BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS CURRICULUM STATEMENT
Intent
Our intent is based on a belief that studying Business and Economics significantly contributes to helping young people become well rounded citizens who can contribute in a positive way to the changing society to which they belong.
It is our intention that all students should achieve the maximum of their academic potential, in an environment where teachers and students have a shared enthusiasm for Economics and Business. The Teaching and Learning is designed, as much as is possible, to meet the individual needs of the student. There are secure, well tested schemes of learning that deliver all components of the specification (and beyond) in an interesting and varied approach. There are appropriate structured resources in place to provide support for both staff and students alike.
We intend that all students will feel able and willing to approach members of staff for additional help and advice. In addition to that, there is an extra-curricular programme in place that provides an extension for all students to immerse themselves in aspects of Business and Economics where they can thrive and develop their passion for the subject.
There are as many external links and applications made to the real world to ensure the dynamism that the nature of the subjects provides. This includes external speakers (e.g. from the University of East Anglia, the Bank of England and Speakers for Schools) and visits to businesses. In addition, most lessons will see real world application to current affairs and local, national and internal business case studies.
Students are made aware of the spiritual and moral implications of the issues explored and developed, and understand the diversity and validity of different social and cultural traditions. There is a secure and positive teaching and learning (Teaching and Learning) environment, where behaviour is good, and all students are able to progress, whatever their level of ability.
Implementation
Business
In implementing the Business curriculum, we have thought about sequencing. The sequence of topics increases in challenge over the 2-4 years. As this is an exam subject there are no optional units. We teach beyond the curriculum and offer many super-curricular opportunities.
In KS4 we begin with Business Activity as it is an introductory topic that sets the scene of ‘what a business is’ before students learn the different functional areas of a business. This unit provides the core foundation to business that provides a framework for the remainder of the course and contextualises the work that follows. As part of the curriculum we have built the ‘Share Challenge’ and ‘Tycoon Challenge’ into our planning to give pupils real work business experience and we also plan to run an enrichment trip to a real business; in the past this has been Cadbury World, where students have a tour and learn about the structure of the business.
The Tycoon Enterprise competition is a national competition with set dates but it is ideal timing as the students can utilise what they have learnt about business and put a marketing plan into action. It gives them practical experience and introduces basic finance and operations. We finish the year with a synoptic project that revisits the year’s learning, called My Café which includes a visit to the city centre.
Following our Business Activity unit, we go onto the 4 functional areas in a business, starting with Marketing, which is followed by People. These are accessible topics for pupils that can be taught in a way that enables pupils to see the real-world application of business concepts.
In Year 11 we start with Operations, which teaches students about the role of production in a business. We then teach Finance followed by External Influences and, since Interdependence is a synoptic topic, it is taught last. Year 11 focus moves towards exam practice and preparation for Mocks and GCSE exams.
At KS5 Business we have structured the course so that teachers specialise on either Paper 1 (topics 1 and 4) or Paper 2 (topics 2 and 3). Both teachers in Year 13 will prepare the students for Paper 3 (synoptic). This allows the teacher to be specialised in the exam. The topics build on the concepts taught at GCSE. Not all students have studied GCSE Business so we need to ensure all topics are taught as if new.
The course is structured similarly to the GCSE; Marketing and HR are taught alongside each other and Finance, Operations and External Influences are taught alongside each other. The exam board has structured the course this way and we feel it is easier for students to understand and prepare for their exams if it is delivered in a specialised manner.
Extra-curricular opportunities in Year 12 include the Tycoon Enterprise Competition. Lessons use up-to-date business examples so that students can understand the significance of business activity in national and international contexts.
The Year 13 topics build on prior knowledge from Year 12. We take our time to teach all of the topics and ensure students are confident in the concepts and in the application to exam-style questions. We use a lot of case study materials to prepare them for this, to give a real-world perspective.
Economics
In implementing the Economics curriculum, we have also thought about sequencing. The sequence of topics increases in challenge over the 2 years. As this is an exam subject there are no optional units. We teach beyond the curriculum and offer many super-curricular opportunities.
At KS5 Economics we begin with the building blocks and fundamentals of microeconomics. Teachers teach both Micro and Macroeconomics to ensure they have a broad knowledge of the course as there is a lot of overlap between topics. Teachers make links between different parts of the course to encourage students to do this to achieve the highest marks on their exam questions. Both teachers in Year 13 will prepare the students for Paper 3 (synoptic).
Topics are taught where we feel they fit better to support students' learning. For example, in Y13 we teach labour markets after market structures as it builds on the knowledge learnt in that subject area. The Year 13 topics revisit elements of the knowledge, skills and understanding developed in Year 12, ensuring that concepts are recapped and reinforced to support deep learning.
There are many extra-curricular opportunities in Economics such as the ‘Share Challenge’ and the IEA Budget Challenge. This helps students to develop their wider knowledge of economic issues. We also apply to have a speaker from the Bank of England and from Speakers for Schools.
Impact
We feel that the Business and Economics curriculum engages our pupils and enables them to learn about this exciting subject area and its impact on decision-making on an individual and national/international basis. In studying Business and Economics, students are able to understand how the interconnected nature of the business environment can contribute to society in an informed way.
Recruitment to our subjects is strong in Key Stages 4 and 5, with 89 pupils in the current Year 11 (2023-24) and 59 in Year 10, and a total of 45 students across Year 12 and Year 13 in A-Level Business, and a further 59 in A-Level Economics.
A significant number of our Sixth Form students pursue Business and Economics courses after they have completed their A-Levels.
All students taught within the department are in KS4 and 5, and are all studying for external exams. In 2023 A-Level Economics results stood at 68.6% A*-B, whilst A-Level Business grades were 79.8% A*-B. At GCSE over 25% of pupils achieved grades 9-8 compared to a national average of 10.03%.
Department Staff
Mr P Smith (PAS): Head of Business & Economics Department
Mr A Pawlett (AJP): Teacher of Business & Economics
Mrs L Willis (LAW): Teacher of Business & Economics and Assistant Headteacher
