Shrewsbury Colleges Group
COURSE SPECIFICATION

 

Teaching Institution Awarding Organisation
scg logo Pearson Logo

 

Intermediate Awards

N/A

Mode of Study

Full-time        

Location of Study

London Road Campus

Course Length

Two years

Total Guided Learning Hours (GL) – 960 hours

Total Qualification Time (TQT)  – 2400 hours

Course Code

FLR5BUS001

UCAS Code

DSSZ2

QAA Subject Benchmarks

 N/A

HECoS Code

100079 business studies?

Accreditation Type

Higher National Diploma

Accreditation Details

Pearson UK

Criteria for Admission to the Programme

 

Level 3 Business or equivalent.

48 UCAS points, relevant experience for mature applicants, GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English or willingness to work towards. International applicants require a current IELTS 5.5 score, with no single skill being below 5.

Accreditation may be given for prior learning both academic and work-based.

Minimum/Maximum Numbers

Minimum 6                   Maximum 24

Applicants will be advised w/c 23 August 2021 if insufficient numbers have been recruited to make the course viable.

Course Fee

£7,425 per year

Please refer to the published fee policy for information on international fees, when your fees are due and how they will be collected.

Additional Costs

Books, folders, memory stick etc. and possible trips.

Date of Production

February 2021

Proposed Revision Date

31 August 2026

 

This Programme Specification contains an overview of HND in Business and how it will be taught and assessed at Shrewsbury Colleges Group. At the end of the document, you will find some more general information on the support and guidance available to you whilst studying with us. This document should be read in conjunction with the Edexcel/BTEC Higher National Specification for this award.

We hope you choose to come and study with us at Shrewsbury College and take advantage of the opportunity to access Higher Education locally in Shropshire. 


Welcome from Curriculum Leader:

Gill Cox

I would like to offer a warm welcome to you if you have or are about to enrol to the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business.

The HND qualification is an ideal opportunity to gain a higher level qualification that will develop practical skills and knowledge in a number of specialist areas. As well as gaining vital knowledge that can prepare you for a senior role in the workplace, including various levels of management, it offers the potential for you to continue your studies onto a Top Up Hons Degree in Business, subject to grade profile and course pathway.

The Business teaching team have a wealth of experience in both teaching and industry and this adds to what is already a stimulating and interesting course.

I do hope you have an enjoyable experience and achieve your goals whilst studying with us.

Gill Cox


Staff Profiles

  • Gill Cox

    Gill Cox Curriculum Leader

    Telephone: 01743 342469
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    Gill is Curriculum Leader for Access to Higher Education, Accounting, Business, Childcare, Computing & IT, English, Maths, Music Technology & Performing Arts. She has more than 20 years of experience in teaching and training and has worked at the College for 18 years teaching English, Maths, Business Administration, ICT, Computing and Interactive Media. Prior to this, she worked with apprentices at the College and in Learning and Development for the NHS.

    Gill is the College Lead for Equality and Diversity, a Learning Coach and an Observation Specialist.

  • Andy Holland

    Andy Holland Course Leader and Subject Teacher

    Telephone: 01743 342524
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    Andy is an experienced teacher of Business Studies and has taught across a range of Higher Education programmes including Degree and Post Graduate level. Prior to teaching Andy held a variety of management posts in Buying and Merchandising within the retail sector.

  • Rubeena Mahay

    Rubeena Mahay Subject Teacher

    Telephone: 01743 342392
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    Rubeena has four years of experience in teaching, training and further education as well as teaching on foundation degree programmes. Before teaching, she worked in the NHS as a Health Centre Manager and has experience in the industry.

  • David Cox

    David Cox Subject Teacher

    Telephone: 01743 34271
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    David has over 20 years of teaching experience in the FE and HE sector across computing, business, media, education and a coaching and mentoring role. He also has many years of industry experience which involved advertising, marketing and design practice to a range of blue-chip companies.

  • Dean Rowley

    Dean Rowley Course and Subject Tutor

    Telephone: 01743 34297
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    Dean has taught computer science for over 15 years at college and university. He previously worked in the computing and electronics industry, both in the UK and internationally including CERN in Switzerland. His main computing interests include software engineering, computer systems and hardware, games development and Artificial Intelligence. He holds a Masters degree in computing science.

  • Victoria Thornton

    Victoria Thornton HE Study Support Tutor

    Telephone: 01743 342553
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    Victoria provides support to HE students with their studies, such as assignment planning, presentation skills, reading and taking notes etc as well as with applications for DSA.

  • Michelle Dawes

    Michelle Dawes Higher Education Lead

    Telephone: 01743 342439
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    Michelle manages and oversees the quality of Higher Education at Shrewsbury College.


Overview of the Award – what does the course involve?

A key progression path for the Pearson BTEC Higher National Diploma is a one-year top-up degree to a BA Hons in Business at University. This allows you to gain a full BA Hons degree in Business after three years of study (two years HND, one-year top-up degree). Top-up degrees are available in several UK universities, but you should check UCAS listings for the latest up-to-date guides.

The Pearson BTEC HND is a nationally recognised qualification that offers career progression and professional development for those already in part-time employment or with an ambition to progress further with their education.

Rationale

The Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in Business (RQF) have been developed to focus on:

  • Providing education and training for a range of careers in business such as management, administration, personnel, marketing, accounting and law
  • Providing a general qualification that allows flexibility of study to meet local or specialist needs
  • Providing specialist options that meet the needs of the major functions in business and allow specialisation with career progression and professional recognition in mind
  • Providing opportunities for learners to focus on the development of higher-level skills in a business context
  • Providing opportunities for learners to develop a range of skills and techniques and attributes essential for successful performance in working life
  • Providing opportunities for learners to gain a nationally recognised vocationally specific qualification to enter employment in business or progress to higher education vocational qualifications such as a full-time degree in business or a related area

To ensure that this programme complies with the College internal monitoring processes an External Verifier ensures that we assess learner performance in accordance with national standards and evidence requirements. At the annual visit in 2019 and 2020 the External Verifier for this award identified the following areas of good practice:

  • Outstanding quality of the students' work
  • High levels of student satisfaction
  • Accuracy and high quality of feedback from assessors.

Programme Aims

Aims of the programme:

The HND in Business will provide learners with a solid foundation in Business and Management skills. The work-related programme of study covers the key knowledge, understanding and practical skills required in the business sector and also offers particular specialist emphasis through the selection of specialist units.

The qualification aims to meet the needs of the rationale by:

  • Equipping learners with knowledge, understanding and skills for success in employment across a range of career pathways
  • Enabling progression to an undergraduate degree or further professional/specialist qualifications in a related area
  • Developing learners’ career progression through exploring major business functions to create a more diverse skill set and knowledge base
  • Developing specialist knowledge to support a specific career aspiration
  • Increasing transferable skills and knowledge, which will enable them to meet career challenges, whether within their current area of employment or through career progression.

Programme Learning Outcomes

  • To provide learners with an understanding of where and how to access sources of finance for a business, and the skills to use financial information for decision making
  • To gain an understanding of individual and group behaviour in organisations and to examine current theories and their application in managing behaviour in the workplace
  • To provide learners with understanding and skills relating to the fundamental concepts and principles that underpin the marketing process
  • To gain an understanding of different organisations, the influence of stakeholders and the relationship between businesses and the local, national and global environments.

This programme is distinctive because:

The qualification is delivered at Shrewsbury Colleges Group to offer learners the opportunity to study Higher Education in a local college environment. Learners can share experiences and develop new skills using business-based practice linked to theory. The course is tailored to meet the needs of learners and the needs of the local business community.

On successful completion students should be able to:

  • Use a range of skills to identify and evaluate business issues, including managing change, resourcing and problem solving
  • To understand the skills needed to manage communication, teams, projects and events in business environments
  • To transfer the business skills gained to the workplace for career progression.

Students achieving a BTEC Level 5 HND can continue their studies to degree level, by topping up to a Business degree or a specialist degree level qualification.

Employability

Graduates of this course have gone onto careers in Finance, HRM and Digital Marketing with high profile local employers undertaking work in business data, advertising, graphic design plus PR roles. Equally, learners have set up their own business Social Media Marketing promoting sports events around the whole of the UK. Typical starting salaries start at around 15k -20k per year

This course is also an excellent grounding for people who want to move on to degree programmes including a one year Top-Up Honours Degree in Business. Students have previously successfully applied to study at UWE (Bristol) Northampton, Leicester and Wolverhampton University. This allows students to claim a full three year BA Hons Degree in Business by entry straight into the final year.


Programme Structure, Modules and Credits

The Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND in Business is a qualification with a minimum of 240 credits. Full-time study is two days per week. All modules must be taken and an overall grade either Pass, Merit or Distinction awarded dependent on total credit points gained. Each module contains a credit value.

Example units:

  • Business & the Business Environment
  • Marketing Processes and Planning
  • Human Resource Management
  • Leadership & Management
  • Accounting Principles
  • Managing a Successful Business Project
  • Business Law
  • Entrepreneurial Ventures
  • Research Project
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Brand Management
  • Planning Social Media Campaigns
  • Developing Individuals, Teams & Organisations
  • Business Information Technology Systems

Units may be subject to change.


Teaching and Assessment

How will I be taught?

 

  • Teaching through presentations, group work and research activities, learning through visits, guest speakers, college staff, research and peer experiences. Assessment through peer work, presentations, reports, case studies
  • The award has a Moodle site offering support with written work and links to relevant professional bodies and sites. Assignment briefs and supporting documentation are also on Moodle
  • The group have a closed Facebook group to communicate outside of college and to upload interesting learning information and links
  • It is anticipated that the student will complete home study of a minimum of 10-20 hours per week.

How will I be assessed?

You will be required to complete an assessment for each module of your course.

The purpose of assessment is to ensure that effective learning has taken place for the content of each unit. Evidence of this learning or the application of the learning is required for each unit. The assessment of the evidence relates directly to the assessment criteria for each unit, supported by the generic grade descriptors. The process of assessment can aid effective learning by seeking and interpreting evidence to decide the stage that learners have reached in their learning, what further learning needs to take place and how best to do this. Therefore, the process of assessment should be part of the effective planning of teaching and learning by providing opportunities for both the learner and assessor to obtain information about progress towards learning goals.

The assessor and learner must be actively engaged in promoting a common understanding of the assessment criteria and the grade descriptors (what it is they are trying to achieve and how well they achieve it) for further learning to take place. Therefore, learners will receive constructive feedback and guidance about how they may improve by capitalising on their strengths and clear and constructive comments about their weaknesses and how these might be addressed. Assessment will take place continually throughout sessions however the Summative assessment evidence will be in the form of assignment, written report, practical observation, witness testimony, presentations with written script and film. There are no formal timed examinations for this Award.


HE student procession

Applying

Full-time applications for this Award need to be made through UCAS at: www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/register

Part-time applications for this Award need to be made directly to our Admissions Team via the online application form on our website.

For more information on our application process or to receive the application form in an alternative format, please follow the link below or contact our admissions teams on 01743 342346.

www.shrews.co/apply


Induction

Students will be provided with a structured Induction Programme covering:

  • Welcome Event – June
  • Enrolment Event – August/September
  • Induction Events – September/October
      • College Induction
      • Programme Induction
      • Student Finance Support Session for those with outstanding queries

Student Charter

The College has a HE Student Charter which sets out the standards of conduct expected of tutors and students on the programme with us. Follow the link below for more information.

www.shrews.co/policies

What happens if I fail a unit?

 All students are entitled to one re-submission opportunity if the work they initially submit is judged to have failed.

However, if the initial work is not covered by extenuating circumstances, and you submit work for the module for a second attempt (called a referral) the maximum mark that can be awarded for re-submission is the threshold pass mark; i.e. 40% grade point 4 for levels 4 and 5.

If the re-submitted failed work or non-submission is covered by a successful extenuating circumstances claim then the re-submitted work is considered ‘as if for the first time’ and can receive its full awarded mark.


Appeals

The College has formal procedures for appeals if you have grounds for believing that your work has not been assessed fairly. For further information, please speak to your course tutor or the curriculum area leader within seven days of your assessment being returned. Follow the link below for more information.

www.shrews.co/policies


Assessment and Award Boards

All summative assessment grades are agreed at formal Assessment and Award Boards held at regular intervals throughout the year at the College.


Support for students with additional needs

We aim to ensure that individual needs are met before starting a course and during the course of study.

Our Student Support Tutor for HE runs a study skills support programme throughout the academic year. This covers academic skills such as:

  • Assignment planning
  • Presentation skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Reading and note-making
  • Referencing
  • Time management & organisation

These will be advertised and accessible to all HE students. The HE tutor will also be available to work with and support learners with an identified additional learning need or disability. If you’re a current HE student or prospective HE student with additional learning needs the sooner you inform us the earlier we can discuss and advise you on the support available for you while you study.

Learning support can also be provided by approved Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) providers for Higher Education Students studying at Shrewsbury College who have an identified disability, mental-health condition, medical condition, or a specific learning difficulty and who are in receipt of DSA. If you have an identified disability, mental-health condition, medical condition, or a specific learning difficulty an application to Student Finance for Disabled Students Allowance will need to be completed along with supporting evidence of your disability. Follow the link below for more information.

www.shrews.co/dsa

Alternatively, visit www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/overview

Quality improvement: Listening to your views

We aim to make your experience both worthwhile and enjoyable and to continually improve the quality of our awards. Therefore, we value your feedback about the quality of our programmes. Student Consultatives will be held every term and a nominated representative from your group will attend these to provide feedback on your experience, please let your Course Tutor know if you would like to become a student representative. An end of course review will also be carried out to obtain your feedback.

HE student engaging with teacher


Concerns

We really hope you never have any reason to be dissatisfied with the delivery of your course and/or the support we provide you with here at Shrewsbury Colleges Group, however, we are aware that sometimes things go wrong. If your concerns are affecting the whole of your group please use the Student Consultative meetings to air your concerns and enable us to resolve your complaint, if able.

If your concern is of a more personal nature, in the first instance we would always encourage you to talk over your concerns with your Course Tutor or whoever it is that has been providing the service you are unhappy about, often things can be resolved quickly in these circumstances. The HE and Education Lead is also available to chat things over on a one-one basis.

If you wish to formalise your complaint you will need to access the guidance in our HE complaints policy.

www.shrews.co/policies

If following your complaint/appeal to the College you feel that our regulations have not been applied properly or procedures followed incorrectly The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) can consider whether the decision made by ourselves was fair and reasonable. More information can be found here.


Term and Conditions/Policies and Procedures

Please ensure the Terms and Conditions you are issued with at offer stage are retained for your reference.

Policies and procedures to support you during your studies can be found via the link below.

www.shrews.co/policies

During the year it may be necessary to make minor changes to our Terms and Conditions/Policies and Procedures. We will advise you of any such changes once you have accepted an offer with ourselves and update our website accordingly.


HE Regulatory Information

Regulatory information can be found via the following link.

www.shrews.co/reg