Curriculum

Available to student from GCSE onwards

GCSE

4^th Year

Unit 1 – Business Start Up

• Business Start Up
• Production
• Marketing

This unit is assessed by an externally set exam worth 35% of the overall GCSE Grade.

5^th Year

Unit 2 – Business Development

• Finance
• Managing People
• Business Growth
• Business Plan

This unit is assessed by an externally set exam worth 40% of the overall GCSE Grade. There is also a controlled assessment that is carried out for this unit worth 25% of the overall grade.

A Level

AS Level – comprises of 3 units.

Unit 1 –Enterprising Business

• What is an enterprising business
• Aims and objectives of an enterprising business
• How is an enterprising business organised
• Communication
• Functional areas of business
• Enterprising distribution channels
• Enterprising market research
• Innovatory marketing methods
• Monitoring and reviewing business activities

Unit 2 - The Enterprising Manager

• Skills and abilities of an enterprising manager
• Managing people
• Managing finance
• Managing other resources
• Styles of management

Units 1 and 2 are internally assessed and based on a local case study of the Carrickdale hotel.

Unit 3 – External Influences of the Business Enterprise

• Markets
• Market sectors
• The competitive environment
• Improving competitiveness
• Stakeholders and competition
• Supply and demand
• Government influence and economic policy
• International competition and its influence on business in Northern Ireland

A2 – comprises of 3 units

Unit 7 –Finance

• Sources of Finance – Different sources of finance, types of financial statement (for sole traders)
• Interpretation of Accounts – Accounting Ratios (for limited companies)
• Investment Appraisal – Nature of capital investment decisions, investment appraisal methods, cost behaviour patterns, absorption costing, breakeven analysis
• Budgeting – budgets

Unit 9 –Enterprise in Practice

• Teamwork
• Formation
• Market research and marketing
• Role allocation
• Production or service
• Finance
• Evaluation

(This unit is internally assessed within the school and involves the students starting up an enterprise business)

Unit 10 –Investing in People

• Planning for investing in people
• Employee motivation and training
• Taking care of staff

Department Staff

Mrs P McGuinness HOD

Mrs A O’Hare