Business Education

Staff:

  • Mr R Flood (Curriculum Leader)
  • Mr C Dempster
  • Mrs D Ferguson

Courses:

S1 Business and Administration

TERM 1 (August - October)

  • Different types of businesses and their aims  - private, public and third sector.
  • Reasons why businesses exist - including needs/wants and goods/services.

TERM 2 (October - December)

  • Successful entrepreneurs - examples of famous and Scottish entrepreneurs, skills/qualities that a successful entrepreneur may have.
  • An introduction to Business Documents - formal letter layouts

TERM 3/4 (January - June)

  • An introduction to Marketing - leading to the Soups Sandwiches and Smoothies project where students create a new product, create marketing materials, work out costings, and finally create their design in the Food and Health Department with parents/carers invited in to the school to celebrate success over the year.

INTEGRATED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

  • A variety of skills are developed in IT especially skills in research and presenting business documentation using Google Suite for Education.

 

S2 Business and Administration

TERM 1 (August - October)

  • Business Ethics - examples of businesses practices which are ethical and unethical, discussion around contemporary business events.

TERM 2 (October - December)

  • Edinburgh Community Care  - a project over a number of weeks which develops students abilities to work with Microsoft Office packages in preparation for Administration and IT courses in S3 onwards.

TERM 3 (January - March)

  • Globalisation - an investigation into what globalisation is and the impact of multinational companies.

TERM 4 (April - June)

  • Kelloggs Marketing Pitch - teams work to create a marketing plan for a new Kelloggs product and present their pitch for judging.

 

S3 Administration and IT

  • Building on existing IT skills to develop confidence in the production of a range of business documents.
  • Using Microsoft Office packages: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint. All students are able to download MS Office free of charge via Glow Logins (ask your teacher).
  • Using Google Suite for Education: Email and eDiary used in business contexts.
  • Developing research skills eg travel arrangements, trains, flights and presenting the information professionally.
  • January - February: Pixar Integrated Project - a range of tasks and business documents created for Pixar. Demonstrating abilities developed in the initial stages of the course.
  • April - June: The Blue Goose Integrated Project - a range of tasks and business documents created for a small cafe based in Gullane. Further practice in the style of tasks completed at N4/N5 Level.

 

S3 Business Management

  • Developing an understanding of how businesses are setup, the risks involved and the benefits gained.
  • Identifying and analysing difference sectors of the economy and industry.
  • An overview of the role of the different functional areas of an organisation: Marketing, Operations, Finance and Human Resources.
  • Developing a business plan and where advice and financial support is available.

 

Administration and IT (National 3/4/5)

  • Building on BGE skills and focusing on skills required at individual's appropriate level of study.
  • Showing initiatives to identify software to complete a range of activities.
  • Activities include design style tasks eg business cards, tickets, poster displays; research tasks eg train times, directions; spreadsheet, database and word processing tasks.
  • Demonstrating accuracy in document production within time constraints.
  • Understanding the skills, and qualities of an Administrative Assistant, customer care, health and safety, security of people, property and information. 

 

Administration and IT (Higher)

There are 4 IT units in this course:

  • Word Processing - advanced features in Microsoft Word which allow the creation of professional reports, letters and forms. 
  • Spreadsheets - advanced functions in Microsoft Excel including formulae such as IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, ROUND, ROUNDDOWN, ROUNDUP - the use of Pivot Tables to summarise complex data.
  • Databases - advanced features in Microsoft Access including using forms for data input, complex calculations in queries, aggregate queries and reports with summary totals.
  • Communication - advanced features in Microsoft PowerPoint to create professional presentations for management, effective use of email and eDiaries.

There are a range of theory units studied including Time and Task Management, Effective Teams, Legislation, IT in the Workplace, Meetings and Customer Care. These are studied across the year with weekly discussion and practice examination questions issued as Home Learning.

 

 

Personal Development Award (PDA) in Information Technology in Business - SCQF Level 7 - Advanced Higher/HNC Level

  • Advanced studies in Spreadsheets, Databases, Word Processing and Presentation packages.
  • Focus on problem solving to analyse and present professional detailed information for management.

 

Business Management (National 3/4/5)

  • Building on BGE skills and focusing on knowledge and skills required at individual's appropriate level of study.
  • In depth understanding of the roles of the Marketing function: Market research, market segmentation, marketing mix.
  • In depth understanding of the roles of the Operations function: Choosing a supplier, inventory management, methods of production and quality, ethical and environmental issues.
  • In depth understanding of the roles of the Finance function: Sources of finance, break-even, cash budgeting, financial statements.
  • In depth understanding of the roles of the Human Resources function: Recruitment and selection, training and motivating staff and legislation.

 

Business Management (Higher)

There are 5 units in this course:

  • Understanding Business: Discovering how businesses operate in society, their objectives, how they grow, factors impacting them, stakeholders, structures and decision making models.
  • Marketing: Exploring how to undertake market research, determining the product, price, place and promotion and how to satisfy customers.
  • Operations: Analysing inventory management, methods of production, how to ensure quality, and ethical and environmental issues at an advanced level.
  • Human Resources: Researching workforce planning, training and development, motivation and leadership, employee relations and legislation.
  • Research skills: Analysing a real business and presenting a formal business report with conclusions and recommendations.

 

Business Management (Advanced Higher)

There are 3 units in this course:

  • External Business Environment: Evaluating globalisation and multinational's impact on countries and other businesses; current issues impacting business organisations such as technology, the government and legislation.
  • Internal Business Environment: Analysing team development, role of management, time and task management, equality, management of change and leadership.
  • Evaluating Business Information: Researching financial information, analytical techniques, researching a real business and presenting a formal business report with conclusions and recommendations.

 

Economics (Higher)

There are 3 units in this course:

  • UK Economic Activity: Government finance, aims and policies, national income, place of Scotland in the UK economy.
  • Economics of the Market: Basic economy problem, demand, supply, markets, market structures and market interventions, production costs
  • Global Economic Activity: Understanding global trade, balance of payments, exchange rates, multinationals and global economy.