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Devonport High School for Girls

Head of Department

Mrs D McMahon, BBs, PGCE

Statement of Intent

Our curriculum Intent is to ensure that students gain a full understanding of key business theories and principles as they complete the A Level course. We expect students to develop an understanding of how business works in the real world, discover the problems and opportunities faced by local, national and international businesses and learn about how business functions such as marketing, finance, human and physical resources work together as part of a whole business. We want students to develop an enthusiasm for studying business and gain a holistic understanding of business in a range of contexts.

The aims of the course are to:

  • develop an enthusiasm for studying business;
  • gain a holistic understanding of business in a range of contexts;
  • develop a critical understanding of organisations and their ability to meet society’s needs and wants;
  • understand that business behaviour can be studied from a range of perspectives;
  •  generate enterprising and creative approaches to business opportunities, problems and issues;
  • be aware of the ethical dilemmas and responsibilities faced by organisations and individuals;
  • acquire a range of relevant business and generic skills, including decision-making, problem-solving, the challenging of assumptions and critical analysis;
  • apply numerical skills in a range of business contexts;
  • support students to become independent learners who can apply a range of ideas to business context;

A Level Course Outline

A-level Business Studies students will:

Develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyse data, think critically about issues and make informed decisions – all skills that are needed for further study and employment.
Students will: communicate and explain ideas, explore and present alternative courses of action, think strategically and make decisions, work with numbers to solve business problems, keep up to date with national and international business news and learn about the world of business through research and investigation.

 

Higher Education and Career Opportunities

Business graduates go on to a very wide-range of careers. Business prepares you for progression to further study or the world of work. Transferable skills like making decisions, solving problems, numerical skills, understanding the business environment and commercial awareness are relevant to Universities and employment. You might want to study a degree in Business Management, Accountancy, Tourism Management or International Business. You might progress to a career in Banking, Sales, Product Management or the Charitable Sector.

Course Content

Examination Board

Edexcel

Full details of the specification and assessment criteria can be found on the Edexcel website

Business - 8BS0, 9BS0

AS Level

Paper 1

80 marks – 1 hour 30 minutes - data response questions focusing on Theme 1 content. There is also an essay question that asks you to make connections between Theme 1 and Theme 2 content.

 

Paper 2

80 marks – 1 hour 30 minutes - data response questions focusing on Theme 1 content. There is also an essay question that asks you to make connections between Theme 1 and Theme 2 content.

A Level

Paper 1

100 marks – 2 hours - data response and essay questions, and focuses on Theme 1 and Theme 4 content.

 

Paper 2

100 marks – 2 hours - data response and essay questions, and focuses on Theme 2 and Theme 3 content.

 

Paper 3

100 marks – 2 hours - has a pre-released context so you will investigate an industry or market in which businesses operate before your examination. The data response and essay questions in the examination are linked to the context.

Curriculum Programmes of Study 

Year

Cycle Content

Year 12

Cycle 1

   Theme 1 (AS content)
   1.1 Meeting customer needs
   1.2 The market
   1.3 Marketing mix and strategy
   Cycle 1 assessment 1
   1.4 Managing people
   1.5 Entrepreneurs and leaders
   Cycle 1 assessment 2
   DIT Week

Cycle 2

   Theme 2 (AS content)
   2.1 Raising finance
   2.2 Financial planning
   Cycle 2 assessment 1
   2.3 Managing finance
   2.4 Resource management
   Cycle 2 assessment 2
   DIT Week

Cycle 3

   Theme 2 (AS content) continued and Theme 3 (A2 content)
   2.5 External influences
   Cycle 3 assessment 1
   Theme 3 (A2 content)
   3.3 Decision-making techniques
   3.5 Assessing competitiveness
   3.1 Business objectives and strategy
   Cycle 3 Mock assessment 2

Year 13

 

Cycle 1

   Theme 3 (A2 content) continued
   3.2 Business Growth
   3.4 Influences on business decision
   3.6 Managing change
   Cycle 1 assessment 1
   Theme 4 (A2 content)
   4.1 Globalisation
   4.2 Global markets and business expansion
   Cycle 1 assessment 2

Cycle 2

   Theme 4 (A2 content) continued
   4.3 Global Marketing
   4.4 Global industries and companies (multinational corporations)
   Cycle 2 Mock assessment 1
   Theme 1,2,3,4
   Paper 3 Investigating a competitive industry (AS and A2 content)
   Cycle 2 assessment 2

Cycle 3

Paper 3 - Pre-release topic
Knowledge retrieval of Themes 1,2,3,4
Paper 1 - Theme 1&4 skills and exam technique
Paper 2 - Theme 2&3 skills and exam technique
Paper 3 – Theme 1,2,3,4 and exam technique
Cycle 3 assessment - Exam Paper preparation
Skill Development

  • Numerical Skills
  • Data Interpretation
  • Contextualisation
  • Revision, Timing & Structure
  • Research & Wider knowledge