Business plays a key part in the ethos of the school, building upon the enterprise skills developed in Year 7 and 8. By opting to study business, students can further their skills in practical business contexts. Students who take business are able to demonstrate that they are flexible and adaptive thinkers, who can use mathematical analysis, communicate effectively for marketing and sales, work in teams for person management, plus by no means least, the ability to make decisions – taking calculated risks.

In Year 9 we contribute to Citizenship by delivering a unit that explores credit and personal debt, looking at how to budget and make sensible financial decisions. Students find this of real practical benefit.

Business is a free option choice where we offer two very different courses:

GCSE Business is a decision-making course that develops the skills of an entrepreneur when running a small business. Students are always being asked to solve practical business problems. Students find the course interesting, in that it makes them think and prepares them for the future world of employment. As part of the course students also get the opportunity to run their own mini enterprise, taking the risk and keeping the profit. GCSE Business achieved 13% above targets for A*-C and 14% above target for A*/A.

OCR National Award is a non-exam based business course where students develop portfolio coursework, investigating and analysing business, looking at how to communicate effectively in business, and finally how to work with people. This is a more vocational alternative.

Economics and Business is an exam based option that combines the practical aspects of business with the academic vigor of Economics, and as such is a good basis for further study at degree level.

BTEC Level 3 BUSINESS is a new vocational alternative, being an entirely coursework based course that builds upon the equivalent course at GCSE.