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BUSINESS STUDIES

Intent, Implementation and Impact

 

Intent

The vision and aims for the AQA A-level Business Studies course at Archbishop Tenison’s School are to deliver a rigorous Key Stage 5 curriculum to develop inquisitive students who understand the incentives and the logic of an enterprise’s decisions relating to management, leadership, operations, marketing, HR, finance and strategic change:

  • Develop the knowledge, understanding and critical thinking of business theory, terms and calculations that link to undergraduate financial analysis.

  • Stimulate an extended interest in current business and economic affairs beyond the subject in newspapers, magazines as well as companies’ annual reports or investor relations newsrooms.

  • Write confidently about business analysis, engaging with state-of-the-art theory and employing subject specific language accurately.

  • Prepare for their A-level exam success by teaching and practising pivotal exam skills and recurring exam-style practice.

  • Underpinned by the Christian faith, students are guided to evaluate any economic and business outcomes as to their health, social, moral and ethical impact on a wide range of stakeholders.

  • Prepare their academic skills for university courses or apprenticeships in the corporate world.

  • Facilitate enrichment events with external professionals to create real world business exposure and to enrich the students’ academic and vocational self-perception.

  • Our business studies course strongly develops students’ awareness of the economic and societal relevance of enterprise in the UK post-BREXIT, post-COVID as well as the pervasive impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the meanwhile more challenging world trade environment. 

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Implementation

Prior learning in Maths and English formed at GCSE level is re-employed in business studies on a regular basis. Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary is explicitly taught and modelled in class.

 

The AQA A-level business studies curriculum is coherently planned over 2 years. Its modular sequencing has been tried and tested towards exam success and any changing exam requirements. Short video documentaries from around the globe’s business environments shape students’ critical thinking. In particular Y13 students are expected to conduct and critically review any data and research on more challenging real-world business cases.

 

The AQA A-level business studies exam comprises two papers allowing 2 hours each.

Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 and Paper 3 each comprise questions drawn from all taught topics.

The subtopics in both papers include enterprise and foundations of business; management and leadership; marketing; operations; finance; human resources; strategic positioning of a business (including SWOT; Porters Five Forces; Ansoff Matrix; financial ratios); managing strategic change including barriers to change; attractiveness of international markets.

 

Impact

Exam data and any changing exam board requirements inform our business and economics department’s quality assurance to establish that the curriculum is being effectively delivered. Curriculum delivery is also assessed in terms of university and further educational destinations awarded to our students. Destinations have traditionally included Russell Groups universities including Oxbridge and well-respected universities outside the UK. More and more students have also been signing up for competitive apprenticeships at blue-chip employers.

Last but not least, student engagement is observed by their curiosity and their enjoyment of their business course. Both the teaching staff, external speakers (eg Bank of England) coming into school and enrichment trips (eg the Humber regional economics and business trip) have formed student engagement in business studies as they prepare for their next stage of education or employment.

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