Business Studies
This week, Business is gathering feedback from pupils nearing the end of the BTEC course. Please click on the link to the survey below and complete it. We will read all feedback and use it to try and improve the curriculum we offer in.
Click here to complete the Y11 Business survey
Staffing in Business Studies
Business Studies is taught by two teachers; these include Ms Lewis and Ms Ali.
Aims of The Department
Our department supports the school vision, “to equip every Cumberland pupil with the knowledge and the skills to develop as individuals, to contribute as citizens and to build happy and fulfilling lives”.
In Business Studies we aim to enable every child to leave school with an accredited qualification. We strive to reduce the attainment gap between groups of pupils by making effective use of data to inform teaching and learning and by constantly develop our skills as a teaching team.
We aim to support pupils to understand the key skills and process they need to develop and progress. We are constantly developing a curriculum that involves a range of tasks and activities to support and challenge learners of all abilities, and to become independent, life-long learners.
The Business Studies department plays a key part in developing skills that will prepare pupils’ workplace skills, which in turn will contribute to their economic wellbeing. Our curriculum contextualises learning through the use of real life situations and problem solving scenarios. We use industry standard software and pupils develop a range of skills and knowledge alongside personal qualities such as the ability to work effectively in teams. Pupils are well prepared for the courses on offer, which lead to vocational accredited qualifications.
The Business Studies Curriculum
Business Studies is an option subject, and as such is studied in Key Stage 4 only. In Year 10 and 11 pupils study Business Studies for five hours a week.
We follow the Level 2 BTEC course offered by the Edexcel examination board, and is equivalent to two GCSEs at grades A*-C.
Year 10 pupils are following the 2010 specification from the examination board. Their course involves two mandatory units with further optional units to generate at least 30 credits in total.
- The first mandatory unit is called Business Purposes, and teaches candidates about business ownership, the growth and decline of business sectors and how the government can help create a healthy climate for business to prosper.
- The second mandatory unit is called Business Organisations and focuses on the purpose of setting aims and objectives and an investigation of how the functional areas of a business work together to meet its aims and objectives.
- Unit 3 is a short unit about financial forecasting and involves learning about business costs, revenue and profit, break-even analysis, cashflow forecasting and recording financial transactions to avoid fraudulent activity.
- Developing Customer Relations. This unit involves learning about how to deliver outstanding customer service that meets a range of customer needs and expectations. As well as understanding what contributes to excellence in customer service, candidates also learn how to check and judge the level of service being provided.
- Consumer Rights is the final unit, and it looks in some detail at the role of the law in protecting consumers from such issues as broken contracts, negligence, defective goods and services.
Much more detailed information and a range of learning materials for the Business Studies course is available to pupils and their families via www.fronter.com/newham.
Assessment for Learning
Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process in Business. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work and that of their peers.
Pupils are provided with their assessment criteria at the start of each unit, so they can reference what they need to do to move forward.
The teaching team assess progress through questioning in class, and marking of classwork and homework.
Data is recorded regularly on the school’s electronic management information system, so that we can track progress towards targets efficiently and effectively.
Attainment in Our Department
Results at end of Key Stage 4 (A*-C)
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Applied Business GCSE | 48% | 41% | 21% | N/A |
| BTEC Business (Extended Certificate) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 98% |
This page was last updated in October 2011