Business Studies

Frank Toomey

This academic year has been a significant time for the Business Studies Department with heaps of successes, both amongst the students and the staff, and a few good byes to both long term students and a long running course. Year 13 students, this year saw the final AQA Level 3 in Marketing being completed as the exam body chose to withdraw it after our students had stated it in year 12. So we all had no other option but to continue on through years 12 and 13, a big slap on the back for all involved. Also our year 13 IB students completed the department’s first IB Diploma in Business Management, again this was down to the hard work of the individual students, but it must also be remembered that they were ably taught and encouraged by their teachers, led by Mr Bogan, aided by Mrs Blunden, and of course it cannot be underestimated how much Mr Spence, who is one of our school governors and once a week comes in to school and gives the IB students a real business world view of their business lessons. This enhances the IB students learning greatly, I know this personally as I sat in on a lesson he taught about crypto currencies, it was simply fascinating, is all I can humbly say. Our year 13 law students also left us after completing outstanding work, and we would all like to wish all of year 13 success in whatever they may be going on to next, from university to apprenticeships, along with a traineeship in diamond assessing, and crew training for private yacht sailings. Good Luck All. The same can be said for our department’s year 11s, who also rose to the occasion when asked to sit 4, yes 4 in class assessments, week after week. Alongside assessments in all of their other GCSE subjects, a truly exceptional effort, and well done team. We hope to see some of you in our sixth form, on our courses and in classes around school next year. Moving on to this year’s, year 12s, in BTEC Applied Law, January saw them sit an externally set and assessed exam, where 3 students scored clear distinctions in a class of 16 students, with the remainder logging mostly merits. Going back to September 2020 we welcomed in to the Business Studies Department, our new groups of year 12s studying; IB Business (Second Cohort), London Institute of Banking and Finance Diploma, BTEC Applied Law, and welcomed back our Year 10 GCSE Business Studies students as they were continuing on with their old options, started in their (2019-2020) year 9. Moving on to year 12s in BTEC Applied Law, January saw them sit an externally set and stringently assessed exam, where 3 students scored clear distinctions in a class of 16 students, with the remainder logging mostly merits. Over all in relation to our students performance we could not be happier, they soaked up the information given to them, they researched the questions asked of them, and completed the work set for them under any circumstance. Obviously Mr Bogan is overjoyed with the success of the students, but we cannot finish without mentioning the success within the Business Departments Staff. We now have a new (ish) Head of Year 9, after Mr White was successfully and rightfully appointed as a head of year earlier in the academic year, well done Sir we know you’ll advocate business studies courses to all your future year groups. He was also joined in a management role by Mrs Blunden, who was successfully and again rightfully chosen to take up the newly created second in the Business Studies Department role, and she will oversee the development of our IB teaching, and we all know she will skilfully aid Mr Bogan in generally guiding the department’s staff and students to an even better and brighter future.