Business, Economics & Accounting Department
Miss Y Cashmore – Head of Business, Economics and Accounting
Miss E Castle – Teacher of Business
Mrs V Adey – Teacher of Business and Accounting
Mrs S Atherton – Teacher of Economics
Aims
- Help prepare students for working life.
- Offer a variety of medium for learner focussed assessment.
-
Allow opportunities for working together and independently to solve problems and find possible solutions.
- Develop and apply knowledge, skills & understanding and creative thinking.
- Consider the effects and implications of business activities on individuals and society.
Curriculum
We offer two courses at KS4
Key Stage 4 - GCSE Applied Business (OCR)
How is the course assessed?
There are four units overall. Two of the units are assessed in controlled conditions (30% weighting for each); the other two units are assessed by exam (20% weighting for each). Exams are taken in June of Year 10 and July of Year 11.
Business in Action
- Business ownership
- Activity
- Organisation and functional areas
- Mission statements, aims and objectives
- Stakeholders
- Employer/employee relationship
- Use of ICT in business and economic activities
- Uncertainty – risk, reward and change
- Business within society – ethics and sustainability
- Economic factors
Making your Mark in Business (assessment in controlled conditions)
- Skill – organisation
- Understanding the market
- Customers and competitors
- Presenting data effectively
- Marketing mix – promoting an idea
- Costing implications
- Skill – reflection and review
- Skill – sourcing information
Working in Business (exam)
- Business structure
- Job roles – key activities and responsibilities
- Forms of communication
- Functional areas –
- Finance
- M arketing and sales
- Administration and ICT
customer service
production
Business and You (assessment in controlled conditions)
- Human resources
- Recruitment process
- Selection process
- Human resources legislation
- Induction
- Promotion – training, skills and competencies required
- Skill – effective research
Progression
The course aims to enable students to enter employment at an operational level within a wide range of business environments. Many St Augustine’s students continue into the sixth form or undertake industry related courses at college. Other students have entered employment on completion of this course. You do not need to have taken Business at GCSE level to study Business in the sixth form.
Key Stage 5 - A Level Applied Business (OCR)
Course Structure
| Unit | Assesment |
AS: H026 – Year 12 |
|
| F240 Creating a Marketing Proposal | Coursework by December |
| F241 Recruitment in the Workplace | Coursework by Easter |
| F242 Understanding the Business Environment | Exam in June |
A2: H426 – Year 13 |
|
| F248 Strategic Decision Making | Exam in January |
| F249 Business Planning | Coursework by Easter |
| F252 Customer Service | Coursework by Easter |
Year 12 – AS Topics
Unit 1 (F240) Creating a Marketing Proposal (Coursework based)
- Marketing objectives
- How functional areas support the marketing activity
- The marketing mix
- Creating you own individual marketing proposal for a business
- Oral presentation of the marketing mix for your new product
- Market research and analysis of research
- Evaluation of the likely success of your proposal
Unit 2 (F241) Recruitment in the Workplace (Coursework based)
- Recruitment and selection process
- Induction and motivation packages
- Research of recruitment and selection processes of various businesses and analysis of research
- Assessed mock interviews as interviewer and interviewee
- Production of complete R+S package for a business
- Evaluation of effectiveness of R+S package
Unit 3 (F242) Understanding the Business Environment (Exam based)
- Importance of accurate record keeping and technology
- Ethical, legal, social, political and environmental factors
- Business ownership
- Analysis of the current market position
- Sources of finance
- Budgeting and budgetary control
- Break-even analysis
- Cash flow forecasts
- Economic and market conditions
- Stakeholders
Year 13 – A2 Topics
Unit 9 F248) Strategic Decision Making (Exam based)
- Mission statements
- Business planning, strategy and decision making
- Financial business planning
- Human resource planning
- Integrated market planning/strategy
- Contingency planning and crisis management
Unit 10 (F249) A Business Plan for the Entrepreneur (Coursework based)
- Reasons for constructing a business plan
- Information within a business plan
- Researching a business plan
- Business plan templates
- Producing your own plan for a business
- Constraints that impact on implementation
Unit 13 (F252) Promotion in Action (Coursework based)
- Devising a strategy
- The environment in which the strategy will take place
- Planning the strategy
- Research and analysis of the information collected
- Producing a plan of action
- Internal and external influences on promotional activity
Independent research is an essential skill to be successful in this course - more information including unit details, past papers and mark schemes can be found at:
OCR - Recognising Achievement
Progression
The course aims to enable students to enter employment within a wide range of business environments. Many St Augustine’s students pursue Business related degree courses at University. Other students have entered employment on completion of this course.
Key Stage 4 - OCR National Award
How is the course assessed?
There are three units to complete which are assessed by portfolio, learners complete a number of practical assessments throughout the year. There are no exams in this course.
The course is graded at Pass, Merit, Distinction.
The learners carry out a range of tasks that have been designed to recognise their achievements in a modern, practical way that is relevant to the workplace. Many of the assignments set will involve investigations that require students to undertake practical work and research into business organisations.
There will be some assessment of practical skills through role play, presentations and work experience. There will also be written assessment in each unit.
This course runs through a number of units to develop an understanding and knowledge of a range of business functions, environments and operations. Learners will investigate why and how businesses operate in different ways and the importance of communication.
The assessments in these units will enable learners to get to grips with practical tasks.
Here students gain a good f
- Unit 1 Investigating business
- Unit 4 Communication in business
- Unit 11 Keeping customers happy
For more information visit http://www.ocrnationals.com/level2_business.php
A Level Accounting (OCR)
Course Structure
| Unit | Assesment |
AS: 1121 - Year 12 |
|
| ACCN1 Introduction to Financial Accounting | Exam in June Yr 12 |
| ACCN2 Financial and Management Accounting | Exam in June Yr 12 |
A2: 2121 - Year 13 |
|
| ACCN3 Further Aspects of Financial Accounting | Exam in June Yr 13 |
| ACCN4Further Aspects of Management Accounting | Exam in June Yr 13 |
Course content
Year 12 - AS Topics
ACCN1 Introduction to Financial Accounting 50% of AS 25% A2 (Exam Based)
- Purpose of Accounting
- Prepare accounting records from source documents including books of original entry and double entry into ledgers
- Prepare two and three column cash books and reconcile to bank statements
- Prepare control accounts
- Produce a trial balance
- Correct through a suspense account
- Produce income statements(trading profit and loss) including some adjustments for sole traders
- Prepare balance sheets
ACCN2 Financial and Management Accounting 25% A2 (Exam Based)
- Compare types of business ownership
- Understand Accounting concepts
- Draw up ledgers for depreciation entries
- Incorporate adjustments into income statements and balance sheets
- Prepare internal accounts for Limited companies
- Analyse financial statements to comment on performance.
- Prepare and evaluate cash budgets
- Analyse the importance of ICT in Accounting
ACCN3 Further Aspects of Financial Accounting 50% of AS 25% A2 (Exam Based)
- Compare sources of Finance available to businesses
- Calculate profits from incomplete records
- Produce partnership accounts
- Account for changes in partnerships
- Account for dissolution of a partnership including the Garner v Murray rule
- Prepare cash flow statements in accordance with International Accounting Standards
- Interpret and analyse limited company published accounts
- Explain the significance on accounts of various International Accounting Standards
- Calculate inventory values using AVCO and FIFO and reconcile to physical inventory
ACCN4 Further Aspects of Management Accounting 25% A2 (Exam Based)
- Prepare financial Statements for Manufacturing organisations
- Calculate and explain break even
- Produce and interpret Marginal costing statements
- Produce and interpret Absorption costing statements
- Have a knowledge of Activity Based Costing and compare to other methods
- Calculate variances( and sub variances) and evaluate their causes
- Reconcile budget to actual using variances
- Produce investment appraisals using NPV and payback
- Prepare and evaluate budgets
- Demonstrate an awareness of other factors when decision making
Additional independent study is essential to be successful in this course - more information including unit details, past papers and mark schemes can be found at
http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/accounting_new.php
Progression
The course aims to enable students to enter employment within a wide range of Accounting and Business environments. Many students progress to university studying Accounting, Finance or Business related subjects. Others select to study for a professional accounting qualification (ACA, CIMA and AAT) whilst working for an accounting firm.
For more information please visit:
AS/A Level GCE
A Level Economics (AQA)
Course Structure
| Unit | Assesment |
AS |
|
| ECON 1 | Exam in June Yr 12 |
| ECON 2 | Exam in June Yr 12 |
A2: 2140 |
|
| ECON 3 | Exam in June Yr 13 |
| ECON 4 | Exam in June Yr 13 |
Course content
Unit 1: ECON1 – Markets and Market Failure Examined in June year 12
- The economic problem
- The allocation of resources in competitive markets
- Production and efficiency
- Market failure
- Government intervention in the market
Unit 2: ECON2 – The National Economy Examined in June year 12
- The measurement of macroeconomic performance
- How the macroeconomy works: AD / AS analysis, the circular flow of income and related concepts
- Economic performance
- Macroeconomic policy
Unit3: ECON3 – Business Economics and the Distribution of Income Examined in June year 13
- The firm, objectives, costs and revenues
- Competitive markets
- Concentrated markets
- The labour market
- Government intervention in the market
Unit4: ECON4 – The National and International Economy Examined in June year 13
- Macroeconomic indicators
- Managing the national economy
- The international economy
Progression
Economics is a good foundation for subjects such as law, management and finance/business. It can also be combined with many other academic subjects such as history, geography, languages or maths.
For more information please visit:
GCE A Level Economics
