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

Teaching Staff and Responsibilities

Mr Sterling: Head of Business

Miss Molloy: Teacher of Business and KS3 Co-ordinator for Computing

Mrs Meehan: Teacher of Business

Mrs Lewis: Teacher of Business

Mrs Williams: Teacher of Business and Food Technology

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

Mrs Rogers: Career Ready Co-ordinator

 

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?

AQA GCSE Business (8132).  Here is a link to the specification for more detailed information:

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/business/specifications/AQA-8132-SP-2017.PDF

 

What will my daughter learn at KS4?

Year 10

In year 10 we teach:

  • 1: Business in the real world

The purpose and nature of businesses, business ownership, business aims and objectives, stakeholders, business location, business planning and expanding a business

  • 2: Influences on business

Technology, ethical & environmental considerations, the economic climate, globalisation, legislation & competitive environment

  • 4: Human Resources

Organisational structures, recruitment and selection, motivation and training

 

Year 11

In year 11 we teach:

  • 3: Operations Management

Production, procurement, quality and customer service

  • 5: Marketing

Identifying & understanding customers, segmentation, marketing research and the marketing mix

  • 6: Finance

Sources of finance, cash flow, financial terms & calculations and analysing financial performance

 

The Examination

The GCSE examination at the end of year 11 will comprise of two papers:

  • Paper 1: Influence of operations and HRM on business activity: 1hr 45 minutes. 90 marks. 50% of GCSE
  • Paper 2: Influence of marketing and finance on business activity: 1hr 45 minutes. 90 marks. 50% of GCSE

 

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

 

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

  • 1 What is business?

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

  • 2 Managers, leadership and decision making

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

  • 3 Decision making to improve marketing performance

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

  • 4 Decision making to improve operational performance

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

  • 5 Decision making to improve financial performance

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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 8 Choosing strategic direction

Strategic direction and strategic positioning

  • 9 Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies

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

  • 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?

 

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

 

KS5/ 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 has the same UCAS weighting and is equivalent to one A Level. 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

 

Career Ready

This is an initiative aimed at those students who are interested in pursuing a career in business. It offers a framework for students to develop their business skills. To be part of this scheme, students must opt to take one business-related qualification such as: BTEC Business, A Levels in Business, Economics or LIBF.

Career Ready students will receive a programme of enrichment activities aimed at developing employability skills, business knowledge and self-esteem. Key to the Career Ready experience is the student internship: an industry placement for up to 6 weeks, earned through an interview and fulfilment of work/coursework deadlines best met. Equally key is the opportunity for every student to be mentored by someone from business, allowing them to reflect their learning to an adult other than a teacher. The programme will also involve various trips to business institutions and access to successful business role models.

Samantha Godden, London Institute of Banking & Finance Relationship Manager came into Sixth Form Assembly to award the highest achieving LIBF (Certificate Level 3) students with £500 Sponsorship gifts if they go on to study at Degree level in the subject.