What do we do?

At Wightwick Hall School, we offer a business curriculum that develops curiosity, commercial awareness and an understanding of how organisations operate in the real world. We provide two clearly defined pathways so that all learners can access meaningful accreditation, either through the GCSE in Business for higher ability students or the Level 1/2 Edexcel BTEC in Business for those who benefit from a more practical, vocational approach.

Our curriculum helps students understand key concepts such as entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, human resources and business operations. We support learners in building the skills to interpret information, solve problems and make informed decisions. Both pathways promote confidence, independence and an understanding of how businesses influence their own lives, their community and wider society.

How do we do it?

We deliver a structured and adaptive business curriculum tailored to meet the needs of each learner.

GCSE Business 

Students follow the Pearson Edexcel GCSE specification, built around the two main themes:

• Investigating Small Business

• Building a Business

Learning includes knowledge retrieval tasks, investigative activities and real world case studies. Students engage in extended writing, quantitative analysis and structured argument, preparing them for external exams that assess calculation skills, short responses and essay style answers. Examiner reports, sample answers and peer assessment are used to build independence and confidence.

Level 1/2 BTEC Business

Students access a practical and skills focused qualification that includes internally assessed units. Learning is applied through hands on tasks such as producing marketing materials, developing business ideas, researching enterprises and working collaboratively. Assessment is accessible, coursework based and supports students who need more time and scaffolding to demonstrate their understanding.

Assessment Across Both Pathways

Formative assessment is embedded through discussion, retrieval quizzes, modelling and guided practice. Summative assessments are used to measure progress and shape next steps. Students engage with practical scenarios, structured tasks and differentiated resources so that learning is accessible to all.

Enrichment and SMSC

Enterprise events such as the Christmas Fayre and Summer Fayre allow pupils to apply knowledge in real business contexts, develop teamwork and communication skills and experience the full business cycle from planning to selling.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is woven through topics such as ethical trading, responsible marketing and environmental sustainability. Students explore different values and beliefs, learn to analyse dilemmas faced by real companies and work collaboratively to build confidence, respect and social skills.

Why do we do it?

We teach business to equip learners with the skills they need for the future whether progressing to further education, supported employment or independent adult life.

Students develop critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills that are valuable across all areas of learning. They learn to use and interpret quantitative data, understand financial concepts and apply knowledge to real situations.

The GCSE pathway stretches higher ability learners and supports aspirations linked to further study or higher level vocational routes. The BTEC pathway enables students to demonstrate achievement through practical coursework and builds confidence through applied learning.

Both routes help students understand how organisations operate, how the economy affects everyday life and how they can contribute positively to their community and society. Our curriculum nurtures independence, communication, resilience and reflective thinking, supporting progress towards EHCP outcomes across all four areas of need.