Subject: Enterprise
Subject Overview:

The aim of the enterprise curriculum is to equip learners with appropriate knowledge and skills to prepare them for working life as an employee, employer or entrepreneur.

Enterprise is an important part of the business sector and plays a major role in the UK’s global economic status. The role of entrepreneurs is to help create a wealth for the nation and its citizens through the creation of enterprises that innovate and grow the economy. According to Government data, there are nearly six million such businesses in the UK, employing around 16.6 million people. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99.9 per cent of the business population I the UK and account for three-fifths of the employment and around half of the turnover in the UK private sector, worth around £2.2 trillion.

Studying enterprise will provide a practical application alongside conceptual study.

In component 1, learners will explore different enterprises to develop their knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of enterprises and the skills needed by entrepreneurs to be successful. They will also explore how enterprises use market research to find out about their customer needs and competitor behaviour and how internal and external factors may affect enterprises.

In component 2 learners will generate two realistic ideas for a micro-enterprise and choose one of these to plan within budget. They will individually present their business plan for their idea and review the production and delivery of their presentation to make recommendations for improvements.

In component 3 learners will explore how marketing is used by enterprises and the factors that influence how enterprises identify and target their market. Learners will complete financial documents and statements and explore how to use them to monitor and improve the performance of an enterprise in order to make decisions and recommend strategies for success.
Learning and assessment
Component 1: Exploring Enterprises Component 2: Planning and Pitching a micro-enterprise idea Component 3: Marketing and Finance for Enterprise
30% of your final grade 30% of your final grade 40% of your final grade
You will be given a Pearson Set Assignment (PSA) to complete under examination conditions and within a specifically set time frame. You will be given a Pearson Set Assignment (PSA) to complete under examination conditions and within a specifically set time frame. This is an externally assessed examination where you will sit in the sports hall with all other BTEC Enterprise learners.
You cannot work on this PSA from home so you therefore must be present in school during the assessment window. You cannot work on this PSA from home so you therefore must be present in school during the assessment window. The examination is worth 60 marks. You will have 2 hours to complete the exam
Key Stage 4
Content: Year 10: Year 11:
Autumn Term 1:
  • Size and features of SMEs
  • Markets, sectors, models and industries
  • Aims and activities of enterprises
  • Skills and characteristics of entrepreneurs
  • Review of Component 2: Planning and Pitching a micro-enterprise idea
  • Complete PSA Component 2: Planning and Pitching a micro-enterprise idea
Autumn Term 2:
  • Market research methods
  • Understanding customer needs
  • Understanding competitor behaviour
  • Suitability of market research methods
  • Targeting and segmenting the market
  • 4Ps of marketing
  • Factors influencing marketing methods
  • Trust, reputation and loyalty
Spring Term 1:
  • PEST analysis
  • SWOT analysis
  • Complete PSA Component 1: Exploring Enterprises
  • Financial documents
  • Payment methods
  • Revenue and costs
  • Financial statement
  • Profitability and liquidity
Spring Term 2:
  • Complete PSA Component 1: Exploring Enterprises
  • Budgeting
  • Cash flow
  • Improving cash flow problems
  • Breakeven
  • Source of finance
Summer Term 1:
  • Choosing ideas for a micro enterprise
  • Plan for a micro-enterprise
  • Revision
Summer Term 2:
  • Production of a presentation
  • Delivery of a presentation
  • Review of presentation
  • Revision
Personalised Learning Checklist:
Click the links below to download your personalised learning checklist:
Revision Links for GCSE Course:
How can parents support their child’s progress in this subject?

1. Checking all class work and home learning is completed thoroughly with emphasis on detailed explanations and chains of reasoning.
2. Ensuring revision is taking place throughout the course.
3. Encourage students to ask for help, either in person or via ClassCharts, if they are struggling.
4. Encourage students to attend after school revision/catch up sessions.
5. Encourage students to complete wider curricular tasks.
Extra-Curricular Activities:

Learners will be provided with a ‘Keep Learning’ document that contains a range of activities they could complete that link to business.  This includes books to read, websites and podcasts as well as films and documentaries to watch.  These activities can be used to develop their business acumen and see how business works in the wider world.  There are also opportunities to complete online courses with Future Learn that go beyond our specification.

Learners that engage with extra-curricular activities will earn extra positive points on ClassCharts.
Career Progression:

Study of the qualification as part of Key Stage 4 learning will help learners to make more informed choices for further learning, either generally or in this sector. The choices that learners can make post-16 will depend on their overall level of attainment and their performance in the qualification.

Learners who generally achieve at Level 2 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:

  • A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects
  • study of a vocational qualification at Level 3, such as a BTEC National in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, which prepares learners to enter employment or apprenticeships, or to move on to higher education by studying a degree in the business sector.

Learners who generally achieve at Level 1 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to:

  • study at Level 2 post-16 in a range of technical routes designed to lead to work, employment, apprenticeships or further study at Level 3. Learners who perform well in this qualification compared to their overall performance, should strongly consider this progression route as it can lead to employment in the enterprise sector
  • study business enterprise post-16 through a Technical Certificate designed to lead to work, progression to employment via apprenticeships or further study at Level 3.
Additional Information:

If you have a question about the Enterprise curriculum you can use the form below to contact the Enterprise department.