Business

An engaging and inspiring curriculum that reflects the demands of a truly modern and evolving business environment, that will develop an appreciation of moral and ethical issues relating to the operations of a business. 

This qualification is ideal for students desiring to pursue pathways into A-Level Business, A-Level Economics and OCR Cambridge Technicals Level 3 in Business. It is also ideal for students wishing to undertake apprenticeships. 

Through effective planning and teaching, we consider that all our students learn in a variety of ways. We aim to meet the needs of all our students as individuals, scaffolding exam questions to help aid and develop exam technique. Students will carry out group and independent learning tasks, focusing on researching real-life businesses and creating case studies around business topics. Students will investigate past and present successes and failures of businesses, gaining wider knowledge to apply to exam questions. Students will also learn how to work independently on the coursework elements, managing their time to create designs and proposals as well as developing their communication skills. 

This qualification is for learners aged 14-16 who wish to develop applied knowledge and practical skills in enterprise and marketing. It is designed with both practical and theoretical elements, which will prepare students for further study of qualifications in enterprise, marketing, or business. For example, learners may progress onto OCR’s Level 3 Certificate in Preparing for a Business Venture, OCR’s Level 3 Cambridge Technical in Business, Introductory Certificates in Marketing or A Levels in related subjects. 

All learners will study three mandatory topics as follows:  

• Enterprise and marketing concepts  

• Design a business proposal  

• Market and pitch a business proposal 

The first topic underpins the wider learning in this qualification.  Learners will develop essential knowledge and understanding of enterprise and marketing concepts, which can be applied to the other units within the qualification. Through the first topic learners will understand the main activities that will need to happen to support a start-up business, and what the key factors are to consider when starting up a business. 

In the second topic, learners will develop the skills to design a business proposal to meet a specific business challenge. They will identify a customer profile for a specific product, complete market research to generate product design ideas, and use financial calculations to propose a pricing strategy and determine the viability of their product proposal. The knowledge and skills developed by completing this unit will assist learners in the third topic of this qualification. 

In the third topic, learners will develop the skills to create a brand identity and promotional plan for their specific business product proposal developed in the second topic. They will develop pitching skills to pitch their business proposal to an external audience. Finally, they will review their pitching skills and business proposal using their learning, self-assessment and feedback gathered. The knowledge and skills developed by completing this topic will be transferable to further, related learning in areas such as enterprise, marketing, or business.