You will learn about business through focused assignments and assessments based on real business functions, giving you hands-on experience of businesses in action. You will be involved in presentations made by visiting speakers and visit businesses to see how they operate. There is an opportunity to specialise in accounting in the second year which is ideal if you want to study accounting or finance at university or secure an apprenticeship in this field.

Students will be expected to have five GCSEs at grade 9-4, or a Merit in a relevant vocational Level 2 Diploma (or equivalent). In addition, students will be expected to have GCSE grade 4 in English Language and a minimum of grade 3 in Mathematics.

• Exploring Business

• Developing a Marketing Campaign

• Personal and Business Finance

• Managing an Event

• International Business

• Principles of Management

• Business Decision Making

• Investigating Corporate Social Responsibility

• Creative Promotion

• Team Building in Business

• Investigating Customer Service

• Recruitment and Selection Process

• Plus, an optional unit depending on the pathway chosen, such as:

• Recording Financial Transactions, Work Experience in Business, Training & Development and Pitching for a New Business

Over the two years of this full-time vocational course you will study all of the major functions in business through a hands-on approach. Each operational area that you study is linked to a real business. You may visit this organisation or benefit from a presentation by one of their managers. The experience that you will gain will help you to understand business theories through seeing them at work in practical situations. This depth of understanding makes you very attractive to employers and universities. Your teaching team come from a range of backgrounds including: accounting, event management, marketing, banking and retailing, complement this with a contagious enthusiasm, they will make sure you achieve above and beyond your own expectations in an exciting way. Many of our teachers are also examiners and senior examiners.

You will cover 13 varied units over the two years, exploring all areas of business. Units include: Exploring Business, Developing a Marketing Campaign, Personal & Business Finance, Managing an Event, International Business, Principles of Management and Business Decision Making. These are assessed via a combination of written assignment work and examinations. You will be creative in your provision of evidence and tasks set ranging from: assignments, role plays, displays, presentations, interviews, designing promotional material, off-site team building events and many more. We are very much a team in Business, and you are a key part of our team throughout your two years. The course is the equivalent of three A Levels and you are graded from a Pass to Distinction*.

Exam Board: Edexcel

All Business students will have the opportunity to gain Microsoft qualifications in MS Office applications including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Word. These practical skill are highly sought after and valued by employers.

Work experience is a compulsory part of the course and helps you to engage with the world of work. You will run a project which will test your teamworking and enterprise skills. There will also be workshops and trips involving leading employers, industry experts and local universities. Some selected students will do a substantive placement of 350 hours or 50 days of work experience.

This is an energetic and dynamic course which examines the world around you. We look at a variety of industries and sectors: Manchester United Football Club, The NHS, The Sixth Form itself and a huge range of organisations to see exactly what business ‘is all about’ and how businesses function and grow. Primark or Armani? Samsung or Apple? Which brand would you choose and why? How are we manipulated by marketing and image? Profit or loss? How does this occur and why are some organisations so successful, yet others fail? Am I a Shaper or a Chairperson? What type of team member are you and why does this matter? These are just some of the questions you will consider and assess.

This is a well-established and recognised qualification welcomed by universities and employers. Our students have progressed on to higher apprenticeships or degree courses in: business administration, international business, business management, accounting, marketing, retail, logistics management, business law, business information systems and teaching. 

Students will be required to undertake additional reading to develop an awareness of businesses in the real world. This can be achieved through following business news such as the BBC’s Business Twitter page or business influencers on social media. This course is highly regarded by universities and provides the necessary entry requirements for a wide range of higher education courses.

There is a wide variety of content in your course; work experience, visiting speakers from industry, trips to Alton Towers, MUFC and the Trafford Centre are just a sample of the ways in which we bring business to you.