Business Studies

Business Studies can be defined as the study of how businesses/institutions organise and prioritise what is necessary to meet their objectives. This includes organising resources, producing, selling, and managing people and finances.

It is the vision of this department that pupils of Trinity will be familiar with how different types of businesses/institutions use appropriate strategies to achieve their own visions and corporate/ institutional objectives.

Business Studies offers students here at Trinity more than just an academic challenge.~ It is a truly unique experience offered that bridges the gap between education and commerce.~ The department is extremely well resourced, as we use a wide range of materials including core text books, further reading, podcasts, videos, interactive software, online presentations, intranet, and real life case study scenarios that are designed to enrich the learning experience of our students.

As students progress through the course at both GCSE and A-Level they will gain an understanding of organisational behaviour and structure; critical thinking and analytical skills; a creative problem-solving approach and sound, logical decision-making skills; effective and persuasive written and oral communication skills; numeracy and the ability to research, interpret and use business and financial data and information; self-reliance, initiative and the ability to manage time, projects and resources, and an appreciation of the causes and effects of economic and other external changes. Business Studies skills and knowledge are transferable to many other aspects of school life at Trinity, as well as developing the essential transferable or ‘soft’ skills that employers demand. These attributes are much sought after by employers, since they build commercial awareness and allow our student recruits to start contributing to the organisation quickly and efficiently.

At both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, Business Studies must be one of the most varied and diverse subjects available. Newspaper and television headlines offer constant reminders of how relevant and of how much interest the business world is to us all. In recent years much attention has been directed to such issues as the credit crunch, the troubles of the £ and petrol prices. Longer term issues continue to hit the headlines too such as business and the environment, sweatshop labour, global warming and the impact of new technologies on business and working lives. All these issues are relevant to business and relevant to our daily lives in the global village within which we live.

The Business Studies Department consists of two large, dedicated and resourced based classrooms on the first floor of Trinity building. Both teaching rooms are well equipped with interactive whiteboards and materials. In addition the department has regular access to well resourced computer rooms for completion of research tasks and controlled assessments.

The GCSE course is extremely popular amongst students here at Trinity, with both a full course and short course being offered. Through our GCSE course we analyse business aspects of organisations within their economic, political and social contexts. The course involves the investigation of how enterprise adds value by organising the production of goods and services. The performance of business is studied from a range of perspectives. Using case studies at GCSE, ensures that students have experience of the real world of business organisations. The use of case study materials also requires that candidates use a variety of methods to analyse and evaluate this evidence and thus make reasoned judgements in the context of real business scenarios.

At AS Level, we will introduce students to the challenges and issues of starting a business, including financial planning. The specification focuses on how established businesses might improve their effectiveness by making tactical decisions at a functional level.

At A2, the specification considers strategies for larger businesses and how managers might measure the performance of the business. Finally, it considers the effects that external factors can have on businesses and how a business can plan for and manage change, including leadership style and change in business culture.

Our exam results are outstanding and far above national average. As a department we are motivated and excited by helping to develop the young business minds of tomorrow, in a world economy that thrives on creativity and business acumen.