Business

We have two ambitious mission statements to which we all subscribe;

• For all students to achieve their goals and aspirations within our Curriculum Area.
• For all students to be prepared for - and inspired by - the world of business and enterprise through participation in a range of practical and engaging enterprise activities.

The Business and Economics Curriculum Area is centred on student learning and has a number of specific aims which link into whole school objectives:

• To facilitate and encourage the development of a safe learning environment where students can achieve to their full potential, and gain the skills or qualifications necessary to pursue their chosen future goals of either further study or employment.
• To help students to develop lively and enquiring business minds with the ability to approach the solving of problems in a logical, intelligent, and constructive manner, and to make decisions having thought about alternatives and drawbacks.
• To employ teaching strategies that stimulate interest in Business and Economics thereby enhancing the learning experience of students.
• To offer all pupils the opportunity to experience real business scenarios, regardless of their ability and background.
• To give students the skills and adaptability needed to cope with a fast changing business world and its technological complexities.
• To cultivate links with businesses through the portfolio activities undertaken by students.

Key skills provide a foundation for continual learning. They enable and empower individuals who inevitably face a series of choices in work, education and training throughout their lives. Current and future initiatives such as learn direct, lifelong learning and widening participation all require a more flexible population in the workplace and key skills play a role in setting the framework.

Learners need the chance to show current and future employers that they can:

• Communicate effectively, in a variety of situations, using a wide range of techniques.
• Work well with others - individuals or teams - so that work can be properly planned and targets met.
• Manage their own development, so that they are always ready to take on the challenges of change and diversification.
• Use number, not just within routine tasks and functions but to help them be more effective and efficient in all they do.
• Use ICT in a range of applications to support all aspects of their role.
• Solve problems in a variety of circumstances.

Business courses encourage candidates to:

• Actively engage in the study of business and economics to develop as effective and Independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds.
• Use an enquiring, critical approach to distinguish between fact and opinion, build arguments and make informed judgements.
• Develop and apply their knowledge, understanding and skills to contemporary issues in a range of local, national and global contexts.
• Appreciate the range of perspectives of different stakeholders in relation to business and economic activities.
• Consider the extent to which business and economic activity can be ethical and sustainable.
• Consider the moral issues that arise as a result of the impact of economic activity on the environment and economic development.
• Recognise that their economic knowledge, understanding and skills helps them to understand current events and provides a basis for their role as citizens.

There are currently four dedicated classrooms for Key Stage 4 plus a further three dedicated rooms for Key Stage 5 teaching.

Four rooms are used for Key Stage 4, three of which are fully resourced with 28 PC workstations, a projector and a HP Laserjet Printer.

Key Stage 5 students enjoy access to two fully-equipped rooms. The first has an interactive whiteboard, video projector, 15 work stations and a HP Laser Jet printer in one room. The second room is equipped with 28 new flat screen computers, interactive whiteboard and HP Laserjet Printer.

In addition to numerous traditional text books for use within both Key Stages, there are also several ICT resources to enhance and support learning. Smart board activities are incorporated into lessons as are topical newspaper articles to engage students with the challenges and issues faced by businesses in today's society. All students have full access to these resources across the campus.

Displays within the classrooms adhere to a corporate image and contain appropriate information for the courses offered within the relevant classrooms. Wall displays in the corridors provide further information about business in general as well as specific information on course contents.

One of the highlights of the teaching facilities is our 'board room' classroom. This classroom has been extensively redesigned with comfortable, cushioned seats and is laid out in a meeting/board room style.

Key Stage 3:

In Business Studies at Key Stage 3, we aim to develop a greater understanding and interest in how businesses and the economy work. To do so students will learn the key functions of a business as well as the influence of Government on the National and Local Economy. Students will also investigate the skills and abilities required to be entrepreneurial as well as the main functions of a business. Business studies lessons are delivered using a variety of diverse teaching and learning styles to promote communication, numeracy, literacy, problem solving and teamwork.

Key Stage 4:

EDEXCEL BTEC Business Course involves the completion of three units of work. Assessment is through the completion of a portfolio of work and one examination. Students look at several different aspects of running a business such as finance, marketing, customer service and branding. They then have to complete a series of assignment tasks to complete a unit.

AQA GCSE Business Studies is worth one GCSE and is an optional subject for Bands 5 and 6. Students complete three units of work. Two units are assessed by modular examinations starting in Year 9, the third by a controlled assessment in the classroom.

AQA GCSE Economics (short course) is taught alongside GCSE Business Studies. Students complete one unit of work which is assessed through a single examination. The aim of this course is to equip students with the basic tools understand their place in and contribution to the local, national and global economy as consumers, workers and citizens.

Edexcel GCSE Business Communications is worth one GCSE. Throughout the duration of the course, students will study three different units of work. The first unit provides an introduction to small businesses, which is then, followed by a controlled assessment piece of course work in unit two. The final unit focuses on business communications and covers four key topics: communication, communication with stakeholders of a business, business communication tools and communicating via the web.

Key Stage 5:

The Business and Economics department offer A levels in both Business and Economics.

The Business course follows the AQA syllabus and consists of 4 exams spread over the two years, two in year 12 and two in year 13. Students will cover many different areas of business in detail such as planning a business, managing a business, strategies for success and dealing with the external business environment. The course will prepare students for the world of work or indeed further study in a related discipline for university.

The Economics A level course follows the WJEC specification and consists of four exams spread over the two years, two in year 12 and two in year 13.These exams cover both microeconomics and macroeconomics going into greater depth as the course progresses into Y13. There is no coursework for this course and it provides a great platform to either study economics in greater depth at university or as a route to study in another related area.

• The Curriculum Area leads the delivery of the Academy's Enterprise Education programme and students are encouraged to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities. In addition, a number of staff have wide-ranging vocational experience of commerce, industry and self-employment. There are excellent examples of staff using lessons to enhance work related learning.
• Year 10 students will visit Parkway Cinema and the Playhouse Cinema to collect evidence for their BTEC coursework (BTEC students). Year 11 students have also visited the Playhouse Cinema in Louth as part of their controlled assessment for GCSE Business. Year 7 and Year 8 students participated in World Enterprise Day by creating a new brand of applications for mobile phones.
• During the summer term, all Year 8, 9 and 10 students take part in an Enterprise day. Throughout the course of the day students are required to complete a variety of challenges, from buying shares in businesses to designing a new Olympic stadium. Students in Year 10 are given the opportunity to set up their own enterprise company within the Academy. Throughout the course of the year, students will carry out all activities of a new start up business, including designing, manufacturing, marketing and selling their products. The Young Enterprise Programme is extremely successful, with previous Tollbar companies winning accolades, such as 'Best North East Lincolnshire Company'.
• Tollbar's Year 12 A-Level students annually take part in national business competitions, BASE, which is designed to develop employability skills whilst introducing chartered accountancy as a potential career path to all students involved. Students act as a team of chartered accountants with the task to analyse and debate a business case study, which is then presented back to a panel of highly regarded judges.
• Year 12 A-Level Economics students take on the role of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, for the Target 2.0 competition. Previous students have performed exceptionally well in the competition where they assess economic conditions and the outlook for inflation.
• All students in year 12 are invited to explore the the largest soft drink manufacturing site in the World, the Coca-Cola factory in Wakefield.
• Year 10 have the opportunity to take part in Pro-share an interactive, online share trading game where they have to invest an imaginary £100,000 and see how much profit they have made.
• Participation in the national Challenge the Chancellor competition where students have the opportunity to devise, for example, a new tax strategy.
• In 2012 one student successfully reached the final of the School's Brightest Business Brain Competition supported by RBS.

• Regardless of career choice, an understanding of business and how businesses operate will prove beneficial. Many may be considering setting up their own business. These courses provide the essential background knowledge any entrepreneur needs to avoid failure.
• Business courses provide technical and employability skills, knowledge and understanding which are transferable and will enable individuals to meet changing circumstances, whether these arise from a shift in their own status or in employment.
• All qualifications are recognised by employers and educational institutions.
• All qualifications provide a good progression route to more advanced qualifications including GCSE and BTEC Diploma to A-Level, and A-Level to Degree programmes in any of the business related subjects such as: Business, Management, Marketing, Accountancy, Economics and Law.