Overview

Business studies is a contemporary subject, popular with students at GCSE and in the Sixth Form.

Our curriculum aims to equip students with the appropriate knowledge, cultural capital, confidence and skills needed to develop their employability in a fast-growing town and beyond, by cultivating an entrepreneurial curiosity and willingness to take enterprising decisions in order to thrive in the dynamic business environment.

Students are exposed to a wide range of topics, including enterprise & entrepreneurship, market research, business finance, ownership models, organisational structures, marketing and stakeholder influence. They also major on the significant impact to business from changes in technology and the unprecedented political/economic developments we are seeing at present.

 

Meet the team 

Business studies is led by Miss J Thornton joined the school in September 2023

Mr G. Allum is Head of Sixth Form. He has taught Business for many years and also teaches Law.

 

Recent news and events

Each year our year 12 BTEC students enjoy a visit to local café, FLTR coffee, to learn about how this business was started and how their aims differ from other, more commercial, coffee shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enterprise students enjoyed a trip to Denis Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant in Bicester. They met the owner who answered their questions in preparation for their coursework.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The economics class enjoyed a trip to central London, to explore the Bank of England and to discover the importance and relevance of macro-economic monetary policy.

 

GCSE course 

We offer Edexcel GCSE Business as an option to begin in year 10. The learning journey (topic map) for that course can be seen here (Business learning journey). This course culminates in two examinations where students demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Questions include business calculations and extended writing, both of which are modelled and practiced regularly in class.

 

Sixth Form courses

Business courses are popular in Sixth Form and we offer two choices to students:

  • Edexcel A Level Economics – a fascinating subject for our times, as we explore the impact of big events (i.e. Brexit, Covid & war) on inflation, living standards, trade, employment and much more. Economics lessons are a lively juxtaposition of classical theories and fresh news articles. A highly regarded qualification by universities and employers, an A Level in Economics is a great choice for curious students who have good numeracy and analytical skills.
  • BTEC Applied Business (BTEC learning journey) supplements other subjects well within a vocational pathway. It is assessed through coursework and examinations, in four distinct units. Students visit local businesses and write about them in their coursework, showing how principles are applied in a real context.

 

Literacy and numeracy 

The department seeks to model and reinforce good literacy and numeracy across all our courses. Literacy is important for Business, which requires efficient reading skills, articulate extended writing and the acquisition of key Business terms. These are integral to our teaching methods and to our regular assessments.

Similarly, numeracy skills are a key part of business analysis. Examples include financial calculations, performance indicators, market share percentages, and market research data analysis. Lessons regularly feature numeracy skills as starter activities, and they also feature in assessments and homework tasks.

 

School values 

We believe that Business Studies should be accessible for students of all academic abilities. Every student will engage with businesses throughout their lives, as customers, consumers, employees and perhaps entrepreneurs themselves.  We work to inspire students to ‘aspire and achieve’, many develop a love for Business and Enterprise through their time here.

Use of ICT is integrated throughout all courses. The subject is too dynamic to be taught effectively from textbooks and we enjoy the use of a dedicated suite of computers in our department space. Students are shown how to research effectively, and the latest online learning platforms are used both to support and stretch students as required.

We expect all students to complete homework, which includes a variety of shorter exercises, research tasks and extended writing.

 

For more information, please contact:

simon.hutton@thebicesterschool.org.uk