Business Studies — Strategy and the External Environment

Exam board: OCR  |  Back to subjects

Board-Specific Note

OCR specification; note any options relevant to your centre.

Learning Objectives

• Use SWOT and PESTEL
• Analyse competition
• Evaluate growth strategies

Key Points

• SWOT and PESTEL analysis
• Competitive advantage
• Organic vs inorganic growth

Lesson Plan (50 minutes)

1. Starter (5 min): Recall prior knowledge of strategy and the external environment with quick questions.
2. Teaching (15 min): Work through each of the learning objectives, explaining principles step by step.
3. Key points review (5 min): Revisit the key points together, confirming understanding.
4. Worked example (10 min): Model the example question: What does SWOT stand for?. Solution: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
5. Practice (10 min): Students attempt the practice questions independently; circulate and support.
6. Plenary (5 min): Review answers and address misconceptions.

Homework

• Build a SWOT for a firm
• Explain a PESTEL factor
• Compare organic and inorganic growth

Assessment

Check practice answers against the model answer; use the built-in practice questions as formative assessment.