A structured phonics programme puts a strong emphasis on reading and writing skills, ensuring that most pupils exceed the expectations.
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Welcome to Senior SchoolSt Lawrence College aims for educational excellence, and nearly all of the Upper Sixth will continue to Higher Education at University.
Welcome to Sixth Form
Unlike traditional qualifications, the BTEC Business course blends academic content with vocational learning, helping students apply theory directly to real business situations. From marketing strategies and finance to recruitment and enterprise, students learn through a balance of coursework and examinations.
In this introductory unit, you 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. You will gain an overview of the key ingredients for business success, how businesses are organised, how they communicate, the characteristics of the environment in which they operate, and how this shapes them and their activities. You will also look at the importance of innovation and enterprise to the success and survival of businesses, with the associated risks and benefits.
By developing relevant business knowledge and understanding, this unit will help you to
progress to employment, vocational training and higher apprenticeships, or higher education.
Learning aims:
A Explore the features of different businesses and analyse what makes them successful
B Investigate how businesses are organised
C Examine the environment in which businesses operate
D Examine business markets
E Investigate the role and contribution of innovation and enterprise to business success.
This unit is internally assessed through the completion of three assignments.
Marketing is a dynamic field central to the success of any business. You will gain an understanding of how a marketing campaign is developed. You will explore different stages of the process that a business goes through when developing its campaign and develop your own campaign for a given product/service.
You will examine the 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. You will use given market research data and other information to make recommendations about the type of marketing campaign that a business should undertake.
This unit will give you an insight into how important marketing is to business. It will enable you to make an informed choice as to whether you want to specialise in marketing in employment, training or higher education.
This unit is assessed through the construction of a marketing campaign within timed conditions. You will be provided with case study information (prior to the exam), relating to the business you will produce a marketing campaign for. This is externally assessed.
In this unit you study the purpose and importance of personal and business finance. You will develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand, analyse and prepare financial information.
Personal finance involves the understanding of why money is important and how managing your money can help prevent future financial difficulties. It is important that you understand the financial decisions you will need to take throughout your life and how risk can affect you and your choices. This unit will also give you an insight into where you can get financial advice and support.
The business finance aspects of the unit introduce you to accounting terminology, the purpose and importance of business accounts and the different sources of finance available to businesses. Planning tools, such as cash flow forecasts and break-even, will be prepared and analysed. Measuring the financial performance of a business will require you to prepare and analyse financial statements.
You will analyse such things as profitability, liquidity and business efficiency. It will give you the knowledge and understanding to manage your personal finances and will give you a background to business finance and accounting as you progress to employment or further training and education.
This unit is assessed through a timed external exam paper.
In this unit you will explore how the recruitment process is carried out in a business. The unit gives you the opportunity to participate in selection interviews and review your performance.
Recruiting the right people is essential to the success of a business. It is important that the processes and procedures involved in recruitment and selection meet the needs of the business and comply with current regulations. You 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. You will 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.
This unit gives you the opportunity, through role play, to take part in selection interviews. You will need to be organised and prepared so that you demonstrate your communication skills in this work-related competence.
This unit will give you 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 you to develop the skills needed in an interview situation. You will have an opportunity to review your individual performance and analyse your skills for development.
This unit is internally assessed through two assignments.
The department runs visits to contrasting organisations such as a for-profit and a not-for-profit. Organisations visited over the years include FujiFilm, Westfield London, Pie Factory Music, Shepherd Neame Ltd and Creek Creative. These experiences allow students to witness business principles in action and develop valuable industry insight.
BTEC Business students regularly progress to universities including Loughborough, Reading and Westminster, studying subjects like Business Management, Finance, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Others transition into higher apprenticeships or professional roles, supported by a strong foundation in applied business practice.
“Studying BTEC Business helped me develop the skills I use every day in my role as a Marketing & Research Executive.
From analysing data with SWOT and PESTLE, to pitching ideas to clients, the course gave me a real head start.”
Mr Craig Brown brings academic and professional business experience, including a career at Barclays and leadership in education. He is passionate about preparing students for a future of success and adaptability in a competitive global economy.
