Key Stage 4

Key Stage 5

At Key Stage 5 we offer both A Level Business Studies and BTEC Business Studies.

A Level Business Studies

As of September 2015 the AQA ‘A’ Level Business Studies course will change to be a fully integrated two-year course. The course content has been updated to take into account the fast changing nature of the business world. 

There are ten areas of study within the course, these include:

1. What is business?
2. Management, leadership and decision making
3. Decision making to improve marketing performance
4. Decision making to improve operational performance
5. Decision making to improve Financial performance
6. Decision making to improve Human Resources performance
7. Analysing the strategic position of a business
8. Choosing strategic direction
9. Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
10. Managing strategic change

The first 6 modules will be deceived in Year 12 with the remanding 4 being studied in Year 13.

BTEC Business Studies

BTEC Business is a vocational course designed to provide specialist work-related qualifications. This will give students the knowledge, understanding and skills they will need to prepare for employment. Assessment will occur through assignments and external assessment. The content is similar to the A Level, with an increasing level of challenge due to both internal and external assessment pieces. There will be visits to companies to help learners with the opportunity to relate their work to real businesses.

The Business BTEC Extended Certificate is equivalent to one A Level and will completed over two years. Over the two-year course students will study the following:

4 units of work (2 externally assessed, 2 internally assessed)

Year 12

• Unit 1 Exploring Business
• Unit 2 Developing a Marketing Campaign

Year 13

• Unit 3 Personal and Business Finance
• Unit 4 Recruitment and Selection Process

Each unit of work will be graded based on the tasks completed starting at Pass, Merit and Distinction. To achieve the highest grade, students need to be achieving a Distinction across all units of work and this will achieve a Distinction*. To be awarded this is a true commitment to maintaining the best standards of independence and organisation throughout the two-year course.