KS5
A-level Course Followed: Business
Specification: AQA A-level Business 7132
Why Choose A-level:
Introduction to the Course
The A-level Business course is written to enable GCSE and non-GCSE students of Business access the course material. All teaching is done assuming no prior knowledge. The course enables students to discover aspects of business, such as; different business ownership structures, marketing practices, human resources management issues and manipulation and understanding of key financial documentation: income statements, balance sheets, cashflow forecasts and budgets. Within the course students will learn through a variety of methods – business theory, business case studies, independent research, and documentaries. As with GCSE, the philosophy of the course incorporates the belief that the study of Business Studies should require students both to understand the dynamic environment in which business operates and to appreciate the many and varied factors which impact upon business activity, but this is now developed within a more dynamic and global setting.
Throughout the course students will be developing their transferable skills directly equipping them with necessary skills for their own adult and working life. The units studied, provide opportunities to explore theories and concepts in the most relevant way, through the context of events in the business and economic world.
Assessment:
Students sit three papers at the end of year 13. There is no coursework for this course. All papers are synoptic – so students must revise everything for each of the papers.
Course coverage:
Throughout the whole course the underlying theme is ‘strategic decision making’ and each unit is delivered so students are able to recommend and solve decision making within the business environment. To be able to do this, students should consider:
- the impact of technology on strategic decision making
- the influences of Corporate Social Responsibility, ethical and environmental issues on strategic decisions
- the difficulties in forecasting future trends
- the importance of assessing feasibility and risk when making strategic decisions
- the impact on stakeholders of strategic decisions and their response to such decisions.
The topics lend themselves to studying and engaging with the business world. The specification and assessment should encourage students to follow business developments and think critically about contemporary business issues. Most of the assessment material is based on real business situations. By examining and thinking critically about real business situations as they study the subject, students will gain an insight into different contexts which will help them to understand the key issues in any situation and compare and contrast this with other situations and apply their understanding.
The ten units of the course are:
Key Stage Five Curriculum Review
Year 12 Business Content
| NAME OF TOPIC AND KEY CONTENT TEACHER 1 |
NAME OF TOPIC AND KEY CONTENT TEACHER 2 |
ASSESSMENT POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Term 1 |
Unit 1: What is Business
Unit 2: Managers, Leadership & Decision making
|
Unit 3: Decision-making to improve marketing performance
|
Students will be assessed in class at several points throughout each term. Assessments could take the form of: MC questions, small and longer mark examination questions, case study work and quick quizzes. They will also have an end of half term or term test:
December half term test |
|
Term 2 |
Unit 6: Human resources
|
Unit 4: Decision making to improve operational performance.
|
Students will be assessed in class at several points throughout each term. Assessments could take the form of: MC questions, small and longer mark examination questions, case study work and quick quizzes. They will also have an end of half term or term test: February half term test Easter half term test |
|
Term 3 |
Unit 5: Decision making to improve financial performance
Unit 7a: Analysing the strategic position of a business: internal factors
Analysing the existing internal position of a business to assess S & O: financial ratio analysis |
Unit 8: Strategic direction: choosing which markets to compete in and what products to offer
|
Students will be assessed in class at several points throughout each term. Assessments could take the form of: MC questions, small and longer mark examination questions, case study work and quick quizzes.
They will also have an end of half term or term test:
Internal mock exam |
Year 13 Business content
| NAME OF TOPIC AND KEY CONTENT TEACHER 1 |
NAME OF TOPIC AND KEY CONTENT TEACHER 2 |
ASSESSMENT POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Term 1 |
Unit 7a: Analysing the strategic position of a business: internal factors
Unit 7b Analysing the strategic position of a business external factors and strategic options.
|
Unit 9: Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies
|
Students will be assessed in class at several points throughout each term. Assessments could take the form of: MC questions, small and longer mark examination questions, case study work and quick quizzes.
They will also have an end of half term or term test:
October half term test |
|
Term 2 |
Unit 7b analysing the strategic position of a business external factors and strategic options
|
Unit 10: Managing Change
|
Students will be assessed in class at several points throughout each term. Assessments could take the form of: MC questions, small and longer mark examination questions, case study work and quick quizzes. They will also have an end of half term or term test: Internal mock exam (December) Paper 3 mock |
| Term 3 | Revision | Revision | External exam |