and strategies that they will implement. At A2 the disciplines of marketing, accountancy, human resource management, operations and economics are studied in detail.

The emphasis on teaching and learning in Business Studies is to develop skills that pupils will need to display on degree courses and in the workplace. Tasks will include written business plans, oral presentations of sales pitches and research tasks on the strategies of well-known firms.

It is essential that pupils have gained C grades in English and Mathematics at GCSE before starting on the AS Business course.

Course Outline:

Examination board AQA

AS Term 1

Unit 1: Planning and Financing a Business     

Topic list

  • Starting a Business - The challenges and issues of starting a business; enterprise; entrepreneurs.
  • Financial Planning - Essential financial concepts needed to start a business including: calculating costs, revenues, profits; using a break-even analysis and cash-flow forecasting.

AS Terms 2 and 3

 

Unit 2: Managing a Business           

Topic list

  • Finance - budgets, improving cash flow and profits.
  • People in Business - organisational structures, recruitment, training and motivation.
  • Operations Management - operational decisions, quality, customer service, suppliers, technology.
  • Marketing and Competition- designing and using an effective marketing mix, market conditions and competitiveness.

 

A2 Term 1

Unit 3: Strategies for Success     

Topic list

  • Functional Objectives and Strategies - examining their appropriateness in the context of corporate objectives.
  • Financial Strategies and Accounts - making investment information, measuring performance, financial decisions.
  • Marketing Strategies - analysing markets, and selecting successful marketing strategies, developing marketing plans.
  • Operations Strategies - operational issues, location, innovation, improving operational efficiency
  • Human Resource Strategies - workforce planning, adapting organisational structures, successful employee relations.

A2 Terms 2 and 3

Unit 4: The Business Environment and Change

Topic list

  • Corporate Aims and Objectives - purpose and nature of corporate strategies, stakeholder perspectives.
  • Assessing Change in the Business Environment - the effects of changes in the economic, political, social, ethical and technological environment and responses of organisations.
  • Managing Change - planning for change,leadership and corporate culture, making strategic decisions, decision making.