The Marsh Academy

Business Studies

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"Students are given every opportunity to engage in practical work"

Key Stage 3

General Business Studies’ skills are learnt through other subjects throughout Key Stage 3.

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4 Business becomes a specific GCSE, or vocational, course option, which sets out to show that business is a creative and dynamic activity. Students are given every opportunity to engage in practical work, including case studies, enterprise days and simulations. All of these enable the students to explore and experience the entrepreneurial environment. Local businesses are invited to become involved with the Academy wherever possible to not only provide work placements but also a realistic context for their studies. Students will develop:

• An understanding of the dynamics of business activity
• An understanding of the language, concepts, techniques and decision making skills, employed in business situations
• An appreciation of the business world and an awareness of the significance of innovation and change
• The qualities and skills which are essential in the business world, such as teamwork, report writing and interpreting financial statements.

Post 16

At Post 16 students can choose to study Business at two levels, Level 2 for those who have not been particularly successful in their GCSE courses and feel that they might like to look towards a career in the World of Business and Level 3 for those wishing to study AS and A2 courses.

• The Level 2 course requires students to study 6 units of work, which together will make up their own Business Portfolio. This course is all assessed internally and there are no examinations.
• The Level 3 course is in Applied Business, which can be studied as either a single or double award. The single award consists of 3 units at AS and an additional 3 units at A2. The double award consists of 6 units at AS and an additional 6 units at A2. At both levels two thirds of the units are internally assessed by the means of coursework and the other third is assessed externally by formal exams or the production of coursework in exam conditions.