How this works — the workflow
Topic 1 is taught over 5 × 1-hour lessons. Pairs of students work into a single Word workbook that runs across the whole topic. The same business idea — invented in Lesson 1 — carries through to the USP in Lesson 5.
📓 The Pair Workbook lives in Teams
- Once at the start of Topic 1: open the Topic 1 Teams assignment. The workbook is attached. One student in the pair downloads it and shares it with their partner (e.g. via OneDrive co-edit, or the pair sits at one device).
- Every lesson (1–5): open the lesson page on this site. It will guide your pair through the activities and tell you exactly which section of the workbook to fill in. Save the file at the end of each lesson.
- End of Lesson 5: one student in the pair uploads the completed workbook back to the same Topic 1 Teams assignment. Both names must be on the cover page — that's how it counts as joint evidence.
Don't have access to Teams right now? The teacher-preview copy of the workbook can be downloaded here. This is for previewing the structure only — students work in the copy from Teams.
The five lessons
Click a card to launch that lesson in a new tab — one hour of class time each.
LESSON 1 · 60 MIN
What is a business?
LO1 — Describe what makes a business successful
Definition of a business, business vs hobby, not-for-profit / social enterprise. Pairs invent the business idea they will develop across the whole topic.
Anchor video: "What is a business?" · Pair task: invent a business idea
LESSON 2 · 60 MIN
How is a business owned?
LO1 — Describe what makes a business successful
Forms of ownership: sole trader → partnership → private Ltd → plc → social enterprise. Liability, control, growth.
Anchor video: Tutor2u "Different forms of business" · Pair task: choose an ownership type
LESSON 3 · 60 MIN
Why do people start businesses?
LO1 — Describe what makes a business successful
Motivations for entrepreneurs, aims vs objectives, SMART criteria, financial vs non-financial objectives.
Anchor video: "Understanding business activity" (IGCSE 1.1) · Pair task: write SMART objectives
LESSON 4 · 60 MIN
Sue Baker's café — case study
LO1 — Describe what makes a business successful
Real first-year business analysis. Four-question group exercise on Sue's café, then apply the lens to your own business.
Stimulus: textbook section 1.4 · Pair task: identify risks & success measures for your own business
LESSON 5 · 60 MIN
What makes a business stand out?
LO2 — Explain what makes a business stand out from others
USP, brand, differentiation. Apple/Facebook logo adjectives. Final v1→v2 iteration of the whole topic plan. Workbook is submitted at the end of this lesson.
Anchor video: Dragons' Den pitch (capped at 8 min) · Pair task: write a USP for your business
Need the revision page instead?
If you're after the condensed Topic 1 revision content (knowledge organiser, key terms, end-of-topic test), it lives at Topic 1 — Business Success.