A-Level Business · Summer Pack 2026
FREE
Year 12 → Year 13
Summer Bridging Pack
Six weekly self-marking tasks to keep your Y12s in flow over the summer break. Designed to be assigned in the final week of summer term.
Week 1
The Two-Minute News Brief
Week 2
SWOT Your Local High Street
Week 3
The 25-Mark Essay Plan
Week 5
Cash Flow Forecast Lab
Week 6
The One-Page Strategic Pitch
The Business School
thebusiness.school
For Teachers
How to issue this pack and what to expect back in September.
Time per task: 30–60 minutes
Marking burden: 1 task collected, 5 self-marked
Designed for: Y12 → Y13
Why a bridging pack at all
Year 13 grades correlate strongly with whether Y12 students stay in business habits — reading news, applying frameworks, writing under timed conditions — over the six summer weeks. Without structure, most do nothing. This pack gives them six low-friction touchpoints so they walk into Year 13 already in motion, not cold.
How to issue it
- Last lesson of summer term: hand out a printed copy or share the link. Tell them Task 6 is collected on day one of September — the other five are self-marked at home.
- Set the start date: agree which Monday counts as "Week 1" (usually the first full week after term ends).
- No AI shortcut: tasks are designed to require a real opinion or a specific local business, so AI-generated answers stand out instantly. Be explicit with the class.
Differentiation
Every task has a Core brief and a Stretch extension. Core is enough for a target grade C–B student to engage meaningfully. Stretch pushes A–A* candidates toward analytical depth.
What you get back in September
- Task 6 (collected): a one-page strategic pitch from each student — a perfect Day 1 lesson starter for class discussion.
- Reflection sheet (page 10): three questions that surface what each student found hardest, so you can group your first weeks of Year 13 around real gaps.
Spec coverage
AQA 7132 · 3.1 / 3.4 / 3.5
·
Edexcel 9BS0 · Themes 1, 2, 3
·
OCR H431 · Topics 1, 4, 5
The Business School · thebusiness.school
02 / 10
The brief
Pick one UK business news story from the suggestions below (or find your own from the FT, BBC Business, or Sky News business section). Read the original article in full — not the headline, not the summary, not the AI-generated overview.
Write a 200-word brief for an imaginary manager who has 60 seconds to read it. Cover three things: what happened, why it matters commercially, and what you would do if you ran that company.
Pick one story
Greggs profit warning
Falling footfall, wage pressure, fewer breakfast commuters. What is the survival play?
Marketing · Costs
M&S cyber-attack recovery
Customer trust, IT spend, brand response. How do you rebuild after a public failure?
Operations · Reputation
Boohoo restructuring
Fast-fashion fatigue, brand split-up. Is breaking a group into smaller brands smart or desperate?
Strategy · Growth
JD Sports Q1 results
Margin compression in trainers. How do you stay premium when your supplier (Nike) is going DTC?
Competition · Margin
Wetherspoon pricing strategy
Penny-on-a-pint approach vs inflation. When does cheap stop being a moat?
Pricing · Elasticity
Your own choice
Any UK plc with a story this summer. Source must be a credible publication (FT, BBC, Reuters, Sky), not a tweet.
Open
Self-mark — give yourself one mark for each (out of 5)
- I used the actual article, not a summary or AI overview.
- My "what happened" is one sentence with at least one specific number or fact.
- My "why it matters" links to a specific Business concept (e.g., elasticity, retention, gearing).
- My "what I would do" is decisive — one direction, not three options.
- The whole brief is under 200 words.
Stretch (A–A*): link the story to two spec themes, not one — show how a decision in marketing affects operations or finance.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
03 / 10
The brief
Walk down your local high street (or use Google Street View if you genuinely cannot leave the house). Pick one real, named business that is open right now — not a national chain. A local café, a barbershop, a vintage clothing shop, a kebab place.
Produce a complete SWOT analysis. Each box must contain at least 3 specific points. "Good location" is not specific. "Located 80 metres from the bus station next to a Greggs that pulls morning footfall" is specific.
Strengths · Internal
What does this business do well — that competitors cannot easily copy? Think about location, price point, opening hours, owner reputation, product mix.
Weaknesses · Internal
What is genuinely holding this business back? Be honest — students who only write nice things about a business they like score badly.
Opportunities · External
What in the surrounding environment could grow this business? New residential development nearby, a competitor closing, a local event.
Threats · External
What could damage this business that the owner cannot control? Rising rent, a chain entering, online substitutes, supply costs.
Self-mark — out of 5
- The business I chose is named, located, and small enough that I can describe it firsthand.
- Every quadrant has at least 3 specific points (not generic).
- I correctly placed Strengths/Weaknesses (internal) and Opportunities/Threats (external).
- I did not list the same factor twice in different boxes.
- I would feel comfortable saying this analysis out loud to the owner.
Stretch (A–A*): add a one-paragraph strategic recommendation — what should this business do next quarter? Make it specific and defensible. Tie it back to the SWOT.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
04 / 10
The exam-style question
"Discuss whether high-street retailers should invest in physical store experience rather than online platforms in the current UK market. Refer to specific UK retailers in your answer." (25 marks)
You are NOT writing the full essay. You are writing a structured plan only. A good plan is the difference between an A* essay and a panicked C-grade essay under timed exam conditions. Plans are what examiners look for in your handwriting.
The 4-part structure
1 · Introduction
State the issue in your own words. Define one key term. State which side you will conclude on (yes, decide upfront — examiners reward direction).
2 · Arguments FOR physical store investment
Pick two arguments. For each, name a real UK retailer and one specific data point (sales, store count, customer satisfaction). Apply a Business concept (e.g., differentiation, experiential branding).
3 · Arguments AGAINST
Pick two counter-arguments. Again — real retailer, specific data, concept applied. A weak counter-argument loses you AO4 marks even if the rest is strong.
4 · Judgement
One paragraph. State which side wins and why. It depends on… is a fine framing — but you must say what it depends on, then conclude.
Self-mark — out of 5
- My plan fits on one side of A4 (it is a plan, not an essay).
- I named real UK retailers, not "a high-street retailer".
- Each argument has a Business concept applied (not just description).
- My counter-arguments are genuinely the other side, not weak straw men.
- My judgement decides one way — it does not sit on the fence.
Stretch (A–A*): write the full Introduction and the first FOR paragraph in continuous prose (~250 words total). Time yourself to 12 minutes. This is the pace you need in the real exam.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
05 / 10
The brief
Pick one UK industry from the four below. Research three named competitor firms in that industry (use their websites, recent annual reports, and any news from the last 12 months). Produce a one-page industry brief.
Pick one industry
UK supermarkets
Suggested firms: Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's. Discount disruption + private label rise.
Theme 1 + 3
UK fast-fashion
Suggested firms: Shein (London IPO), Boohoo, ASOS. ESG pressure + ultra-fast cycles.
Theme 1 + 4
UK hospitality
Suggested firms: Wetherspoon, Greene King, Stonegate. Pricing in inflation + staffing crisis.
Theme 2 + 3
UK fintech
Suggested firms: Monzo, Revolut, Starling. Profitability finally arriving + regulation tightening.
Theme 3 + 4
What your brief must include
- 1 paragraph describing the industry's current state (size, growth, key forces).
- 1 paragraph per competitor (3 total): named position, market share or revenue, one strategic move in the last 12 months.
- Porter's 5 Forces applied to the industry. Each force in one sentence with a real example. Do not just list — assess (strong/medium/weak).
Self-mark — out of 5
- I used real data (revenue, market share, growth) from a credible source, not estimates.
- My three competitors are genuinely competing — not adjacent industries.
- My Porter's 5 Forces analysis is specific, not textbook-definition recitation.
- I assessed each force as strong/medium/weak, not just described it.
- My brief fits on one page — disciplined writing, not data dump.
Stretch (A–A*): add a final paragraph predicting which of your three competitors will outperform over the next 12 months — and why. Defend your call with two specific reasons.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
06 / 10
The brief
You are the new finance manager at Bristol Vegan Bakery Ltd — a one-shop start-up in its first full trading year. Use the figures below to build a 12-month cash flow forecast in Excel or Google Sheets.
Income (per month)
- Walk-in sales: £6,500 (Jan–May), £8,500 (Jun–Aug peak), £7,000 (Sep–Dec)
- Wholesale to 2 cafés: £1,200/month from March onwards
- Catering bookings: £400 (Apr–Aug only), £0 other months
Outflows (per month)
- Rent: £1,800/month
- Wages (2 staff): £3,400/month
- Ingredients: 38% of walk-in sales each month
- Utilities: £350/month
- Marketing: £200/month (£500 in March and October)
- VAT (20% of total sales): paid quarterly in April, July, October, January
- One-off oven replacement: £4,200 in June
Opening balance
Bristol Vegan Bakery starts January with £3,000 in the bank. Build the forecast Jan → Dec and identify every month where the closing balance is negative.
Self-mark — out of 5
- My spreadsheet has 12 columns (Jan–Dec) and clearly labelled rows.
- Ingredient costs are calculated correctly as 38% of walk-in sales (not flat).
- I included the VAT payments only in April, July, October, January.
- I correctly identified at least one negative-balance month — you should find June or July.
- I would not panic if a real bakery showed me this — I could explain what to do.
Stretch (A–A*): propose two specific interventions to fix the negative months — one financing solution (e.g., short-term overdraft, supplier credit) and one operational solution (e.g., timing of oven purchase, marketing reallocation). Defend each.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
07 / 10
This one your teacher collects
This task is what your teacher reads on day one of Year 13. Put real effort into it — it will set the tone for the whole year. Single A4 page only. Hand-drawn or typed, both fine.
The brief
Imagine you are pitching a real UK small-business idea to a potential investor (your teacher). It can be a brand-new idea, or a real existing local business you would buy and re-launch. It must be plausible — something that could trade in the UK in 2026–2027 with starting capital of £30,000.
One A4 page · five sections · same order
- The business · Name, what it sells, where it operates (1–2 sentences).
- The target market · Who buys this and why. Be specific — "20-something professionals in central Manchester who skip breakfast" beats "young people".
- The unique selling proposition (USP) · One sentence. What can you do that competitors cannot or will not?
- Pricing and marketing channel · Your price point and one core route to market (Instagram, partner referrals, walk-in footfall, TikTok). Just one.
- The numbers · Estimated monthly revenue, monthly fixed costs, gross margin, and projected break-even month. Show the calculation.
Before you submit · self-check
- I can describe my business in one sentence without using the word "platform" or "ecosystem".
- My target market is specific enough that I can imagine one real person who would buy from me.
- My USP is genuinely something a competitor would struggle to copy in 6 months.
- My numbers add up — break-even calculation is shown.
- The whole pitch fits on one side of A4 and is legible.
Stretch (A–A*): add one paragraph on the biggest risk to your idea and how you would mitigate it. Investors care about risk awareness as much as upside.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
08 / 10
Specification Coverage Map
Which Business concepts each task touches — for your scheme of work planning.
Total spec hours equivalent: ~6 hours classroom teaching
Approaches covered: Theory · Application · Analysis · Evaluation
| Wk |
Task |
AQA 7132 |
Edexcel 9BS0 |
OCR H431 |
| 1 |
News Brief |
3.4 · 3.5 |
Theme 2.5 External · Theme 3.4 Influences |
Topic 4 External environment |
| 2 |
SWOT High Street |
3.5 · 3.6 |
Theme 3.5 Assessing competitiveness |
Topic 4 · 5 Strategic position |
| 3 |
25-Mark Essay Plan |
3.1 → 3.8 (cross) |
Theme 3.1–3.3 Strategy + Decision-making |
Topic 5 Strategy |
| 4 |
Industry Deep Dive |
3.5 · 3.7 |
Theme 3.5 + Theme 4 (Global if fintech/fashion) |
Topic 5 Strategic methods |
| 5 |
Cash Flow Lab |
3.7 Financial performance |
Theme 2.3 Managing finance |
Topic 3 Decision-making · finance |
| 6 |
Strategic Pitch |
3.1 What is business · 3.4 |
Theme 1.5 Entrepreneurs · Theme 3.1 Objectives |
Topic 5 Strategic position |
Why this matters for Year 13
Each task practises one of the five exam skills students will be tested on in May/June 2027: Knowledge, Application, Analysis, Evaluation — and the often-neglected fifth, self-direction. The summer break is the longest stretch of self-direction your students will have before A-Level exams. This pack treats it as a teachable habit.
If you use only one of these
Use Task 6 (Strategic Pitch). It is the highest-signal task — what they submit tells you, in 10 minutes per student, who has done independent reading and who has not. Frame the rest of Year 13 around what you see.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
09 / 10
September Reflection Sheet
Bring this completed to your first Year 13 Business lesson. Hand-write the answers — it forces honesty.
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________
Tasks completed: ___ of 6
Question 1 · What you found hardest
Which of the six tasks did you find most difficult, and why specifically? Was it the writing, the numbers, the research, deciding a position, or something else? Three sentences.
Question 2 · What you learnt that surprised you
What is one thing — a fact, a concept, a way of thinking — that you genuinely did not know before this pack, and now do?
Question 3 · What you want to be better at in Year 13
Pick one specific weakness you want to fix. Not "essays" or "calculations" — name a sub-skill. "Writing a judgement that decides instead of sitting on the fence." "Reading a cash flow without panicking." Your teacher will use this to plan your first half-term.
The Business School · Summer Bridging Pack
10 / 10