Business and Financial Studies (London Institute of Business and Finance: LIBF)

Teaching Staff and Responsibilities

Mr Bright: Teacher of Economics and Senior Leader for the Curriculum

Mr Sterling: Head of Business and Careers 

Mrs Lewis: Teacher of Business 

Mrs Meehan: Teacher of Business

Miss Molloy: Teacher of Business and Computing 

Mrs Williams: Teacher of Business and Food Technology

KS4/GCSE (Years 10-11) 

How do we organise teaching groups at KS4?

At KS4, classes are taught in option groups which are all mixed ability.

Which GCSE specification do we prepare pupils for?

OCR GCSE Business (J204 ).  Here is a link to the specification for more detailed information:

https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/business-j204-from-2017

What will my daughter learn at KS4?

Year 10

1 The role of business enterprise and entrepreneurship 

1.2 Business planning

1.3 Business ownership

1.4 Business aims and objectives

1.5 Stakeholders in business

1.6 Business growth

2.1 The role of marketing

2.2 Market research 

2.3 Market segmentation

2.4 The marketing mix

3.1 The role of human resources

3.2 Organisational structures and different ways of working

3.3 Communication in business

3.4 Recruitment and selection

3.5 Motivation and retention

3.6 Training and development

3.7 Employment law

Year 11

4.1 Production processes

4.2 Quality of goods and services

4.3 The sales process and customer service

4.4 Consumer law

4.5 Business location

4.6 Working with suppliers

5.1 The role of the finance function

5.2 Sources of finance

5.3 Revenue, costs, profit and loss

5.4 Break-even

5.5 Cash and cash flow

6.1 Ethical and environmental considerations

6.2 The economic climate

6.3 Globalisation

The Examination

At the end of Year 11 you will sit two examinations that will determine your grade. Please note no coursework is completed on the GCSE specification.

Business 1: Business activity, marketing and people (01) 80 Marks 1 Hour 30 Minutes 

Business 2: Operations,finance and influences on business (02) 80 Marks 1 Hour 30 Minutes 

Are there any websites that will support my daughter’s learning?

  • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvj7JYaZ8J1rdDquAA7cy3A
  • https://www.senecalearning.com
  • https://www.tutor2u.net/business
  • https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/business-j204-from-2017

KS5/A Level (Y12-13)

How do we organise teaching groups at KS5?

At KS5, classes are taught in option groups which are all mixed ability.

Which GCE specification do we prepare pupils for?

AQA A Level Business (7132).  Here is a link to the specification for more detailed information:

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/business/specifications/AQA-7131-7132-SP-2015.PDF

What will my daughter learn at KS5?

Year 12

  • 3.1 What is business?

Understanding the nature and purpose of business, different business forms and the external environment

  • 3.2 Managers, leadership and decision making

Understanding management, leadership & decision making and the role of stakeholders

  • 3.3 Decision making to improve marketing performance 

Marketing objectives, understanding markets & customers, making marketing decisions and the marketing mix

  • 3.4 Decision making to improve operational performance

Operational objectives, analysing operational performance, increasing efficiency & productivity, improving quality and managing inventory & supply chains

  • 3.5 Decision making to improve financial performance

Financial objectives, analysing financial performance, sources of finance and improving cash flow & profits 

  • 3.6 Decision making to improve human resource performance

Human resource objectives, analysing human resource performance, improving organisation design, improving motivation and improving employer-employee relations

Year 13

  • 3.7 Analysing the strategic position of a business

Mission statements, corporate objectives, strategy, ratio analysis, business performance, political & legal change, economic change, social & technological, competitive environment and investment appraisal

  • 3.8 Choosing strategic direction

Strategic direction and strategic positioning

  • 3.9 Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies

Assessing a change in scale, assessing innovation, assessing internationalisation and digital technology

  • 3.10 Managing strategic change

Managing change, organisational culture, strategic implementation and problems with strategies and why they fail

The Examination

The A Level examination at the end of year 13 will comprise of three papers:

  • Paper 1: Business 1 2 hours. 100 marks. 33.3% of A Level
  • Paper 2: Business 2 2 hours. 100 marks. 33.3% of A Level
  • Paper 3: Business 3 2 hours. 100 marks. 33.3% of A Level

Are there any websites that will support my daughter’s learning?

  • https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business/as-and-a-level/business-7131-7132
  • https://www.senecalearning.com/    
  • https://www.tutor2u.net/business

KS5/BTEC (Y12-13) 

How do we organise teaching groups at KS5?

At KS5, classes are taught in option groups which are all mixed ability.

Which BTEC specification do we prepare pupils for?

In the BTEC we do the BTEC Extended Certificate which is equivalent to one A level and the BTEC Diploma which is equivalent to two A levels.

Here are the links to both specifications for more detailed information:

What will my daughter learn at KS5?

Year 12

Extended Certificate

Unit 1: Exploring Business

  • Learners study the purposes of different businesses, their structure, the effect of the external environment, and how they need to be dynamic and innovative to survive.
  • Internal Coursework Unit

Unit 3: Personal & Business Finance

  • Learners study the purpose and importance of personal and business finance. They will develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand, analyse and prepare financial information.
  • This unit is assessed by a written examination. 

Diploma – in addition to the above students will also study

Unit 4: Managing an Event

  • Learners will work as part of a small group to plan, coordinate and manage a business or social enterprise event and evaluate the skills gained.
  • Internal Coursework Unit

Unit 8: Recruitment & Selection Process

  • Learners explore how the recruitment process is carried out in a business. The unit gives learners the opportunity to participate in selection interviews and review their performance.
  • Internal Coursework Unit

Year 13

Extended Certificate

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign

  • Learners will gain skills relating to, and an understanding of, how a marketing campaign is developed.
  • Assessed through external examination. This unit is assessed under supervised conditions. Part A is released two weeks before Part B is scheduled for learners to carry out research. Learners will take Part B in a supervised assessment in a single three-hour session. 

Unit 14: Investigating Customer Service

  • Learners will study how excellent customer service contributes to business success. The unit gives learners the opportunity to develop their customer service skills.
  • Internal Coursework Unit

Diploma – in addition to the above students will also study

Unit 5: International Business

  • Learners study how UK businesses develop strategies to trade globally. Learners will also consider the factors that influence the implementation of these strategies.
  • Internal Coursework Unit

Unit 6: Principles of Management

  • This unit enables learners to understand how the role of management and leadership in the workplace contributes towards business success.
  • Assessed through external examination. This unit is assessed under supervised conditions. Part A is released one week before Part B is scheduled for learners to prepare. Learners will take Part B in a supervised assessment in a single three-hour session. 

Are there any websites that will support my daughter’s learning?

https://www.senecalearning.com/

https://www.tutor2u.net/business

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-nationals/business-2016.html

KS5/ Financial Studies (LIBF) (Y12-13) 

How do we organise teaching groups at KS5?

At KS5, classes are taught in option groups which are all mixed ability.

Which qualification do we prepare pupils for?

This is a professional financial qualification from the London Institute of Banking and Finance. It  is equivalent to one A Level and has the same UCAS weighting as more traditional A Levels. It is particularly advantageous for students considering a career in business. 

Here is a link to the LIBF page:

https://www.libf.ac.uk/

What will my daughter learn at KS5?

Year 12

In year 12 we teach the Certificate of Financial Studies (CeFS) 

  • Unit 1: Financial Capability for the Immediate and Short Term (FCIS)

Purposes of money, the personal life cycle, payment methods, everyday banking, savings products, borrowing products, providers, consumer protection, budgets & forecasts, dealing with unexpected events, dealing with debt and earnings

  • Unit 2: Financial Capability for the Medium and Long Term (FCML)

Needs, wants & aspirations, savings & investment products, borrowing products, dealing with long-term risks, financial planning & informed choices, dealing with unforeseen events, ethics & sustainability, sources of information & advice and making an informed choice

Year 13

In year 13 we teach the Diploma of Financial Studies (DipFS)

  • Unit 3: Sustainability of an Individual’s Finances (SIF)

Personal financial sustainability, how the state can help, the impact of external factors, monitoring & adopting personal financial plans, good & bad debt, the impact of global events & ethics and the impact of recent changes

  • Unit 4: Sustainability of the Financial Services System (SFS)

the financial system, competition in the financial services sector, sustainability in the financial services sector, the impact of media, external influences on financial services providers and the products, the impact of change and uncertainty on financial products, marketing materials and their effectiveness, attracting, retaining and satisfying customers and market segmentation & product development

The Examinations

LIBF is assessed two times in each year – January and May

Each of the examinations are split into two parts. 

  • Part A is a multiple choice paper
  • Part B is a written examination based on a pre-released case study and non-case study based questions, both requiring essay responses. 

Future Pathways/Careers for LIBF

Those considering a straight-to-work pathway benefit considerably from having undertaken LIBF as the professional qualification is well regarded by industry. 

Future Pathways/Careers for all Business Subjects

Business students have a wide range of career opportunities open to them from financial management to marketing as well as commerce and human resources.

There are a number of degree options. Please see the links below for some of them

https://www.libf.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/bsc-(hons)-in-banking-and-finance 

https://www.libf.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/bsc-(hons)-in-finance-investment-and-risk 

and numerous universities and business related degrees