Business

Students are introduced to business in Themes 1 and 2 through building knowledge of core business concepts and applying them to business contexts to develop a broad understanding of how businesses work. Breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, with applications to a wider range of contexts and more complex business information, are developed in Themes 3 and 4, requiring students to take a more strategic view of business opportunities and issues.

Students are encouraged to use an enquiring, critical and thoughtful approach to the study of business, to understand that business behaviour can be studied from a range of perspectives and to challenge assumptions.

Theme 1: Marketing and People 

Students will develop an understanding of:

• Meeting customer needs
• The market
• Marketing mix and strategy
• Managing people
• Entrepreneurs and leaders.

Theme 2: Managing Business Activities

Students will develop an understanding of:

• Raising finance
• Financial planning
• Managing finance
• Resource management
• External influences.

Theme 3: Business Decisions and Strategy

This theme develops the concepts introduced in Theme 2.

Students will develop an understanding of:

• Business objectives and strategy
• Business growth
• Decision-making techniques
• Influences on business decisions
• Assessing competitiveness
• Managing change.

Theme 4: Global Business

This theme develops the concepts introduced in Theme 1.

Students will develop an understanding of:

• Globalisation
• Global markets and business expansion
• Global marketing
• Global industries and companies (multinational corporations).

Curriculum Plans

• Year 12
• Year 13

Year 12

Paper 1: Marketing, People and Global Businesses

• Externally assessed
• 35% of the total qualification

Overview of content

Paper 1 will assess marketing, people and global businesses. Questions will be  drawn from Themes 1 and 4, and from local, national and global contexts.

Overview of assessment

• Written examination.
• The paper comprises two sections.
• Students answer all questions from both sections.
• Sections A and B each comprise one data response question broken down into a number of parts, including one extended open-response question.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• 100 marks available.

Paper 2: Business Activities, Decisions and Strategy

• Externally assessed.
• 35% of the total qualification

Overview of content

Paper 2 will assess business finance and operations, business decisions and strategy. Questions will be drawn from Themes 2 and 3, and from local, national and global contexts.

Overview of assessment

• Written examination.
• The paper comprises two sections.
• Students answer all questions from both sections.
•  Sections A and B each comprise one data response question broken down into a number of parts, including one extended open-response question.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• 100 marks available.

Paper 3: Investigating Business in a Competitive Environment

• Externally assessed. 
• 30% of the total qualification

Overview of content

Paper 3 will assess content across all four themes. 

Overview of assessment

• Written examination.
• The paper comprises two sections.
• Students answer all questions from both sections. 
• Sections A and B each comprise one data response question broken down into a number of parts, including one extended open-response question.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• 100 marks available.

Courses you could study at university include:

• Accounting
• Business Management Studies
• Economics
• Law
• Marketing
• Psychology

Careers which require a Business qualification include:

• Business Adviser
• Business Development Manager
• Chartered Management Accountant
• Corporate Investment Banker
• Data Analyst
• Forensic Accountant
• Management Consultant
• Project Manager

Career Card

• Click here to see career options in Business

You need to complete these tasks over Summer to prepare you for your studies.

• Business Preparation Work
• Inside Aldi: Britain's Biggest Budget Supermarket