Curriculum overview for A Level Business

Curriculum intent – the knowledge, understanding and skills that students will learn
Students will build knowledge and understanding of marketing and people in business, managements of business activities including decision making and strategy and will develop the ability to apply the concepts and theory to a range of contexts at a local, national, and international level. Throughout the A Level course, students will acquire an understanding of entrepreneurs and business start-up including adaptation of the business in order to operate within a dynamic environment. Students will understand the internal and external influences on a business and how a business responds and adapts to these influences. Learners will develop their understanding of the core concepts and being to take a strategic view of business opportunities and issues. Finally, students will develop an understanding of the global business environment and will have knowledge of the ethical and moral dimensions of global business activities. The core skills students will develop are the ability to apply theory to a range of business contexts (different types and sizes of organisation across various sectors and in local, national and global contexts), the ability to consider business behaviour from a range of perspectives and evaluate said perspectives, as well as being able to apply qualitative skills such as the use of ratios, investment appraisal and price and income elasticities of demand, in a range of business contexts.

Curriculum implementation – teaching, learning and assessment strategies
Students are introduced to business in Themes 1 and 2 through building knowledge of core business concepts and applying them to business contexts to develop a broad understanding of how businesses work. Breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, with applications to a wider range of contexts and more complex business information, are developed in Themes 3 and 4, requiring students to take a more strategic view of business opportunities and issues. As such, Themes 1 and 2 are taught alongside one another in Year 12 to allow students to secure their knowledge and understanding of the core concepts before Themes 3 and 4 are delivered in Summer of Year 12 and in Year 13, once again concurrently. Students will be encouraged to improve as effective and independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers with curious and enquiring minds. As such, students are expected to undertake wider reading of and awareness of current economic events and policies as well as wider geo-political developments. Wider reading will include listening to Business podcasts, reading articles from news sources and articles in relevant subject specific journals and publications. As this subject is assessed exclusively by examination and approximately 75% of each examination taking the form of extended writing and essay-style responses, students will tackle regular written assessments in the style of the examination in timed conditions. Students will also tackle regular low-stakes knowledge tests to consolidate the learning which has taken place. In class discussions of current affairs will allow students to apply their knowledge of economic concepts and further develop the skills of analysis and evaluation.

Curriculum impact – intended outcomes for students
At Blackfen School, the intention is not to simply have young people studying Business at A Level, but rather to create leaners who have a genuine curiosity and love of the subject. Students will develop their interest in and enthusiasm for Business and gain an understanding of its significance and relevance to everyday life. Throughout their study of A Level Business, students will acquire an understanding of the nature of study in the discipline of Business, for example, that there are range of competing perspectives that business behaviour can be view from and that consequently, the judgements and arguments which are put forward are based on assumptions which must be analysed and evaluated. Students will be developed in their use and understanding of specific and precise Business terms, concepts, and skills. Students will be able to organise and communicate their business knowledge and understanding in different ways, analysing key concepts and reaching substantiated judgements.

Course overview for A Level Business
Exam board: Edexcel - (https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Business%20Studies/2015/specification-and-sample-assessment-materials/9781446914694_GCE2015_A_BUS_WEB.PDF
Coursework: Not applicable 

Paper 1: Marketing, people and global businesses                
Paper 2: Business activities, decisions and strategy                
Paper 3: Investigating business in a competitive environment