Westminster City School
Striving for Excellence, Learning for Life

Business Studies

Vision

Our vision is to become an outstanding Business and Economics department by achieving academic and vocational excellence through regularly setting efficient and achievable curriculum targets using technological resources to enhance teaching and learning.

We aim to:
• Stimulate curiosity, interest and enjoyment in the Business World
• Enable pupils to acquire understanding and knowledge of the concepts, principles and applications involved in all areas of Business/Economics
• Provide all pupils with a worthwhile educational experience through well-designed Schemes of Work, visits and placements.
• Introduce pupils to current business practice and to the ways in which businesses operate.
• Allow pupils to become confident citizens in an increasingly technological and target-driven world, and be familiar with the language of Business.
• Appreciate the environmental impact of business activities in the various sectors.

Staffing

Aruma Naeem – Acting Subject Leader & Work Related Learning coordinator/BTEC quality nominee
Jonathan Rahamim – Teacher in charge of Economics
Gary Jessop - Teacher

Curriculum

Key Stage 4 Business Studies & Economics Curriculum
Westminster City School students studying Business at GCSE level study either the Edexcel Applied Business GCSE in Business Studies Double Award or the Edexcel GCSE Business Studies Single Award. This is covered in three lessons per week.
A GCSE in Applied Business is a nationally recognised work-related qualification designed to provide you with a choice of routes into further education or employment. It is made up of 3 units:
1. Investigating How Businesses Work
2. Financial Records
3. Investigating People Business and Change
4. Financial Planning and Forecasting

The GCSE Applied Business is a Double Award course which is equal to TWO (2) GCSE’s.
The GCSE Applied Business course (single award) is a course that is equal to ONE GCSE grade.

The course facilitates progression to AS and Advanced GCE’s, ‘A’ Level Economics and other National Diploma’s such as BTEC Firsts.

Economics GCSE – OCR
This new unit of study was introduced in 2010 to accommodate for the new three year GCSE programme at the school. It is aimed at the top performing students and provides a solid foundation for progression onto A level Economics. This is covered in three lessons per week and includes the following topics:
• How the Market Works
• How the Economy Works
• The UK Economy and Globalisation

BTEC First Diploma in Business - EDEXCEL
This course is delivered to Year 9 students over three years and is also offered currently for Year 12 students as a one year course. Students are expected to study a variety of units based on wide ranging Business topics that equate to 60 credits. The qualification is equivalent to FOUR GCSE grades.

Key Stage 5
GCE in applied Business (Double Award) - EDEXCEL
The GCE qualifications are designed to provide a broad introduction to a vocational area in an applied context.
The GCE in Applied Business has been developed to provide a broad educational basis for further training, further education or for moving into appropriate employment within the business sector. They have been designed to be delivered in a work-related context and to allow learners to develop an understanding of the business sector.

‘A’ Level Economics - OCR
This course is also a two year course but is 100% examination in which the students sit four modules Over two years.
The modules are as follows:
1. Markets in Action (AS microeconomics)
2. The National and International Economy (AS macroeconomics)
3. Transport Economics (A2 microeconomics)
4. The Global Economy (A2 macroeconomics)

Enrichment

Our students are provided with many opportunities to support their learning in Business and Economics. Course booster sessions are held weekly to ensure that our students can consolidate the learning that has taken place during their lessons and work towards desirable results. We encourage our students to take ownership of their learning and development and during these sessions staff are able to provide a more personalised approach to individual student needs. Students that regularly attend these sessions enjoy highly desirable results that place them favourably in college and university applications.
Out of class learning opportunities are regularly provided for students to use the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom in the real world. Working in the City is a programme that we run every year for our GCSE and A level students that provides training on the skills required for a career in the city.