General Curriculum information: Choosing a course: which GCSE?
Though it is initially tempting just to case any eye over the new GCSE specifications and then stay with the same awarding body, closer examination will show that there are marked differences.
First of all, there is the issue of progression to consider. If using AQA for AS then the AQA GCSE provides a better fit, with Units 1 and 2 on each specification having considerable overlap.
On the other hand, perhaps this would be too repetitive for students and a better grounding on all of the basic elements of business studies might be preferable, in which case OCR may be more appropriate.
Next is the issue of content, which now places far greater emphasis on small to medium-sized businesses, and business start-ups and entrepreneurship. So, what level of importance should be placed on entrepreneurship? If low, then perhaps it should be OCR which simply includes it in Unit 1. If high, then Edexcel would be the choice as each unit is about starting up and building a new business.
Realising that perhaps the task of choosing a new specification needed more careful thought, Carol Sumner, a teacher at Hasland Hall Community School, Chesterfield wrote a useful article for the EBEA 2009 magazine, summarising some key differences between the English awarding bodies’ courses which we are pleased to offer as a download from this page. The article gives valuable background information for Heads of Deaprtments and other personnel responsible for decisions around which awarding body to use.
To supplment this article, Heads of Department may also find useful the link on the left to information on the the awarding bodies' perspective.
