Business Studies

What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course?

Business Studies will be new to all students and so no prior knowledge of the subject is assumed or required. What is important is that you have a lively and enquiring mind, an interest in finding out about business and finance and an ability to communicate your ideas effectively.

What will I learn on this GCSE course?

Business Studies is a subject that can help students to acquire the understanding, knowledge and skills relevant to the changing world of work. The course aims to develop a critical understanding of all aspects of business and how it operates, addressing questions such as:

How are businesses owned, organised and controlled?

What are, or should be, the aims and objectives of business?

How can people in business best be managed, developed and motivated?

How can products be made most efficiently and sold most effectively?

What are the essential components of successful financial management?

How can products be successfully marketed and sold to consumers?

How will I be assessed?

The course is assessed through two 90-minute written examinations with a mixture of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.

Module 1: Investigating a small business Module 2: Building a business

For what kind of student is this course suitable? This course will appeal to you if you:

Like doing a subject that is real, relevant and often practical.

Enjoy keeping up with what is going on in the world of business and finance.

Appreciate the importance of being a responsible consumer, citizen and employee.

Wish to develop your skills of communication, numeracy, ICT and self-organisation.

Want to broaden your options, as well as having a useful qualification for the future.

Want to develop as a commercially minded and enterprising individual, helping you to succeed in your chosen pathway.

Mr. S. Kay, Head of Economics & Business s.kay@merchanttaylors.com

Chemistry

There are many reasons to study Chemistry, even if you aren't planning to pursue a career in science:

Chemistry is everywhere in the world around us! It's in the food we eat, clothes we wear, water we drink, medicines, fuel for transport we use, cleaners and much more Chemistry helps you to understand current events, including news about crude oil, pollution, and the environment Chemistry teaches many useful skills; there is a large emphasis on practical work, allowing development of practical dexterity and investigative techniques Other skills such as manipulation of mathematical equations and analytical techniques are developed through the course Chemistry helps you to grasp the importance to scientific methods of accurate experimental work and to develop a logical approach to problem-solving Chemistry is a fun yet challenging course! You will observe and learn about reactions that change colours, produce bubbles, give out or take in heat and change states But you will also need to put your mind to understand new concepts, such as reactions that go in reverse

Please note that if you have a strong interest in Biology and might consider Biology for A level, you would be advised to choose Chemistry to GCSE Many other Science related careers also require or look favourably upon Chemistry

More about the course

We currently study the Edexcel International GCSE (IGCSE) in Chemistry The qualification is assessed via two externally assessed written papers, sat at the end of Year 11 There is no controlled assessment element The first assessment is a two-hour paper contributing 110 marks, while the second is a one and a quarter hour paper contributing 70 marks to a total of 180 marks

There are 4 main topic areas that will be studied, some of which will be familiar from your Year 8/9 studies Topics introduced before Year 10 will be reinforced and secured in the GCSE

Principles of chemistry, e.g. states of matter, solubility, atomic structure and chemical bonding

Inorganic chemistry, e.g. Groups in the periodic table, gases in the atmosphere, chemical reactivity, acids and alkalis

Physical chemistry, e.g. energy in reactions, speed of reactions

Organic chemistry, learning all about carbon chemistry, e.g. crude oil and fractional distillation, alcohols, polymers

The course is taught by all members of the chemistry department who have vast experience and a passion for the subject.

Dr S Hardy Head of Chemistry

s.hardy@merchanttaylors.com