Mr R Wood, Head of Department	rhys.wood@southfieldsacademy.com
Ms K Frusciante	karen.frusciante@southfieldsacademy.com
Mr N Browne	ned.browne@southfieldsacademy.com
Mr S Herz	stefan.herz@southfieldsacademy.com
Mrs F Harb	fiona.harb@southfieldsacademy.com

Business Studies and Economics are not taught to Key Stage 3 students as discrete subjects, however the Business Studies and Economics department hold extra-curricular activities and organise drop-down events to encourage entrepreneurship and enterprise.  Events have included Enterprise Day, where students in Year 7 & 8 held a summer fete for local primary school students.

Level	2
Qualification type	GCSE
For more information speak to	Any Business or Economics teacher

WHAT AND HOW WILL YOU LEARN?

This course is designed to prepare you for Key Stage 4 Edexcel GCSE Business Studies.  Students will focus on two main themes

• Investigating a small business
• Building a business

The course offers a fantastic opportunity for students to understand how the businesses around them operate.  They will research local and well known national companies as case studies and gain an overview of strategies that lead to business success.  At the end of Year 10, students usually visit Thorpe Park to gain knowledge of how the business is managed.  This course will also help develop many useful skills, such as communication, interpersonal skills, ICT and numeracy.

HOW WILL YOU BE ASSESSED?

Students will be formally assessed after each subtopic and theme.  They will then be given extensive feedback and ways to improve.  We use a range of assessments that are in line with the final examinations.

For more information please visit the exam board website: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/business-2017.html 

WHAT NEXT?

If you successfully complete this course you can go on to study KS5 courses in Business Studies and Economics.

OCR Cambridge Technical Level 2 Business

This course is 100% coursework based which will be externally moderated.  The course is focused on many different elements within business.  Students will have the opportunity to gain an insight into how businesses are organised, the training and employment businesses require as well as how businesses operate online.

https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/cambridge-technicals/business-2012/units/

OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Business

This is a Level 3 vocational course which consists of a combination of coursework and examinations.  This course is focused on the business environment, working in business as well as the opportunity to gain knowledge about customers and communication, accounting concepts and human resources.  All assessment for this course is external and consists of two units of examinations and 3 units of coursework.

https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/cambridge-technicals/business/units/#level-3

Economics A Level

We want all A Level Economics students to be able to do the following by the end of the course:

• Students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all topics studied.
• Students should be able to apply their knowledge and understanding to economic problems and issues arising from familiar and unfamiliar situations.
• Students should be able to analyse economic problems and issues.
• Students should be able to evaluate economic arguments and evidence and make their own judgements.

Students will study 4 themes during the course.  2 units in Year 1 and 2 in Year 2.

The specification we follow is the Edexcel AS and A Level Economics spec.  Visit their website for the full specification, past examinations papers, examiners' reports, examination dates and resit policies.

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/economics-b-2015.html 

Enrichment and extra-curricular activities

Students get the opportunity to go on many visits and trips including:

• Thorpe Park
• Chelsea Football Club
• Brands Museum
• Bank of England
• Sky Garden
• Chessington World of Adventure
• Apple Store

Students are encouraged to keep up to date with the news and the financial market.

All lesson materials and extra independent tasks are available to students on Google Classroom, this is an opportunity for students to stretch their knowledge and revise class content.