Mr S Callaghan.
Members of the department
Mrs A Hunt
Mr S Beasley
About Our Subject
Economics, business and enterprise education is about equipping children and young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to help them make sense of the complex and dynamic economic, business and financial environment in which they live. It should help them leave school well-informed and well-prepared to function as consumers, employees and potential employers.
Economics, business and enterprise education: A summary of inspection evidence: April 2007 to March 2010, Ofsted.
Studying Business develops key attributes sought by employers such as critical thinking, analytical skills, problem solving, and the ability to research and interpret business data. Students with this knowledge and skill set can be highly employable in areas such as advertising, banking, finance, personnel management and logistics, in both public and private sectors – indeed it is difficult to name a career where a knowledge of business practices would not be of use.
Pearson Edexcel GCSE 9-1
Students will explore key business concepts, issues and skills involved in starting and running a small business such as enterprise and entrepreneurship, spotting a business opportunity, putting a business idea into practice, making the business effective, and understanding external influences on business. The course then considers how a business develops beyond the start-up phase by exploring growing the business, making marketing decisions, operational decisions, financial decisions, and human resource decisions.
All topic areas require students to consider the national and global business environment and its impact on business behaviour and decisions.
In addition to studying business theories and concepts our students will be encouraged to participate in entrepreneurial activities: we will be taking part in an inter-schools enterprise competition organised by the University of Worcester and the Young Enterprise Tenner Challenge, and of course we will be encouraging our very own budding entrepreneurs who run their own businesses outside of school.
Year 9 students will follow an introductory course that affords them the invaluable opportunity to gain knowledge of the rudimentary business-related terminology that applies to all types of businesses, whether operating on a local, national or global scale.
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Business (9BSO)
Current business issues and case studies will be used to explore topics such as: business leadership and management, marketing, accounting and finance, operations management, human resources, business strategy, and the external environment and economic changes. Class work and assessments will involve report and essay writing, analysis of data and the evaluation of case studies. The ability to carry out effective research prior to tasks will be essential.
Students will need good levels of literacy and numeracy; must be able to think analytically and critically about business-related issues and have a genuine interest in the business world. They will have to be able to present ideas articulately and be able to produce structured reports and handle data. Creativity and problem-solving skills are also required in order to develop solutions and strategies for successful business practice.
All year 12 Business students will take part in the Young Enterprise Company Programme which involves setting up a business, developing a viable idea, producing, marketing and selling the product/service and participating in trade fairs and the regional Young Enterprise competition.
We have also developed links with the University of Worcester and business professionals in the county and will have guest speakers giving presentations on enterprise, financial management, human resources management and much more!