Applied Business

In the first year you will study: 

Unit 3: Personal and Business Finance develops students’ understanding of how individuals and businesses manage money effectively. You will explore personal financial planning, banking and financial services, sources of finance, accounting principles, cash flow forecasting, break-even analysis, and the preparation and interpretation of financial statements to support informed financial decision-making. 

Assessment: This unit is assessed through a two-hour external examination worth 80 marks, covering both personal finance and business finance topics. 

Unit 1: Exploring Business introduces students to the key factors that contribute to business success. You will explore different types of businesses, their aims, structures and stakeholders, examine how internal and external factors influence decision-making, investigate how markets operate, and analyse the role of innovation and enterprise in helping businesses grow and remain competitive in a changing environment. 

Assessment: You will complete three internally assessed assignments, including business reports and a presentation, based on research into real businesses and the factors that influence their success. 

In the second year you will study: 

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign gives students an understanding of how successful marketing campaigns are planned, developed and evaluated. You will explore marketing principles, market research, customer needs, market segmentation and the marketing mix before using data and research to design and justify an effective marketing campaign for a given product or service. 

Assessment: This unit is assessed through a Pearson-set external assessment consisting of a 2-hour research preparation period followed by a 3-hour supervised assessment, worth a total of 70 marks. 

Unit 8: Recruitment and Selection Process explores how businesses recruit, select and retain the right employees to support organisational success. You will investigate recruitment methods, employment legislation and ethical considerations before taking part in realistic recruitment activities, including preparing application documents, participating in interviews and reflecting on your own performance to develop employability skills. 

Assessment: This unit is internally assessed through coursework, including a report on recruitment practices, the creation of recruitment and selection documents, participation in interview activities, and a reflective evaluation with a SWOT analysis and personal development plan.

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 in the exam. As this subject also icludes coursework, click here for the suggested activities to work on the coursework units

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, Santander and KPMG.