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Business Studies Department Policies

DEPARTMENTAL AIMS

The study of Business Studies subjects can provide a valuable experience which can enhance an individual’s understanding of a key area in society and provide skills and knowledge which can be used in a wide variety of types of employment. It can promote the development of an enterprise oriented society and encourage candidates to take a positive view of setting up business for themselves.

The Business Education Department therefore aims to:

• give students a thorough grounding in the place and importance of business in a modern society and of the main areas of activity within business oriented organisations.

• provide all students of all ability levels with a solid platform for further study - particularly in courses in business and management but also in other courses which involve an understanding and awareness of the business environment and the way in which businesses operate.

• provide students with transferable skills such as the ability to adopt a logical approach and to communicate complex points clearly.

• promote education as an active partnership between the students, staff, parents and the wider community.

• use a variety of teaching methods in order to cater for all learning styles by including techniques to target Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic learning styles.

DEPARTMENT MEETINGS

Department Meetings are held weekly for all members of teaching staff in the Department.  The Senior Management Faculty Link will also normally attend.

Minutes for each meeting are taken and typed up by the Principal Teacher.

As an alternative to the Principal Teacher other members of staff may wish to arrange to produce meeting minutes as part of their on-going Professional Development.

Copies of the meeting minutes will be kept and circulated to all departmental members.

ASSESSMENT POLICY

Students are assessed regularly throughout all courses offered by the Business Education Department. 

The Department recognises that students need to know how they are performing in order to make progress.  If they are not made aware of any shortcomings in their work they will be led to believe that everything is fine with no need for improvement. 

Common assessment practice within the Business Education Department is as follows:

• The classroom teacher delivering the assessment will ensure that students have at least one week’s notice of all assessments.

• Assessment results will be communicated to students as soon as possible along with dialogue on how improvements can be made.  Courses from S-Grade to Advanced Higher will also receive extensive written feedback on their performance to help them turn any weaknesses into strengths.

• Teaching staff will keep a record of marks in the Department’s Monitoring & Tracking spreadsheets in order to see student’s rate of progress.  This tracking process will be discussed with students at regular intervals throughout the year.

 HOMEWORK POLICY

In conjunction with the whole-school homework policy, the Business Education Department regard homework as essential in:

• allowing practice and consolidation of work done in class.

• providing evidence for the evaluation of teaching.

• encouraging student’s to take ownership and responsibility for their learning.

As such, all students within the Business Studies Department receive homework on a regular basis, the quantity and frequency dependent upon year group, the nature of the course and the ability of the individual student.

PROMOTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR POLICY

The Business Education Department recognises that students are motivated by praise when they have completed good work and will aim to ensure that verbal praise is given on an individual or whole class basis when appropriate.

In order to encourage students, the department will:

• provide verbal praise as often as is practicable.

• will support the school’s Promoting Positive Behaviour scheme through the use of Positive referrals etc.

• display examples of good work within the classrooms for others to see in order to set benchmarks for other students to aim for.

DISCIPLINE/SANCTIONS POLICY

To allow every pupil the opportunity to learn, the department aims to ensure a calm and orderly working environment. 

Where necessary, the department will:

• Operate a hierarchical system of sanctions in line with whole school policy.  This means that low level disruption and misbehaviour will be dealt with by relatively low level sanctions with more severe sanctions being reserved for persistent offenders and more serious offences.

• Members of staff will support each other by providing, when convenient, opportunities for students to be temporarily isolated from their class within the Department.

• Staff copies of blue discipline forms are kept in a Departmental Discipline File along with all other relevant documentation such as Yellow and Red Cards, Readmission Forms and completed Concern Forms.  This will provide individual student files for Principal Teacher reference in the event of any Yellow Card referrals.

tudent’s Guidance Teachers will be consulted over any external factors that may affect a student’s behaviour within the department.