Business Studies 

Introduction

Business Studies is a well established and popular subject which is studied at GCSE, AS and A Levels. The subject is certainly one of the most relevant that a student can study and this means that it attracts a wide range of ability levels. Group sizes will vary from year to year but on average a GCSE group of around 20 and a Sixth Form of around 15 are common. Business Studies will give a valuable insight into why and how businesses behave and the subject covers a diverse but related range of topics from Marketing to People, Accounting to Objectives and Production to Government Policy. It is not an easy option, largely because it is not studied until GCSE level, and in some cases not before AS Level but the fact that it is “new”, interesting and relevant makes the subject extremely popular.

The Department aims to foster and develop an interest in, and an understanding of, the various components in the subject as well as how they link together. Current affairs provide a great deal of useful information so keeping abreast of the news is an important aspect of the work as is the need to carry out research and present findings. Students are encouraged to voice their experiences and substantiate their opinions in discussion and to develop the reasoning skills needed for the examinations.

A willingness to learn, an inquiring and considered mind, a reasonable level of basic mathematical ability as well as a genuine interest in the subject will all be useful.

Business Studies at Rishworth

Business Studies is not studied below Year 10.

In Years 10 and 11 students can choose Business Studies as a GCSE option. During Year 10 students will study Business Organisations, Objectives, People in Business, Marketing and Production. During Year 11 Accounting and Finance and External Influences will be covered. The GCSE examination involves coursework which is worth 25% of the GCSE and requires the student to carry out an investigation and present their findings in the form of a 2000 word assignment which is undertaken in Year 11.

In the lower sixth students can choose to study Business Studies at AS Level. A GCSE in Business Studies will provide a useful foundation but is by no means essential. The AS specification includes Objectives and Strategy, Marketing, Accounting and Finance, Operations Management and External Influences.

In the Upper Sixth students who decide to continue with Business Studies will study the A2 specification building upon the AS foundation and looking further at the topics previously studied.

Outside the classroom

Research exercises are used to reinforce understanding of topics such as objectivity, marketing, people, and the impact of external factors.