Business Studies

 

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Departmental Staff

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Head of Department: Mrs P McGuinness

Mrs A O’Hare

Curriculum

GCSE (Years 11 & 12)

 

Year 11

 

Unit 1 – Business Start Up

  • Business Start Up
  • Production
  • Marketing

This unit is assessed by an externally set exam worth 35% of the overall GCSE Grade.

 

Year 12

 

Unit 2 – Business Development

  • Finance
  • Managing People
  • Business Growth
  • Business Plan

This unit is assessed by an externally set exam worth 40% of the overall GCSE Grade. There is also a controlled assessment that is carried out for this unit worth 25% of the overall grade.

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A Level (Years 13 & 14)

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AS Level – comprises of three units

 

Unit 1 –Enterprising Business

 

  • What is an enterprising business?
  • Aims and objectives of an enterprising business
  • How is an enterprising business organised
  • Communication
  • Functional areas of business
  • Enterprising distribution channels
  • Enterprising market research
  • Innovatory marketing methods
  • Monitoring and reviewing business activities
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Unit 2 - The Enterprising Manager

 

  • Skills and abilities of an enterprising manager
  • Managing people
  • Managing finance
  • Managing other resources
  • Styles of management

Units 1 and 2 are internally assessed and based on a local case study of the Carrickdale Hotel.

 

Unit 3 – External Influences of the Business Enterprise

 

  • Markets
  • Market sectors
  • The competitive environment
  • Improving competitiveness
  • Stakeholders and competition
  • Supply and demand
  • Government influence and economic policy
  • International competition and its influence on business in Northern Ireland
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A2 – comprises of three units

 

Unit 7 –Finance

 

  • Sources of Finance – different sources of finance, types of financial statement (for sole traders)
  • Interpretation of Accounts – Accounting Ratios (for limited companies)
  • Investment Appraisal – nature of capital investment decisions, investment appraisal methods, cost behaviour patterns, absorption costing, breakeven analysis
  • Budgeting – budgets
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Unit 9 –Enterprise in Practice

 

  • Teamwork
  • Formation
  • Market research and marketing
  • Role allocation
  • Production or service
  • Finance
  • Evaluation

(This unit is internally assessed within the school and involves the students starting up an enterprise business)

 

Unit 10 –Investing in People

 

  • Planning for investing in people
  • Employee motivation and training
  • Taking care of staff