Courses / Business
Business
Business Studies will suit students who are interested in the dynamic world of business. The course investigates real life problems faced by businesses and explores possible solutions. Students will be encouraged to use their initiative in order to solve these problems.
If you choose this course you would benefit from:
- Experienced teachers who specialise in business and have experience in industry
- Guest lecturers and industry experts who in the past have included representatives from Coventry Building Society, Santander Bank and Matalan to name a few
- Trips to put business into practice; in the past students have visited, Alton Towers, BMW in Berlin and DHL in Northampton
- Competitions to put knowledge into practice in the past students have entered
In the first year you will study:
- Enterprise and entrepreneurship
- Business structures, locations and plans and how they adapt
- Finance, revenue and costs
- Marketing, including research and promoting the product
- People in organisations / human resources
- Operations management
- Data and market analysis and sales forecasting
- Analysing financial and non-financial performance, e.g. financial ratios
In the second year you will study:
- Business aims and objectives and implementing a strategy to achieve them
- Decision making models, including moving averages, and critical path analysis
- Investment appraisal and special orders
- Change and Risk management
- Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors that businesses deal with
- The impact of Ethical, legal and environmental factors upon businesses
- Globalisation and trading across many countries
- The European union and how this affects trade
What will i be taught?
This course is taught around a flipped learning approach, students make use of materials on the college Moodle site to research topics before they are delivered in class. This prior research is then assessed in class and activities follow which allow learners to explore the content in more detail and apply them to real business situations. In addition, your teacher and personal tutor will review and discuss your progress with you and will be available for advice to support your learning.
Classroom activities will include:
- Multiple choice tests
- Essay based assessments
- Interactive online quizzes
- group work
- student led sessions
Based on research into how students learn best, each subject will set independent work to allow you to recap what you have done in the past, consolidate understanding for what you are studying in the present and develop the skills and experiences which will help you for the future. You can read more about the college’s approach to independent study here
The Past
Click here for the suggested ongoing revision activities in this subject which research has shown are most likely to boost your achievement
The Present
Each subject will set weekly homework tasks to help you consolidate your understanding and prepare for your next lesson. This work is typically set through Microsoft Teams, so you will have an electronic log of all your work, notes and feedback.
The Future
A key part of your independent work in this subject will be to prepare for a range of potential jobs and higher education courses when you leave us. To get started, look below at the top higher education courses and jobs which previous students of this course have gone on to do.
As part of a wider programme this course provides an excellent basis for progression to many careers or university courses.
Former students of this college have gone on to study Business Management, Business and Marketing and Business and Accounting at university and employment/apprenticeships with Aldi, TNT, Coventry Building Society and Santander.
5 x GCSE grades 4-9 (incl. English Language)
Additional Requirements
5 in English Language
5 in Maths
Not essential but will help your success…
Enthusiasm for the world of business and a keen interest in current affairs and following the news.
Pairs well with Economics and Financial Studies. You prefer to do a course based on final exams only.
Teaching contact time is 4 hours and 20 minutes per subject. Other workshops will be available throughout the year including over some holiday periods. Students are expected to complete up to 4 hours of independent study to complete assignments, homework, extra reading and independent research.
100% exam
3 exams:
- Business Opportunities and Functions 33.33%
- Business Analysis and Strategy 33.33%
- Business in a changing world 33.33%