Business Studies

Why choose GCSE Business Studies?

Studying Business Studies in school equips students with essential knowledge and skills that are highly applicable in today’s world, no matter the career path they choose. Here are some compelling reasons to explore this subject:

1. Practical Life Skills

• Financial Literacy: Gain an understanding of managing money, budgeting, and economic principles.
• Decision-Making: Learn to analyse situations and make informed, effective choices for both personal and professional scenarios.

2. Career Preparation

• Diverse Opportunities: Business knowledge is valuable in fields such as marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, management, and even the non-profit sector.
• Entrepreneurial Foundation: Develop the skills to create and execute business ideas successfully.

3. Understanding the Economy

• Global Insight: Discover how businesses operate on a global scale and their impact on international markets.
• Economic Awareness: Become an informed citizen with a strong grasp of market dynamics, supply and demand, and governmental roles in the economy.

4. Skill Development

• Communication: Improve both written and oral communication skills.
• Critical Thinking: Build the ability to critically evaluate business situations and develop innovative solutions.
• Teamwork and Leadership: Engage in group projects and case studies to foster collaboration and leadership abilities.

5. Adaptability

• Broad Knowledge: The versatile principles of business make it applicable across multiple industries, ensuring flexibility in career choices.
• Problem-Solving: Prepare to address real-world challenges with creativity and confidence.

6. Ethical Awareness

• Corporate Responsibility: Understand the importance of ethics and corporate social responsibility in business.

The GCSE is assessed by two exam papers sat at the end of the course. The exams are the same in both length and structure and include case studies of real businesses, with the main difference between the two exam papers being the size and nature of the businesses being considered.

Students are more than welcome to come to the business after school club on a Thursday every week. This will allow them time to discuss anything that they may not have understood in the lessons or catch up with any theory that they may have missed.

There is a homework support club every Friday to help the learners improve their study skills, build confidence, and raise their academic achievements. Homework clubs offer students the help and structure they need to complete the assignments. It provides opportunities for more practice with a teacher on certain content or use other resources they may not have at home.

Homework is set every Tuesday for Business Studies for all classes and due back next Tuesday. It includes case studies, topic worksheets, exam questions, retrieval worksheets and booster booklets. Every student is provided with a revision guide for home learning.

Useful links to help your child at home

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/z98snbk

https://www.tutor2u.net/business

https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/secondary/subjects/business-and-economics/edexcel-gcse-business/pearson-edexcel-gcse-9-1-business-revision-guide-app

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/business-2017.news.html?article=%2Fcontent%2Fdemo%2Fen%2Fnews-policy%2Fqualifications%2Fedexcel-gcses%2Fbusiness%2Fnew-edexcel-gcse-9-1-business-now-accredited

This is the link to the official Edexcel page for business studies 9 - 1https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/business-2017.news.html?article=%2Fcontent%2Fdemo%2Fen%2Fnews-policy%2Fqualifications%2Fedexcel-gcses%2Fbusiness%2Fnew-edexcel-gcse-9-1-business-now-accredited

This is a renowned site for revision activities and resources for business studieshttps://www.tutor2u.net/business

Revision guides

This is a link to the amazon page for a very highly regarded revision bookhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Revise-Edexcel-Business-Revision-Workbook/dp/1292190701/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=882XNJ6DEWPX809HFWQH

Colchester Zoo 2025 -2026

Careers in Business

Course description - GCSE Business (Edexcel) at Tabor Academy
GCSE Business at Tabor Academy is an exciting course that explores how businesses start, operate, and succeed in the real world. Students learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur, how to spot a market opportunity, and how to turn a great idea into a successful enterprise.

What Students Will Learn
The course is split into two main themes:

• Theme 1: Investigating Small Businesses: This covers the basics of starting a business, including enterprise skills, spotting opportunities, making a business effective, and understanding external influences like the economy.
• Theme 2: Building a Business: This focuses on how organisations grow and manage daily operations. Students look closely at marketing, operational decisions, financial planning, and human resources (managing people).

KS4 -Business Studies

Intent –

It is the vision and aim of the Business Studies Department at Tabor Academy to provide opportunities through a rigorous curriculum to develop commercially minded and enterprising individuals.

Our main aims and objectives are to:

• Develop knowledge and understanding of business concepts and terms.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of students' roles in business, and as a wider part of society and the economy.

In addition to learning about business theory and calculations, pupils will be required to consider the social, moral, and ethical issues surrounding business decisions, as well as the impact that businesses can have on a wide range of stakeholders.

Furthermore, we aim to develop an interest in current business and economic affairs by encouraging pupils to read widely around the subject in newspapers and magazines, as well as watching business-related television programmes.

The Business Studies curriculum at Tabor Academy is highly ambitious and designed to give all pupils the necessary knowledge and skills they need to live in a business-orientated world.

The Business curriculum is explicitly planned to develop knowledge and understanding of financial literacy. Pupils have regular opportunities to develop their financial awareness, and to master the skills needed to analyse and interpret financial documents.

Implementation

The curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced over two years in order to introduce key ideas, concepts, skills, and terminology of the business world.

There is a clear logic to the sequencing of what is taught, and the order in which it is taught, to ensure all pupils learn the essential Business Studies knowledge and skills. Pupils are expected to use subject-specific language when writing and talking about the different areas of business.

While the Business curriculum is reviewed on an annual basis, teaching and learning resources are amended daily based on ongoing classroom assessments of pupils' understanding and engagement.

Using data accumulated from testing and assessments enables us to plan new teaching material effectively. Regular learning walks, observations, and book scrutinies are also conducted to maintain high standards at Tabor Academy. Feedback is provided to students through self-assessment, peer-assessment, and verbal guidance within lessons. Formal 'What Went Well' (WWW) and 'Even Better If' (EBI) feedback is given for both formative and summative work.

Students are set Business Studies homework once a week and complete end-of-unit assessments. These assessments allow for informed planning, targeted topic revisits, and the clear identification of students who require further support through small-group intervention.

Impact

The impact of our consistent teaching and learning is evidenced in pupil books, assessed pieces of work, classroom questioning, and the quality of completed homework tasks.

Quality assurance within the department ensures that the intended curriculum plans are delivered effectively. There is a structured programme for monitoring and reflecting on provision, which includes:

• Weekly departmental meetings.
• Weekly meetings with the SLT line manager.
• Regular work scrutiny to review pupil books as a department and monitor standards.

All of the above is designed to ensure there is no mismatch between the planned and delivered curriculum across different members of staff.

At Tabor Academy, we believe Business Studies shapes our students' characters in a positive way. We foster strong traits to develop innovative thinkers, leaders, and problem solvers. This will enable our students to play an active role on local, national, and international platforms within the global economy.

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum supports students to move seamlessly to the next phase of their education, transitioning onto BTEC National or A-Level courses using the skills and knowledge they have acquired during their GCSEs.