Business Studies
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Department Staff
- Mr Andrew Peploe (Head of Business Studies)
The Department
Business Studies is currently offered in the Sixth Form and the course assumes no prior knowledge or study of the subject at GCSE. Business Studies largely deals with the everyday challenges that firms face in the global market place.
The five key areas of study are: Marketing, Human Resource Management, Operations Management, Finance and Management Accounts, Business Economics. In addition to the above, the pupil will gain a valuable insight into the business environment and issues such as the impact of the general economy. The department delivers the subject content through the use of the most recent text books, periodicals and industry standard software. All lesson materials, tests and revision tools are networked and pupils have access to these resources 24 hours a day from any personal computer. Pupils use an interactive whiteboard in lessons to improve their learning abilities along with module specific revision guides and flash revision cards. The department has links with Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and is able to invite university lecturers to the school to speak on topics of interest.
Business Studies is currently the most popular undergraduate degree choice and the employment prospects and income potential are very good, especially for those who combine it with maths or a language. The average group size for Business Studies is approximately 14 pupils at AS level (usually in 2 groups) and 11 pupils continuing to A2 level. The department has achieved excellent academic success with an A-B ratio of well over 90% since 1999. It is hoped that Business Studies provides an enjoyable learning experience that is relevant and ultimately rewarding to the pupil. Pupils of all ability levels should be able to achieve success as long as they have a good work ethic.
Young Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
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The department also offers a course in Young Enterprise for all Sixth Form pupils - most years we have approximately 40 pupils taking part. This provides pupils with an opportunity to test out their ideas, skills and ability to cope with new and often difficult situations within the framework of running a 'real' company. .jpg)
This can help pupils to make the right decisions about their career and the qualifications they will need. Running a business is tough, but pupils needn't panic - they won't be entirely on their own. Pupils will be part of a team supported by an advisor from industry. Recently, Perse companies have designed and made their own greetings cards, jewellery, T-shirts and sports tops with personalised logos. A Perse School cook book was particularly successful and sold very well at the Christmas Fair. This generated over £800 of revenue for 'Minted', the company concerned. A 'work in progress' for the company '5 Quarters' is a talent show, which should prove to be an interesting way of raising revenue! There are Trade Fairs to attend in Huntingdon, Milton Keynes and Cambridge. This year '5 Quarters' won best trade stand and 'Minted' won best product design for their jewellery at The Cambridge Fair. There is also a short exam in Enterprise that pupils can take so they can show what they've learnt along the way.
Shares4schools programme
This is an investment competition for the Lower Sixth Form Business pupils that runs from October to June. Working in teams of six or eight pupils, they invest £1500 and experience stockmarket investment for real. In the process pupils will develop and enhance a wide range of skills such as team work, critical thinking and research and analysis. Each month the team must purchase one new stock, equivalent to a minimum of 10% of the overall fund value. Teams compete in a regional and national league for the overall title (The Perse team ranked 20th nationally, 3rd in the region in 2007). During the course of the competition teams use a range of resources such as The Share Centre website, newspapers, specialist publications and the internet, coupled with knowledge and skill to choose shares they believe will give them the greatest profit. At the end of the competition shares are sold and the team with the most cash is the winner. There is a monthly competition worth £250.00 for the winners to spend as they wish.
Proshare Pupil Investor Challenge
This is a stock market simulation game run on a national basis, whereby pupil teams of four can invest a virtual £100,000 in a share portfolio of their choice. This is open to the whole school and we currently have 12 groups taking part. The department gives cash prizes of £100, £50 and £25 to the outstanding teams. The main prize for the winning team is a trip to New York.
Last year a Perse team came 1st in the region and 8th nationally - an excellent achievement. In 2007 the team, 'Best in Vests', came 3rd in the Region and 13th Nationally out of 4564 teams. In four months of the competition they made £20,712.92 - quite an achievement!