BTEC Business
learning journey & sequencing rationale
In Btec Business, learners gain knowledge on the business world and have a good understanding of the key ingredients for business success. They will also learn how businesses are organised, how they communicate and will gain an understanding of how a marketing campaign is developed, the characteristics of the environment in which they operate, and how this shapes them and their activities. Our learners end up with a clear foundation of business knowledge which provides a foundation for all business-related degrees for the workplace.
Sequence
Btec Business is taught over two years with 13 units being delivered. There are four external examinations with substantial content being taught. In Year 12, Units 2, 3, 1, 16, 4, 8 & 27. In Year 13, Units 6, 7, 21, 14, 5 & 19 are taught.
Link to programme of study:
Year 12
7 units are taught in Year 12. Learners have the opportunity to sit an external examination on Unit 2 & 3 in January, with a second opportunity in summer. Therefore, these two units are taught in Term 1. Unit 3 introduces learners to personal finance and business financial management. This unit helps to build learners' knowledge on fundamental elements necessary for other units delivered in term 2 and 3, as well as Year 13. Unit 2, Developing a marketing campaign is a controlled assessment which introduces learners to marketing and evaluating a particular case study business. Unit 16 is a smaller unit, providing learners the opportunity to develop a visual merchandising campaign. This helps to provide learners with a balance in assessments and give them the opportunity to build fundamental knowledge needed for greater depth in subsequent units taught at a later date.
Unit 1 provides learners with the chance to explore business in finer detail. Looking at the organisational structure, market research, aims and objectives and different types of ownership. This unit is quite demanding with extensive writing therefore is taught over term 2 & 3. Unit 27 runs through the year and learners go on work experience once a week. Writing up on their experiences and how they can develop their skills further. Unit 4 also runs through the year and concludes with learners organising an event for Year 7 & 8. This is a practical unit with the main focus on learners learning the skills required to organise an event and the need for budgeting. Unit 8 is another practical unit whereby learners partake in a mock recruitment and selection process. Learners evaluate their own interview and provide a detailed plan on how to develop their skills further.
Year 13
Year 13 starts with Unit 6, 7 & 19. Unit 6 & 7 are controlled assessments which are content heavy and therefore are taught in the longest term (Autumn). The content taught in these two units support teaching in the other units being taught in term 2 & part of term 3. Unit 19 builds on Unit 3 & 4 which is taught in Year 12. Unit 19 (pitching a business idea), requires learners to consider financial requirements to start a business and be able to present their pitch in a professional manner. These skills were gained through unit 3, 4 & 8, which were all taught in Year 12. In addition, unit 21, training & development builds on knowledge taught in unit 8. Learners concentrate on researching and creating an action plan on training and developing their current skills set. Unit 14 investigates customer service, as learners have carried out work experience they have gained the relevant experience to analyse case study situations of different customer service situations. Drawing on their own experiences helps them to meet the higher criteria much more easily. Unit 5 is the more difficult unit and requires all the knowledge taught in Year 12 as well as term 1 in Year 13. Hence, why it is taught in Year 13 Term 2. Learners are taught new theory on international trade and the importance of ethics and the need for businesses to consider cultural differences.
unit overview - autumn term
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Autumn Term: Units 3 – Personal and Business Finance, 4 – Managing an Event, 8 - Recruitment and selection process & 27 – Work Experience in Business |
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Skills |
Applying knowledge on Managing and carrying out an event and Work Experience In Business. Learners evaluate and reflect upon their event management skills and their placements to ensure they get the most out of them; and learning from them to inform their future. Learners also look at aspects of both personal and business finance. These involve:
professional development.
of the event
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Knowledge |
Learners should understand the role of an event organiser. Learners should understand the skills required to become an effective event organiser. Learners should understand how to carry out a personal skills audit and justification of how own skills match those of an events’ organiser. Learners should understand the feasibility of the event proposal. Learners should be understand how to evaluate and justify the feasibility plan, tools, budget and risk, making any required contingency adjustments. Learners to understand how the recruitment processes is used and how they contribute to the success of the selected business. Learners to understand how documents are prepared and participate in the interview activities supported the process for a job offer. Learners to understand how well the recruitment and selection process complied with best practice, drawing reasoned conclusions as to how it will support learners’ future career. Learners should show understanding of business and personal finance principles, concepts, key terms, functions and theories. Learners should show understanding of financial issues and accounting processes to real-life business and personal scenarios. Learners should be able to show understanding of how to evaluate how preparing for work experience can support their understanding of the workplace and appropriate career opportunities. Learners should be able to understand the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of the businesses induction and health and safety practices, making recommendations for improvement Learners should be able to understand the importance of evaluating their work experience, drawing reasoned conclusions as to how it can support your future career |
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Rationale |
Learner will gain a foundation for a number of finance and business units which will help them to analyse profitability, liquidity and business efficiency. It will give learners the knowledge and understanding to manage their personal finances and will give them a background to business finance and accounting as they progress to employment or further training. Learners will undertake a work experience placement. The unit makes learners evaluate and reflect upon those placements to ensure they are getting the most out of them; and learning from them to inform their future. Not only are these placements beneficial to learners current work, but the experience is highly valued by employers for a variety of careers within the business sector as employers are looking to recruit those who have some knowledge of the world of work. Learners explore how the recruitment process is carried out in a business. Learners have the opportunity to participate in selection interviews, through role play and review their performance. They will need to be organised and prepared so that they demonstrate their communication skills in this work-related competence. Learners will gain a foundation for progression to employment, for example in a human resources role, or to higher education. Through undertaking recruitment activities the unit will help to develop the skills needed in an interview situation. 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. This unit combines your creativity and organisational skills to produce successful, memorable events, whether for profit or social enterprise. During this unit learners will develop their teamwork, communication, time- management, negotiation and problem solving skills. This knowledge will help learners develop the essential transferable skills that employers look for. Learners must also be able to successfully complete assignments set on the above |
unit overview - spring term
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Autumn Term: Units 1- Exploring Business, 2 – Developing a Marketing Campaign & 16 – Visual Merchandising |
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Skills |
Applying knowledge on gain an overview of the key ingredients for business success, how businesses are organised, how they communicate and gain an understanding of how a marketing campaign is developed, understand the characteristics of the environment in which they operate, and how this shapes them and their activities. These involve: Exploring the features of different businesses and analyse what makes them successful. Investigating how businesses are organised. Examining the environment in which businesses operate. Examining business markets. Exploring how retail outlets apply visual merchandising and display techniques in line with legislation and safety considerations. Examining the psychological and technological merchandising techniques used to influence customers. Creating a successful display for a retail outlet through the use of appropriate visual merchandising techniques. Developing a Marketing Campaign. |
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Knowledge |
Learners to understand the reasons for the success of two contrasting businesses, reflecting on evidence gathered. Learners to understand the extent to which the business environment affects a given organisation, using a variety of situational analysis techniques Learners to understand how changes in the market have impacted on a given business and how this business may react to future changes.
Learners to understand the extent to which different visual merchandising and display techniques contribute to the success of businesses. Learners to understand how psychological and technological techniques are used to increase business success. Learners to understand how to demonstrate individual self-management and initiative in the presentation of a high quality successful display for a retail outlet through the creative use of visual merchandising. |
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Rationale |
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. By developing relevant business knowledge and understanding. This will help learners progress to employment, vocational training and higher apprenticeships, or higher education. This unit will give you a foundation for progression to employment. Learners study marketing aims and objectives for existing products/services and understand the importance of relevant, valid and appropriate research in relation to customers’ needs and wants. This unit will give learners an insight into how important marketing is to business. It will enable them to make an informed choice as to whether they want to specialise in marketing in employment, training or higher education. Learners study the practice and techniques used to visually promote the sale of products. Learners have the opportunity to investigate and demonstrate some of the practical skills and techniques that retailers use to tempt customers into their stores. The unit will also help learners to decide if they would like to work in or continue to further study in this area. Learners must also be able to successfully complete assignments set on the above. |
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unit overview - summer term
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Summer Term: Units 8 & 16 |
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Skills |
Applying knowledge and gain an overview of the key ingredients for business success, how businesses are organised, how they recruit and select staff, how they communicate, the characteristics of the environment in which they operate, and how this shapes them and their activities, including the use of Visual Merchandising. These involve:
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Knowledge |
Learners to understand how well the recruitment and selection process complied with best practice, drawing reasoned conclusions as to how it will support learners’ future career. Learners to understand how well the recruitment and selection process complied with best practice, drawing reasoned conclusions as to how it will support learners’ future career. Learners to understand the extent to which different visual merchandising and display techniques contribute to the success of businesses Learners to understand demonstrate individual self-management and initiative in the presentation of a high quality successful display for a retail outlet through the creative use of visual merchandising. |
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Rationale |
Learners will learn that successful recruitment is key to maintaining the success of a business, as people are often considered to be the most valued resource. Learners explore the various selection tools and the enhanced use of technology in this area. Businesses with an effective recruitment process in place are more likely to make successful appointments. In a competitive labour market this is a major advantage and will support business success looking to recruit those who have some knowledge of the world of work. Learners will learn that Visual merchandising (or VM) is the art of setting out stores in ways that customers will find attractive and appealing. Window and internal displays, product positioning and effective promotional techniques are all important aspects of visual merchandising designed to increase store traffic and sales volume. Learners will have the opportunity to investigate and demonstrate some of the practical skills and techniques that retailers use to tempt customers into their stores. The unit will also help you to decide if you would like to work in or continue to further study in this area. Learners must also be able to successfully complete assignments set on the above. |
knowledge organisers
A knowledge organiser is an important document that lists the important facts that learners should know by the end of a unit of work. It is important that learners can recall these facts easily, so that when they are answering challenging questions in their assessments and GCSE and A-Level exams, they are not wasting precious time in exams focusing on remembering simple facts, but making complex arguments, and calculations.
We encourage all pupils to use them by doing the following:
- Quiz themselves at home, using the read, write, cover, check method.
- Practise spelling key vocabulary
- Further researching people, events and processes most relevant to the unit.