Head of Department: Mark Glew

Department team:

• Elliott Simson
• David Troake

Business Studies offers a varied curriculum providing students with lots of opportunities to develop both academically and personally. We deliver valuable academic rigour across all courses whilst providing students with opportunities to gain and enhance vital employability skills. By allowing students to actively engage in a variety of learning experiences, we hope to support all students to develop into well rounded individuals ready for the next step of their academic and career journey.

At the heart of the Business Studies are the core employability competencies. All lessons across the business curriculum are carefully planned and facilitated to engage all learners in Business Studies, and where appropriate Entrepreneurship, whilst embedding core skills and knowledge. Each learner is supported to develop an understanding of specific key terms which are deep-rooted throughout schemes of learning. The GCSE Business Studies curriculum is spiralled from years 9 to 11, to ensure that learners are able to embed a deep knowledge and understanding, over-learning key concepts and terms through mastery techniques. The Key Stage 4 curriculum is supported by a range of practical business activities, such as Dragon’s Den and The Tenner Challenge designed to develop professional business skills and contextualise classroom learning. All learning is underpinned with regular and thorough assessments to measure progress. 

Students studying Business Studies in the 6th form are also offered a broad spectrum of academic opportunities to suit their learning styles. The A Level Business Studies curriculum embeds the value of sustainability ensuring that students are aware of how businesses care for their resources; environmentally, socially, and economically, with the use of contemporary case studies and business challenges. The integration of the Tycoon Enterprise Challenge enables learners to experience how student businesses can exhibit positive social impacts with ethical and environmental returns. 

Business Studies is a popular subject across all key stages and we consistently deliver strong outcomes both in terms of attainment and progress. The Business curriculum offer, complemented by vital enrichment activities, supports students to progress into a wide variety of destinations including higher education, degree apprenticeships and school leaver schemes. The challenges outlined above, along with examples of entrepreneurial and business successes, enables learners to see how the combination of innovation, hard work, ambition and aspiration can result in personal and commercial achievements, regardless of social background.    

The integration of real-world business experiences will support students to develop into well rounded community members and active citizens ready to enter the next stage of their personal journey equipped with the vital skills that all employers look for.