BTEC Business Enterprise PDF

BTEC Business Enterprise

To be successful in Business Enterprise at the Poly, students must be prepared to fully engage with their learning journey. They need to work consistently and understand the nature of working within an area that will involve other people and the importance of having clear objectives. Whilst successful Poly Business Enterprise students are great at working on their own, they will also understand the importance of teamwork. Understanding that success both at school and University, will be replicated in their future careers, is key. People who are successful entrepreneurs not only transform their own lives but the lives of others – James Dyson helped keep our houses clean and Steve Jobs connected us to the world around us through his revolutionary Apple products.

Enterprise is a broad and fascinating subject that keeps evolving as the world that we live in as employers, employees and consumers also evolves. Enterprise therefore underpins almost any role and as such can offer exciting and well-paid careers. This qualification will give students the opportunity to explore real business issues and how businesses work. Students will consider the practical application of business concepts whilst conducting their own research and applying their understanding within the assessments of written reports and developing their presentation skills which all contribute to providing a dynamic specification. The depth and breadth of the content is designed to engage and inspire students through topics and issues that are relevant in today’s society – they will study key contemporary developments such as digital technology and business ethics which typically looks at how businesses make decision and their community involvement, helping students to reflect critically on theirs.

The curriculum continues to focus on developing resilient learners who are able to recover from mistakes and effectively solve problems. This will help develop lifelong learning and future preparation. We endeavour to make the curriculum as fun and interesting as possible with a high level of challenge by offering breadth and depth of experiences for the students in order to motivate their active engagement and inspire them to be successful business people or even the next famous Entrepreneur! Our aim is to ensure that students develop and achieve an understanding of enterprises that is directly transferable, not only to other subjects, but also beyond, developing a wide range of practical and theoretical skills that will prepare them for the future. Therefore, this course is aimed to prepare students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to be ready for the next stage of their life either in further education or career.

Key Stage 4

Course Overview

Enterprise is one of the most internationally studied subjects in the world, due to how broad the subject is. As a broad subject in the social sciences, enterprise opens the study field to a focus of specialities such as accountancy, finance, organisation, human resources management and marketing. Enterprise is a great choice for anyone interested in the world of commerce and entrepreneurship. It's a great way to prepare for lifelong learning in the fields of business and management, and to equip yourself with the know-how to start up your own business or follow a career in finance, accounting, marketing, or management post university.

Students will follow the Pearson/Edexcel Tech Award in Enterprise. They will begin the course in Year 10 and will complete 3 units by the end of Year 11. Through BTEC Enterprise, you'll engage with the real world of business through the context of current business situations. You'll learn how management, leadership and decision-making can improve performance in marketing, operational and financial terms. In addition, you will analyse how internal and external factors influence business success. These areas are all components of the syllabus which are covered in depth, developing your understanding and mastery of the subject. You will explore how businesses act as responsible citizens and give back to the needs of their local community.

You will learn what makes an inspirational leader and how to get the best from your staff. You'll also develop your critical analysis, decision-making and problem-solving skills through challenging content and thorough assessment criteria. The knowledge and skills gained on this course can be utilised in a huge range of business and management fields, are transferable across many areas of study and professions and can be used to manage your personal decision-making, planning and finances.

Assessment

1. Component 1 Exploring Enterprises – Controlled Assessment
2. Component 2 Planning and Presenting a Micro-Enterprise Idea – Controlled Assessment
3. Component 3 Marketing and Finance for Enterprise – 2-hour Exam

Controlled Assessments

Components 1 and 2 are assessed through controlled assessments – a bit like coursework in the classroom. The controlled assessments for these components have been designed to demonstrate application of the knowledge underpinning business enterprise through realistic tasks and activities. This style of assessment promotes deep learning through ensuring the connection between knowledge and practice. The components focus on:

• The development of core knowledge and understanding, including the range of enterprises and the key features and factors that contribute to an enterprise’s success.
• The development and application of skills such as analysing research, information, planning and financial forecasting, communicating and problem-solving.
• Reflective practice through presenting an enterprise idea that allows pupils to reflect on their own communication skills.

Exam

There is one exam, Component 3. Component 3 builds directly on Components 1 and 2 and allows pupils to bring that knowledge together and apply it to real world contexts. Component 3: Marketing and Finance for Enterprise, requires pupils to analyse and interpret information in relation to an enterprise and to make recommendations on strategies to use to improve the performance of that enterprise.

Specification – Pearson BTEC Tech Award Level 1/2 in Enterprise

Component	Description of controlled assessment	Window for assessment
Component 1: Exploring Enterprises	Controlled assessment set by Pearson, marked by business teachers and moderated by Pearson. The Pearson-set Assignment for the controlled assessment, will be completed in approximately 6 hours of monitored preparation and 5 hours of monitored assessment in a classroom. 60 marks	December/January and May/June
Component 2: Planning and Presenting a Micro Enterprise Idea	Controlled assessment set by Pearson, marked by business teachers and moderated by Pearson. The Pearson-set Assignment for the controlled assessment, will be completed in approximately 6 hours of monitored preparation and 7 hours of monitored assessment in a classroom. 60 marks.	December/January and May/June=

support materials and useful links

• Knowledge Booklets and Knowledge Organisers.
• YouTube channels;
• Beebusinessbee YouTube
• Mssquiresmeansbusiness YouTube
• BBC Education Subjects - The BBC ‘Bitesize’ web site contains much useful information concerning Business and Enterprise.
• Barclays - Barclays – can be used to help explain APRs and the types of rates open to SMEs.
• British Chambers - British Chambers of Commerce – a business network with links across the world.
• css cloud - CSS Cloud Computer Services – an IT support service enterprise.
• FSB - Federation of Small Businesses – provides members with a range of business services, including a voice in government.
• GOV UK Browse Business - Gov.UK – a government website for small businesses and sole traders/self-employed people.
• MicroMentor - MicroMentor – an online community of entrepreneurs and volunteer business mentors.
• Money saving expert - Money Saving Expert – can be used to explain terms such as APR in business.
• Ofcom - Ofcom – the UK regulator for communications, including TV, radio and on-demand sectors.www.pastafoods.com Pasta Foods – a useful example to consider for discussing the growth of enterprises.
• Small Business - Small Businesses – a useful website resource giving a range of information on financing, funding, and running a small business. www.socialenterprise.org.uk Social Enterprise – the national body for businesses that have a social or environmental bias.
• Trip Advisor - TripAdvisor – an online review site where customers can post ratings comments and potential customers can read them.
• Textbook – BTEC Tech Award 2022 Enterprise Student Book
• Revision Guide – Pearson REVISE BTEC Tech Award Enterprise Revision Guide 2022

Department information

Any specialist equipment required?

A BTEC Tech Award in Enterprise textbook is a great resource to own but not compulsory. Pen, pencil, ruler and calculator are essential.

Enrichment opportunities

Guest speakers

Competitions

Young Enterprise – running your own micro business

Clubs or Interventions

Homework Club

Revision classes

Full extended school programme approaching public exam periods

Future careers and University courses.

University Courses	Careers
Business studies Management studies Finance Accounting Marketing Human resource management. Hospitality, leisure, and tourism Transport Entrepreneurship Business Administration and Management Marketing and Marketing Management Management Information Systems Retail Management	Accountant Management Consultant Social Media Manager Financial Analyst Business Teacher Business Reporter Actuarial analyst Business adviser Business analyst Business development manager Corporate investment banker Data analyst Data scientist Forensic accountant

Social, Moral, Social, Cultural (SMSC) and British Values

Spiritual development within Business Enterprise involves students being encouraged to explore sexism, racism, and discrimination in the workplace through the discussion of employment laws and implementing this in coursework and through exam work. We refer to case studies and cases of discrimination in the news. Students also explore their own feelings and meaning and reflect upon topics such as ethics. Students are encouraged to explore these concepts and challenge the actions that businesses do take or should take. This also helps to develop a student’s empathy and compassion skills and allows them to take into consideration other people's aims, values, principles, and beliefs. Students are also encouraged to reflect on their experiences, for example, through producing work experience journals and producing CVs.

Moral development within Business Studies involves students being required to evaluate, comment upon, and discussing various moral issues relating to business practices. They will do this by observations, gathering information/researching and studying given case studies to support this. Students are given the opportunity to consider a variety of information relating to real life business scenarios to make valid judgments. Students spend a large proportion of the course investigating the impact of a business’s action upon society and the local community in which they operate. For example, students consider the political, social, environmental, and technological issues arising because of a business decision. Students also draw upon their own knowledge to distinguish between what is right and wrong. This happens throughout all units in KS4 & 5.

Social development within Business Studies involves students being encouraged to develop their team working skills through collaborative work and research. The students also explore the concept of teams and the roles that individuals must play and how this can impact a business. Throughout the curriculum, students are given the opportunity to exercise their leadership skills. For example, at KS4, students work in teams in the Coca Cola Real Business Challenge. At KS5, students often work in groups on various challenges and competitions. Students often work collaboratively to understand new concepts and share research information, thus giving the students responsibility over their work.

Cultural development within Business Studies involves students being given the chance to see how the functions of a business operate. Students look at the changes within society and how they may impact on businesses. For example, throughout KS4 & 5 the effect of changes in the economy on businesses, and their actions, is widely studied. Demographics are regularly studied as part of most units, when learning about different customer groups and their needs and requirements. In year 8, all students are exposed to cultural opportunities by outside speakers as part of the Business Languages Career Event. Students also can look at how organisations work by visiting businesses or having guest speakers come in. Students benefit from visits to school by a range of business people, to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Examples of British Values in Business Studies include:

• In Business Enterprise lessons, we would regularly learn about different laws in Britain and how they can compare to other countries.
• Pupils know that they have a voice that is listened to in the Business Department, as when we take part in group activities like Young Enterprise or competitions and challenges, we actively promote democratic processes used to vote people into certain positions or roles.
• We use opportunities such as general or local elections to promote fundamental British values and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view. We would discuss politics, the voting system and how who is in power may affect businesses.
• Teaching resources from a wide variety of sources are used to help pupils understand a range of faiths, beliefs and backgrounds that are held by people who live in this country. These can be case studies, newspaper articles, exam board resources, company reports, and visiting speakers to name a few.

 

GCSE Economics Curriculum Map

To be successful as a student of economics, attitude to learning must be outstanding and consistent. A successful Poly Economics student is someone who takes a genuine interest in the world around them. He will be able to use diagrams to analyse how the forces of supply and demand determine price and be able to evaluate the benefits as well as the drawbacks of inflation. A student who watches the news, reads articles in newspapers or online and thinks critically about the information given to them will have a distinct advantage in economics. As economics is a subject that relates so closely to real life, a successful economics student will look for links between the topics of study and the real world. For example, the pros and cons of free trade link directly to how best the UK government should approach Brexit. Economics is a challenging subject at all levels and requires strong literacy skills in terms of reading, writing and comprehension. Maths skills are also important, so the successful economics student will always bring maths equipment to class and be prepared to calculate, draw graphs and interpret data. The most successful students have almost always been the ones prepared to involve themselves in class discussions. There is never any shame in trying and getting it wrong. The shame is in not trying at all!

Key stage 4 Curriculum

Economics is about people and their economic choices. This course enables pupils to appreciate we are all part of the economy, and that economics relates to every aspect of our lives – from the decisions of individuals or families to the structures created by governments and producers. It will develop our pupils understanding of how economic issues affect choices about resources and markets and vice versa. Economics equips pupils with the skills and confidence to explore how consumers, producers and governments interact in markets nationally and internationally. It provides a well-rounded introduction to this subject and an excellent foundation for A Level study in Economics. By learning how to explain and evaluate economic problems and possible solutions, pupils will acquire a way of thinking as economists and develop a logical approach to thinking and reasoning. By learning how to use economic data from a range of sources, such as tables, charts and graphs, pupils will acquire the skills to make informed judgements and to communicate in a clear and concise way. Pupils will benefit from these transferrable skills in their further study and employment. OCR’s GCSE (9–1) in Economics will enable pupils to become better-informed and more responsible citizens, consumers, and producers, by allowing them to develop an awareness for the importance of the economic dimension to our lives. This will allow them to become more confident in the economic choices relating to their life and work. Our curriculum has been designed in conjunction to ensure that is inclusive and has been created to allow all pupils to achieve their potential. We have looked closely at creating assessments which stem from teaching and learning and the study of Economics, ensuring that the focus is on what is best for the pupils. 

Our core concepts through the course of the study will be applied to a variety of different areas of study. These are: 

Core Concepts

The Economic Problem and scarcity	The role of markets and money	Economic objectives and the role of the government	International trade and the global economy

Course Overview

 

YEAR	TERM 1	TERM 2	TERM 3	TERM 4	TERM 5	TERM 6
YEAR 10	Intro to Economics.  The role of markets.  Demand and Supply.	Supply.  Price.	Competition.  Production.	The labour market.  The role of money  and financial sector.  Exam prep.	Exam prep.  Economic growth.  Low unemployment.  Fair distribution of income and wealth.	Price stability and inflation.  Microeconomics Recap.
YEAR 11	Price stability and inflation.  Government spending and revenue.	Monetary policy.  Supply side policies.  Limitations of markets.  International trade and the global economy.	Balance of payments.  Exchange rates  Globalisation.	Exam prep.	Exam prep.

Assessment 

1 Introduction to Economics – 1 hour 30 

2 National and International Economics – 1 hour 30 

The structure of the two question papers is identical. Each question paper has 20 multiple choice questions in part A. Part B consists of three questions, each with a short case study and related short and medium response questions, as well as the opportunity for extended response. Both question papers assess the quantitative skills as outlined in Appendix 5c of this specification. The maximum number of marks for each question paper is 80 marks, so 160 marks in total. Each of the two questions papers counts towards 50% of the qualification. 

Specification – OCR GCSE Economics (9-1) j205 Specification 

Support materials and useful links

• Knowledge Booklets and Knowledge Organisers 

• Gconomics YouTube 

• EconplusDal YouTube 

• Textbook – OCR GCSE (9-1) Economics: Second Edition 

Department Information

Any specialist equipment required? 

• An OCR GCSE Economics textbook is a great resource to own, but not compulsory. Pen, pencil, ruler and calculator are essential. 

Enrichment opportunities  

• Trip to the Bank of England 

Clubs or Interventions 

• Homework Club 
• Revision classes 
• Full extended school programme approaching public exam periods 

Future careers and university courses. 

UNIVERSITY COURSES	CAREERS
Economics  Politics and Economics  Business Economics  Economics and Geography  Economics and Accounting  Economics and Data Analytics  Financial Economics and Banking  Economics and Mathematics  Economics and Finance  Economics, Politics and International Relations  Philosophy, Politics and Economics	Assistant Economist  Associate Economist  Economic Analyst  Economist  Junior Economist  Retail Banking  Investment banking  Chartered account  Certified accountant  Management accountant  Investment analyst  Financial risk analyst  Financial services  Business management consultant

Social, Moral, Social, Cultural (SMSC) and British Values 

At KS4, the idea of individual liberty is inherent to the study of markets where consumer preference takes centre stage. Free markets are intertwined with the allocation of resources in democratic countries and consumers “vote” every time they spend. Students learn the role of government in increasing social welfare through progressive taxation, income redistribution and spending on health, education, and infrastructure. Democracy allows us to vote and express our preferences for government policy, including fiscal policy, spending on aid, regional policy etc. Democracy is a key factor in determining the economic system of our economy, and the balance between allocating resources through the free market and through government intervention. We sometimes impose economic sanctions on undemocratic government regimes. Development economists are often concerned about the relationship between the strength of democracy in an economy and the level of economic development. 

In KS5, the rule of law is considered as a core principle of the free enterprise system and a precursor for successful economic development. Students learn the contribution of British economists such as Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes to the intellectual development of Economics as a social science. We look at the development stories of Sub-Saharan Africa, where some of the world’s fastest growing economies reside, and learn about the models and concepts mastered by BAME economists such as Arthur Lewis and Thomas Sowell. Economies are more likely to develop and grow if they have a strong institutional framework, e.g., a neutral and effective judiciary, a trustworthy central bank and  financial sector etc. The rule of law is fundamental to an economy’s success and growth. The rule of law means that contracts between buyers and sellers in markets are upheld, allowing markets to work more efficiently. The rule of law allows market failure to be addressed by competition authorities and through the courts, when necessary, e.g., employment tribunals for unfair dismissal, fines for abuse of market power, breach of environmental legislation.