Please note that students starting GCSE Business Studies in Year 10 from 2023, will study the Edcexel framework - course information can be found here GCSE Business Studies (New Course).
Introduction
This course is a GCSE that is graded 9-1 and is examined by OCR. It is suitable for students who have studied the subject before in year 9 but there is no prerequisite knowledge required to be successful on the course.
This is a course is suitable for students who want to learn about how businesses operate and who want to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in business or for further study in the area, moving into further study at sixth-form. Students will develop not only an in-depth knowledge of the way in which businesses are run, but they will also learn the external influences which can impact upon a business’ success.
Theme 1 is studied first and it concentrates on the key business concepts, issues and skills involved in starting and running a small business. It provides a framework for students to explore core concepts through the lens of an entrepreneur setting up a business. It offers topics that serve as a good introduction to studying business and provides foundations on which students will build their knowledge and understanding.
Theme 2 examines how a business develops beyond the start-up phase. It focuses on the key business concepts, issues and decisions used to grow a business, with emphasis on aspects of marketing, operations, finance and human resources. Students will explore a range of larger businesses and see how they operate and the external factors that influence them.
How is the course assessed?
There are two themes on the course, theme one and theme two which is each broken into separate sub-topic areas.
Theme 1: business activity, marketing and people (01)
1. Business activity
1.1 The role of business enterprise and entrepreneurship
1.2 Business planning
1.3 Business ownership
1.4 Business aims and objectives
1.5 Stakeholders in business
1.6 Business growth
2. Marketing
2.1 The role of marketing
2.2 Market research
2.3 Market segmentation
2.4 The marketing mix
3. People
3.1 The role of human resources
3.2 Organisational structures and different ways of working
3.3 Communication in business
3.4 Recruitment and selection
3.5 Motivation and retention
3.6 Training and development
3.7 Employment law
Theme 2: operations, finance and influences on business (02)
The school’s mission is to ‘enable young people to achieve success’. It does this outstandingly well.
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Parents, staff and pupils are overwhelmingly happy with the quality of education at school and rightly so. Inspectors judge that this is an outstanding place to learn.
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Allerton High is a harmonious community. Pupils show high levels of respect towards other pupils and with adults in school. Pupils actively support each other and celebrate differences.
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The curriculum is responsive to pupils’ interests and needs. They way in which it is organised helps to motivate pupils. The structure of the curriculum helps pupils to reach high standards.
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The school now has a history of outstanding outcomes for its pupils. Pupils make sustained progress across the curriculum and the standards that they reach are high.
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Leaders know their school well. They work relentlessly to make their school even better. They are highly effective in improving standards of provision.
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Behaviour around the building is orderly and sensible. Within classrooms, behaviour is excellent.
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Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. There is a strong focus on the development of subject knowledge.
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Allerton High School
King Lane, Leeds
West Yorkshire LS17 7AG