KS3
Business is not taught as a discrete subject in KS3 elements of business are interleaved in computer science and in the careers education element of PSHE. All subjects are encouraged to emphasise how each subject feeds into various careers and by extension organisations.
KS4
Students can opt to take OCR GCSE Business which supports and challenges learners who wish to develop their understanding of business operations, marketing, finance, the global economy and the interrelationships that exist in commerce and industry. Students will also develop skills in finance and accountancy, project management and case studies.
KS5
The current 6th Form offering is an Extended Certificate BTEC in Business. This course comprises of four units Unit 1: Exploring Business, Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign, Unit 3: Personal and Business Finance and Unit 8: Recruitment and Selection Process. This course is assessed via coursework and two exams and involves a significant use of ICT.
Students are encouraged to participate in the Young Investors competition (grand final contestants 2019). Students are also encouraged to participate in enterprise challenges. In recent years this has included Young Enterprise (prize winners), Mr Hughs Enterprise Challenge and Tenner Challenge.
Business education at our school is rooted in the values of Catholic Social Teaching (CST), helping students to recognise that ethical decision-making and the dignity of each person must underpin commercial activity. Lessons emphasise that businesses exist to serve people and the common good, not simply to maximise profit.
We explore themes such as human dignity, solidarity, and stewardship through case studies on ethical supply chains, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable business practices. Students consider the impact of business decisions on workers, communities, and the environment, reflecting on real-world issues such as fair wages, working conditions, and ethical marketing.
By examining these issues, students learn that success in business includes acting justly, serving society, and being responsible stewards of resources, ensuring that economic progress benefits everyone.
Our Business curriculum is designed to be accessible and inspiring for every learner. We provide additional support for students with SEND, those eligible for Pupil Premium, and disadvantaged students to ensure equitable access to content and assessment. This includes differentiated materials, practical examples to make abstract concepts concrete, targeted interventions, and the use of assistive technologies where appropriate.
We address barriers to learning by providing structured guidance for extended writing, scaffolding for financial and numerical topics, and additional revision sessions for students who may require extra support.
Diversity and inclusion are central to the study of Business. We highlight a diverse range of business leaders and entrepreneurs from different cultural, social, and gender backgrounds to challenge stereotypes and show students that there is no single path to success. Case studies and projects reflect businesses operating in a variety of cultural contexts, reinforcing the value of diverse perspectives in a global economy.
By embedding these approaches, we ensure every student can develop the skills, confidence, and ambition needed to participate fully in the business world.
In Business and Economics, strong literacy and communication skills are essential for success in further study and in the workplace. Our curriculum places equal value on developing reading, writing, oracy, vocabulary, and digital literacy so that students can confidently access, interpret, and communicate complex concepts.
Reading:
Students engage with a wide range of authentic texts such as business news articles, financial reports, marketing materials, and case studies of local, national, and international businesses. Guided reading tasks encourage students to extract key information, identify bias, interpret charts and tables, and critically evaluate arguments. Teachers model how to skim, scan, and read for inference to support analysis of written and numerical data.
Writing:
Students learn to write with clarity and purpose across different formats, including reports, essays, business plans, letters, and data commentaries. Writing frames and success criteria are used to scaffold extended responses in GCSE and BTEC assessments. We emphasise accurate use of subject-specific terminology, coherent structure, and evidence-based reasoning.
Oracy:
Verbal communication is nurtured through group discussions, debates on ethical and economic issues, presentations of business proposals, and role-play in recruitment and marketing scenarios. Oracy activities develop confidence in expressing ideas clearly, using academic language, and listening to and responding respectfully to others’ viewpoints—skills that are invaluable for future employment and civic participation.
Vocabulary Development:
We explicitly teach tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary such as “liquidity,” “elasticity of demand,” “marginal cost,” and “corporate responsibility.” Vocabulary is revisited regularly through retrieval practice, quizzes, and visual displays in classrooms. Key terms are embedded in lesson starters, glossaries, and writing tasks to promote fluency in using technical language.
Digital Literacy:
Digital skills are integrated throughout the curriculum, from analysing spreadsheets and financial software to creating marketing materials and digital presentations. Students learn how to evaluate the reliability of online sources and use technology ethically, including maintaining data privacy. The use of digital tools supports collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking while preparing students for the demands of the modern business and economic landscape.
The computer science KS3 curriculum has a clear emphasis on real-world applications and encourages students to consider careers, business and organisation.:
This approach ensures that students move confidently through each stage of learning with the knowledge, practical skills, and academic literacy needed to thrive.
We ensure that students move smoothly from GCSE into Edexcel A-level Economics by building a strong foundation in key skills at KS4.
This structured progression enables students to develop the analytical, evaluative, and literacy skills essential for success at A-level Economics and beyond.
In Business, capital has a very specific meaning and forms part of the factors of production. Capital can be defined as the wealth, whether in money or property, owned or employed in business by an individual, firm, corporation or other organisation. Globalisation has led to a sharing and merging of cultures at a speed and level that is unprecedented in the history of commerce and industry and students are encouraged as part of the courses and independently to seek out high-quality current news outlets both traditional and online to widen their knowledge of how fundamentally their lives are impacted by global business cultures. We challenge them to consider themselves as a global citizen and that they will very shortly be operating and competing in a global marketplace. The courses we offer include significant opportunities to research multinational corporations and how goods and services offered for sale across the globe share similarities and display differences and how opportunities can grow out of this. Students are also encouraged to seek links with the past and identify potential trends in the future based on multiple factors including cultural, ethical and environmental considerations. It is vital to any business curriculum to enable students to embrace existing and future technology to help, support and guide them in their chosen careers. Human perspectives, needs and wants are explored including how culture informs marketing and the supply and demand for goods and services. Recruitment and selection processes are studied from both legal and moral perspective which includes a reflection on equal opportunities and diversity. We encourage students to consider themselves as global citizen’s operating in a world of increasingly few barriers to and to provide them with the skills they will need.
