Business Studies

At Leeds City Academy students have the opportunity to study for the Edexcel GCSE Business from Year 10 onwards.

The course consists of Two Theme giving students the opportunity to develop a broad knowledge and understanding of Business.

Theme 1 concentrates on the key business concepts, issues and skills involved in starting and running a small business. It provides a framework for students to explore core concepts through the lens of an entrepreneur setting up a business. In this theme, students will be introduced to local and national business contexts and will develop an understanding of how these contexts impact business behaviour and decisions. Local contexts refer specifically to small businesses or those operating in a single UK location and national contexts relate to businesses operating in more than one location or across the UK. Students must develop an understanding of the interdependent nature of business activity through interactions between business operations, finance, marketing and human resources, as well as the relationship between the business and the environment in which it operates. Students must understand how these interdependencies and relationships underpin business decisions. Teaching approaches to the content must reflect this.

Theme 2 examines how a business develops beyond the start-up phase. It focuses on the key business concepts, issues and decisions used to grow a business, with emphasis on aspects of marketing, operations, finance and human resources. Theme 2 also considers the impact of the wider world on the decisions a business makes as it grows. In this theme, students will be introduced to national and global business contexts and will develop an understanding of how these contexts impact business behaviour and decisions. National contexts build on those in Theme 1 and relate to businesses operating in more than one location or across the UK. Global contexts relate to non-UK or transnational businesses. Students must develop an understanding of the interdependent nature of business activity through interactions between business operations, finance, marketing and human resources, as well as the relationship between the business and the environment in which it operates. Students must understand how these functional areas influence business activity and how interdependencies and relationships between them underpin business decisions. Teaching approaches to the content must reflect this.

For further information on the curriculum offered please contact the Academy F.A.O Francesca Sharpe (Academic Achievement Leader).

Course Details 

GCSE Business Studies (2017)  – Edexcel – Started September 2023

Term by Term Subject Content 

Year 10

Year 10 

Term 1 & 2 
September-April 
Theme 1
  • Investigating small businesses – 50% of final grade

Assessment type:
  • External Exam

Content
  • Theme 1 comprises five topic areas.

    • Topic 1.1 Enterprise and entrepreneurship – students are introduced to the dynamic nature of business in relation to how and why business ideas come about. They also explore the impact of risk and reward on business activity and the role of entrepreneurship.
    • Topic 1.2 Spotting a business opportunity – students will explore how new and small businesses identify opportunities through understanding customer needs and conducting market research. They will also focus on understanding the competition.
    • Topic 1.3 Putting a business idea into practice – this topic focuses on making a business idea happen through identifying aims and objectives and concentrating on the financial aspects.
    • Topic 1.4 Making the business effective – students will explore a range of factors that impact on the success of the business, including location, the marketing mix and the business plan.
    Topic 1.5 Understanding external influences on business – students are introduced to a range of factors, many of which are outside of the immediate control of the business, such as stakeholders, technology, legislation and the economy. Students will explore how businesses respond to these influences.

Quantitative Skills

Students must draw on their knowledge and understanding of Theme 1 topics to apply a range of quantitative skills relevant to business contexts. This includes calculations and the interpretation, use and limitation of quantitative and qualitative data in business contexts to support, inform and justify business decisions. These will be embedded within the examinations for this qualification.

Year 2

Theme 2  Building a Business - 50% of final Grade
Assessment Type:  External 
Content :

Theme 2 comprises five topic areas.

  • Topic 2.1 Growing the business – students are introduced to methods of growth and how and why business aims and objectives change as businesses evolve. The impact of globalisation and the ethical and environmental questions facing businesses are explored.
  • Topic 2.2 Making marketing decisions – students will explore how each element of the marketing mix is managed and used to inform and make business decisions in a competitive marketplace.
  • Topic 2.3 Making operational decisions – this topic focuses on meeting customer needs through the design, supply, quality and sales decisions a business makes.
  • Topic 2.4 Making financial decisions – students will explore the tools a business has to support financial decision making, including ratio analysis and the use and limitation of a range of financial information.
  • Topic 2.5 Making human resource decisions – growing a business means that decisions relating to organisational structure, recruitment, training and motivation need to be made to influence business activity. These aspects are considered in this final topic.

Quantitative Skills 

Students must draw on their knowledge and understanding of Theme 2 topics to apply a range of quantitative skills relevant to business contexts. This includes calculations and the interpretation, use and limitation of quantitative and qualitative data in business contexts to support, inform and justify business decisions. These will be embedded within the examination for this qualification.