Business curriculum by year
The summaries below set out the main areas of learning in each year, the knowledge and skills pupils will develop, and the intended curriculum end points. They also show how learning builds progressively across the Business curriculum and prepares pupils for the next stage of their education.
Year 10
How and Why Businesses Start
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand why people start businesses, including identifying opportunities, solving problems and seeking greater independence.
- Understand important business concepts, including revenue, costs, profit and added value.
- Explain the risks and rewards associated with starting a business.
- Apply business concepts to different entrepreneurial situations.
How this builds on previous learning
This introduces pupils to the fundamental concepts and vocabulary needed to understand how businesses are established and operate.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This provides the foundation for understanding business finance, marketing, operations and growth.
Understanding Customer Needs
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses identify and respond to customer needs.
- Explain how market research helps businesses make informed decisions.
- Understand competition, market segmentation and target markets.
- Apply knowledge of customer needs to different business contexts.
How this builds on previous learning
This builds on pupils’ understanding of business ideas by considering how entrepreneurs identify potential customers and assess demand.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to make informed judgements about marketing decisions, business growth and competitive strategy.
Turning Ideas into Reality
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses set aims and objectives.
- Explore different sources of business finance.
- Use financial tools, including break-even analysis and cash-flow forecasts.
- Interpret financial information and use it to support business decisions.
How this builds on previous learning
This builds on pupils’ understanding of business ideas and customer needs by considering how an idea can become a viable business.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to assess business performance and make more complex financial decisions in Year 11 and at A-Level.
Making the Business Effective
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the elements of the marketing mix: product, price, place and promotion.
- Explain the characteristics of different forms of business ownership.
- Understand why business location matters.
- Assess how different decisions can improve business effectiveness.
How this builds on previous learning
This brings together pupils’ knowledge of customers, finance and business aims.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to examine how growing businesses make marketing, operational and strategic decisions.
External Influences on Business
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how economic factors, including inflation, taxation and unemployment, can affect businesses.
- Explain how changes in the wider world influence business activity.
- Assess how businesses may respond to external opportunities and threats.
- Apply knowledge of external influences to different business situations.
How this builds on previous learning
This extends pupils’ understanding beyond decisions made within a business by considering the wider environment in which organisations operate.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to analyse business growth, globalisation, ethical issues and strategic change.
Year 11
Growing the Business
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand the different ways in which businesses grow.
- Explain the opportunities and challenges associated with business expansion.
- Examine the impact of globalisation on businesses.
- Consider ethical and environmental influences on business decisions.
How this builds on previous learning
This builds on pupils’ Year 10 understanding of how small businesses are established and operated.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to consider strategic growth, competitiveness and global markets at A-Level.
Making Marketing Decisions
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Develop a deeper understanding of the marketing mix.
- Explain how businesses make decisions about products, prices, promotion and distribution.
- Apply marketing knowledge to different business contexts.
- Evaluate the likely impact of alternative marketing decisions.
How this builds on previous learning
This develops the foundational marketing knowledge introduced in Year 10.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for more detailed study of marketing strategy and customer needs at A-Level.
Making Operational Decisions
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses produce goods and deliver services.
- Compare different methods of production.
- Explain how businesses manage stock, quality and supply chains.
- Assess how operational decisions affect costs, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
How this builds on previous learning
This builds on pupils’ understanding of how businesses organise resources and respond to customer needs.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to study resource management, competitiveness and strategic decision-making at A-Level.
Making Financial Decisions
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Use financial information to assess business performance.
- Calculate and interpret gross profit and net profit.
- Understand how financial data supports business decision-making.
- Evaluate the financial implications of different courses of action.
How this builds on previous learning
This extends the break-even and cash-flow knowledge developed in Year 10.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for financial planning, financial management and investment appraisal at A-Level.
Making Human Resource Decisions
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses recruit, train and motivate employees.
- Explain the purpose of different organisational structures.
- Understand how effective people management contributes to business success.
- Assess the impact of human-resource decisions on employees and business performance.
How this builds on previous learning
This extends pupils’ understanding of the resources businesses need to operate effectively.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for more detailed study of leadership, management, motivation and organisational design at A-Level.
Year 12
Theme 1: Marketing and People
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses identify and meet customer needs.
- Analyse markets and changing customer expectations.
- Apply the marketing mix to different business situations.
- Understand how businesses recruit, organise, lead and motivate people.
- Examine the roles of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
- Evaluate marketing and people-management decisions.
How this builds on previous learning
This builds on GCSE learning about customers, marketing, entrepreneurship and human resources while introducing greater depth and more complex business contexts.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This provides important knowledge for analysing business strategy, competitiveness, growth and global marketing.
Theme 2: Managing Business Activities
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses raise finance.
- Use financial information to support planning and decision-making.
- Analyse how businesses manage finance and other resources.
- Understand how external influences affect business activities.
- Evaluate financial and operational decisions using appropriate evidence.
How this builds on previous learning
This develops GCSE knowledge of finance, operations and external influences through more detailed analysis and application.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils to assess business performance, strategic choices and the challenges involved in managing growth and change.
Year 13
Theme 3: Business Decisions and Strategy
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand how businesses set objectives and develop strategies.
- Examine different approaches to business growth.
- Apply quantitative and qualitative decision-making techniques.
- Analyse the influences on strategic business decisions.
- Assess business competitiveness and performance.
- Understand how businesses manage change.
- Make supported strategic judgements using business evidence.
How this builds on previous learning
This brings together pupils’ knowledge of marketing, finance, operations, people and external influences from Year 12.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This develops the analytical and evaluative thinking required for higher education, apprenticeships and professional decision-making.
Theme 4: Global Business
What pupils will know and be able to do
- Understand globalisation and its impact on businesses.
- Examine the opportunities and challenges presented by global markets.
- Analyse different approaches to international expansion.
- Understand how businesses adapt marketing decisions for global markets.
- Examine the behaviour of global industries and multinational companies.
- Evaluate international business decisions using relevant evidence.
How this builds on previous learning
This extends pupils’ understanding of business growth, external influences, marketing and strategy into an international context.
How this prepares pupils for future learning
This prepares pupils for further study and careers by developing their understanding of global markets, international business and strategic decision-making.
