SGSE

Year 11 Business Studies

Curriculum:
Click to Expand Autumn Content:
Key Topic:
Content:
Product
Price
Promotion
Place
Using the Marketing Mix to Make Business Decisions
Business Operations
Working with Suppliers
Managing Quality
The Sales Process
Business Calculations
Understanding Business Performance
The design mix:
  • function, aesthetics, cost
The product life cycle:
  • the phases of the product life cycle
  • extension strategies.
The importance to a business of differentiating a product/service
Price:
  • pricing strategies
  • Influences on pricing strategies: technology, competition, market segments, product life cycle.
Promotion:
  • appropriate promotion strategies for different market segments: advertising, sponsorship, product trials, special offers, branding
  • the use of technology in promotion: targeted advertising online, viral advertising via social media, e-newsletters.
Place
  • methods of distribution: retailers and e-tailers (e-commerce)
  • How each element of the marketing mix can influence other elements.
  • Using the marketing mix to build competitive advantage.
  • How an integrated marketing mix can influence competitive advantage.
The purpose of business operations:
  • to produce goods
  • to provide services.
Production processes:
  • different types: job, batch, flow
  • the impact of different types of production processes: keeping productivity up and costs down and allowing for competitive prices.
Impacts of technology on production:
  • balancing cost, productivity, quality and flexibility
Managing stock:
  • interpretation of bar gate stock graphs
  • the use of just in time (JIT) stock control.
The role of procurement:
  • relationships with suppliers: quality, delivery (cost, speed, reliability), availability, cost, trust
  • the impact of logistics and supply decisions on: costs, reputation, customer satisfaction.
The concept of quality and its importance in:
  • the production of goods and the provision of services: quality control and quality assurance
  • allowing a business to control costs and gain a competitive advantage.
The sales process:
  • product knowledge, speed and efficiency of service, customer engagement, responses to customer feedback, post-sales service.
The importance to businesses of providing good customer service.
The concept and calculation of:
  • gross profit
  • net profit
Calculation and interpretation of:
  • gross profit margin
  • net profit margin
  • average rate of return
The use and interpretation of quantitative business data to support, inform and justify business decisions:
  • Information from graphs and charts
  • Financial data
  • Marketing data
  • Market data
The use and limitations of financial information in:
  • Understanding business performance
  • Making business decisions
Click to Expand Spring Content:
Key Topic:
Content:
Organisational Structures
Effective Recruitment
Effective Training and Development
Motivation
Different organisational structures and when each are appropriate:
  • hierarchical and flat
  • centralised and decentralised.
The importance of effective communication:
  • the impact of insufficient or excessive communication on efficiency and motivation
  • barriers to effective communication.
Different ways of working:
  • part-time, full-time and flexible hours
  • permanent, temporary, and freelance contracts
  • the impact of technology on ways of working: efficiency, remote working.
Different job roles and responsibilities:
  • key job roles and their responsibilities: directors, senior managers, supervisors/team leaders, operational and support staff.
How businesses recruit people:
  • documents: person specification and job description, application form, CV
  • recruitment methods used to meet different business needs (internal and external recruitment).
How businesses train and develop employees:
  • different ways of training and developing employees: formal and informal training, self-learning, ongoing training for all employees, use of target setting and performance reviews.
Why businesses train and develop employees:
  • the link between training, motivation and retention
  • retraining to use new technology.
The importance of motivation in the workplace:
  • attracting employees, retaining employees, productivity.
    • How businesses motivate employees:
  • financial methods: remuneration, bonus, commission, promotion, fringe benefits
  • non-financial methods: job rotation, job enrichment, autonomy.
Click to Expand Summer Content:

By this point in the academic year, we have completed the course content and we are focusing on revision, exam technique and pace.

Subject Overview:

Students in Year 11 have 3 Business Studies lessons each week.

In Year 11, students have 1 piece of homework set every week. Homework typically consists fo exam questions or exam paper sections.

Assessments:

Assessments take the form of End of Topic Tests, Formulae Tests and Summative tests throughout the year.

Students will then sit their final exam in the Summer Term.

Explore More:
Year 9
Year 10
BTEC
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