Business Studies - GCSE

Course description:

This course leads to a GCSE and provides a foundation in Business Studies. It provides students with an insight into Business Studies and aims to develop students’ knowledge and understanding using a wide range of business contexts. There are five units of work delivered throughout the course.

• Business Activity and the Changing Environment – this section covers the external environment and business, the ownership and control of business and the aims and objectives of business.
• Human Resources – this unit gives students the opportunity to investigate the role of the Human Resources department in business.
• Accounting and Finance – this unit focuses on the use of accounting and financial information as an aid to decision-making.
• Marketing – this unit focuses on market research, products, pricing, promotion and controls on advertising.
• Production – this unit focuses on the way organisations use and manage resources to produce goods and services.

Learning takes place through teacher-led lessons, use of case studies, individual work, student research, group work and discussion. All lessons are taught in an ICT room and use of ICT is an integral part of the Business Studies course. Students will be expected to use information technology throughout their coursework and classwork, as and when appropriate.

There is also the opportunity for students studying GCSE Business Studies to be entered for the Business and Communications Systems GCSE as well if they wish.

See also: Applied Business

Course structure:

This course is taught during 5 lessons over the 2-week timetable. All lessons are taught in the Business Studies room, which is well equipped with 30 PCs. The main programs the students use are:

WORD – Word Processing
EXCEL – Spreadsheets
ACCESS – Databases
PAGEPLUS – Desktop Publishing
POWERPOINT – Presentations

Homework:

Homework is set once a week and takes about an hour to complete. It varies and consists of case studies, research, revision, reading, working through tasks and answering questions.

Assessment, weighting and timings of assessments:

25% coursework – students complete a coursework assignment (approximately 1,500 words) based upon one of the five units of work. Students usually complete their coursework on the Marketing section of the specification and have to prepare a plan for setting up a business in the local area. This assignment is completed in the Autumn term of Year 11.

75% terminal examination – this consists of a two hour written paper. There are two tiers of entry A* - D or C – G.