Syllabus: OCR - A and AS Level Business
Module: Introduction to Business
Lesson: Business Sectors

Introduction

The “Business Sectors” topic forms part of the OCR A and AS Level Business specification under the theme of “Introduction to Business.” It introduces students to how businesses operate within different sectors of the economy — primary, secondary and tertiary — and sets the groundwork for understanding organisational purpose, production and value creation. This topic is more than just classification; it’s foundational to the entire course, supporting later concepts like business structure, ownership, and strategic decision-making.

OCR explicitly requires students to understand the features and interdependence of business sectors, making this an essential building block. This lesson aligns tightly with OCR’s focus on real-world business understanding, encouraging learners to consider how sectors evolve and contribute to the wider economy.

Key Concepts

Students should be able to:

• Define and differentiate the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.

• Explain examples of business activities in each sector (e.g. farming, manufacturing, retail).

• Understand how the UK’s industrial structure has shifted over time, with a move from primary and secondary towards a tertiary-dominated economy.

• Analyse the interdependence between sectors — e.g. how farming (primary) supports food processing (secondary), which then relies on logistics and retail (tertiary).

• Evaluate reasons for changes in the relative size of sectors such as technological advancement, globalisation, and consumer behaviour.

These concepts map directly to the OCR A Level Business unit on “business activity” and provide the context for future learning in areas like business growth, strategy and operations.

Real-World Relevance

Students often encounter these sectors without realising it. Take Greggs, a well-known UK food-on-the-go chain: its supply chain involves agriculture (primary), food manufacturing (secondary), and high street sales (tertiary).

Or consider the renewable energy industry: wind farms (primary), turbine production (secondary), and electricity providers like Octopus Energy (tertiary). The digital economy adds layers of complexity too, as sectors become increasingly blurred — for example, Amazon operates in all three.

Encouraging students to map out their own interactions with businesses across sectors helps make abstract definitions concrete.

How It’s Assessed

In OCR A Level Business, assessment favours clarity and applied knowledge. Typical question types related to business sectors include:

• Explain: “Explain how the tertiary sector supports the secondary sector.” (4–6 marks)

• Analyse: “Analyse the impact of a shrinking primary sector on the UK economy.” (6–8 marks)

• Evaluate: “Evaluate whether a business should diversify into another sector.” (10–20 marks)

Command words matter. “Analyse” expects a clear chain of reasoning. “Evaluate” means weighing up pros and cons and giving a supported conclusion.

Students should also be able to interpret and apply sector data from case studies, using evidence to justify responses. Practising with past papers and mark schemes is key here.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This topic lends itself well to active learning. Consider using Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations, where students step into the shoes of decision-makers and manage operations across sectors. They experience first-hand how primary production decisions affect secondary processing and tertiary delivery — embedding abstract ideas through doing.

Key skills developed:

• Decision-making: Choosing which sector to operate in.

• Problem-solving: Managing supply chain disruptions between sectors.

• Commercial awareness: Understanding how each sector generates value.

This aligns with OCR’s emphasis on students developing reasoning, application and evaluative judgement throughout the course.

Careers Links

Understanding business sectors is directly relevant to multiple Gatsby Benchmarks:

• Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum to careers

• Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers

This topic supports exploration of career paths like:

• Agricultural technician (Primary)

• Production planner or engineer (Secondary)

• Marketing analyst or store manager (Tertiary)

Teachers can link this content with employer talks or virtual tours of local businesses operating across sectors. Using Enterprise Skills’ simulations also supports Gatsby Benchmark 6 by simulating workplace decision-making.

Teaching Notes

What works:

• Use student-led research tasks: Assign each student or group a real company and have them break down its operations by sector.

• Incorporate local examples: Relate sectors to businesses in your area for immediacy and engagement.

• Use simulations: Ideal for bringing sector interdependence to life.

Watch out for:

• Over-simplifying sector definitions. Many businesses operate across multiple sectors.

• Students confusing sectors with ownership types or legal structures — clarify these distinctions early.

Extension ideas:

• Debate: “Should the government invest more in the UK’s primary sector?”

• Project: Map a product’s journey from raw material to customer (e.g. chocolate, fashion, technology).