Freebies

During my 10 years of teaching I must have created, tweaked, improved and copied from various textbooks and other sources, hundreds of resources.  I have uploaded a selection that may be of use.

Most of them are not my original work and you will probably recognise them from text books and SQA past papers.  Unlike the Build Your Skill resources, they were not designed to be paperless for on-screen work but are good old-fashioned paper resources that I produced over the years.

****Higher Admin & IT – Past Papers****

I've used the SQA Higher Admin & IT past papers 2016 to 2023 and separated into Section 1 and Section 2. Questions have been sorted by area and then by topic. You might want to check that I've used the right topic for area 🙂. The reason there are underscores in the areas is due to using dropdown lists and dropdowns from dropdowns which required named ranges. I've also put all the case studies into a Word document

****Higher Business Management – Past Papers****

I've used the SQA Higher Bus Man past papers 2016 to 2023 and separated into Section 1 and Section 2. Questions have been sorted by area (Finance, Operations etc) and then by topic. I've also put all the case studies into a Word document (except for 2017 as I didn’t have access to it).

****N5 Business Management – Past Papers****

I've used the SQA N5 Bus Man past papers 2016 to 2023 and separated into Section 1 and Section 2. Questions have been sorted by area (Finance, Operations etc) and then by topic. I've also put all the case studies into a Word document.

***New Freebie – Fix the Excel Error for H Admin***

All the Spreadsheet tasks from the 2018 - 2023 Higher Admin & IT Assignments with errors that need to be fixed 😁
Microsoft Excel 2016 on-screen, paperless resources to help understand how to use percentages (%) in an Excel spreadsheet.

Build Your Skill – Summary of Resources

These PDF files gives an idea of what the Build Your Skill Resources look like by using a series of screenshots to give examples and an overview of tasks. 

Business Management – Market Research

I can't remember where I got the information for this theory note - but I have a feeling it more or less came straight out of an old Leckie and Leckie book.  I used it with my Higher class but some of it would be useful for N5.  It's very detailed.

Business Management – PESTEC

This theory note was written for my N5's but  was also helpful for the Higher class.  It has been written using font size 14 and 1.5 line spacing as it forms part of a bigger booklet so you could easily condense it down from 9 pages.

Business Organisations – Video Clips

Just links via a Powerpoint that takes you to the BBC website and short clips on Sole Traders & Start Ups, Franchising and PLC’s / Ltd’s

BYS [INT1010] – PDA IT in Business L7 (Excel) – Summary Sheet

An overview of the new BYS [INT1010] - PDA IT in Business L7 (Excel) showing what is covered in each task.

BYS [SSV1016] – Working with Excel (1) – Task Details

A summary sheet showing exactly what Excel function or formula is required to complete the tasks in pack SSV1016 – Working with Excel (1).

BYS[SSV1017] – Working with Excel (2) – Task Details

A summary sheet showing exactly what Excel function or formula is required to complete the tasks in pack SSV1017 – Working with Excel (2).

Examples – New N5 Accounting Resources

*** New Resources for N5 Accounting *** Examples of each of the 6 new resources. Packs can be worked through on Excel or printed off as a paper copy

Freebie – Basic Excel Formulas Summary

A summary sheet for basic Excel functions; (sum / average / count / max / min / countA / CountBlank) and arithmetical formulas (add / subtract / multiply / divide) with a (short) practice file.

Freebie – Upskilling Advanced Excel

This FREE pack will help you if you want to improve on your existing Excel skills. It will also help students studying Higher Admin & IT. There are 8 videos - one for each section that you will find on our YouTube Channel.

GDPR Fact Sheet

I've created a short two-page Fact Sheet on GDPR, the new legislation that replaces the Data Protection Act.  It's been uploaded as a word document so you can tweak and edit any way you like. I've also added links to 3 short videos that explained GDPR in two minutes or less.  Hope it's of some use!

H Admin & IT – Admin Practice – Time & Task Management

3 short powerpoints outlining "Methods of monitoring & controlling targets", "Time Management Techniques" and "Time Stealers".  Nothing fancy but helpful when giving an overview of each topic.

H Admin & IT – Customer Service homework

Homework questions on "Customer Service" from SQA past papers .  A bit heavy on paper but useful if you want your pupils to handwrite their answers without lugging 20 jotters home! SQA solutions also included

H BM – Operations Homework

Higher Business Management Homework - A 25 mark / 6 question homework sheet using SQA past papers  There is also a Mark Scheme for both. I asked pupils to do this as a timed paper, either as closed or open book.

H BM – Understanding Business – Homework

Two homework sheets, one on Business Organisations and the other on Internal Organisations, using SQA past papers.  There is also a Mark Scheme for both.  There are another two questions in case study format which I think I took from an A-Level Business Studies text book – one on Sole Traders and the other on Partnerships.

H BM Finance – Sources of Finance Task

I can’t remember where I got this task – but I used to use it as a group task for my Higher Business Management class.  There are 10 short case studies with different scenarios.  Pupils need to decide what is/are the most appropriate source(s) of finance and explain their reasons why.

H BM Marketing Homework

Two homework sheets I used with my Higher Business Management class, one on the Product Life Cycle & Branding and the other on Distribution and Direct Selling, using SQA past papers.  There is also a Mark Scheme for both.

In Tray Business Task

I downloaded this task from the Internet from “AssessmentDay” and although it was for Graduates looking to go into banking, I gave this to my Higher Business Management class as an introductory task.  Assuming the role as a Retail Manager, there are a series of Memos, emails and letters etc that need to be looked at.  Then tasks need to be prioritised into high, medium and low and decisions made.  Perhaps a bit too challenging for some but as a whole, the class seemed to enjoy this task.
Example of an Excel Dashboard

Interactive Dashboard Excel File

An Excel worksheet to use with this YouTube Video on creating simple Interactive Dashboards. Also useful for practicing Pivot Tables, Pivot Slicers and Pivot Charts.

N3 Admin & IT Project

"Little Steps Nursery" - an old SQA Foundation project updated to reflect current year and copied onto a Word document.

N4 Admin & IT Project

2 old SQA General projects - "Life Style" and "Gorlowski Tours", updated to reflect current year and copied onto a Word document.

N4 Business in Action – Introduction to Business

This is Unit 1 of my N4 Understanding Business Course.  It covers the basics - needs and wants, goods and services, factors of production, the cycle of business and sectors of business.  There's a wee power point, task booklets as well as a teacher copy and a 6 page theory note.  Nothing new, pretty simple and a quick introduction to the N4 course.

N4/5 Business Management – Business Location

Theory and activites covering "business location".

N4/N5 Market Research Task

This was a wee class exercise that I did with my N4/N5 business class. 4 short questionnaires that could be photocopied and distributed amongst pupils.  I wanted to get them thinking about how you might design a questionnaire, how they could be analysed and the best way to summarise the results.  The class used Excel spreadsheets to show their findings as graphs.

N5 / Higher Business Management – Types of business organisations

A handy wee theory note with information of different sectors of business and organisation types.  Looks at main features, set-up, ownership, control, finance, advantages & disadvantages, objectives and relevant stakeholders for each type.
SQA Ledgers, N5 Accounting, Double Entry Bookkeeping

N5 Accounting – SQA 2016 Ledger Question (step-by-step)

Both the 2016 and 2017 SQA N5 Accounting Reports highlights that  "many candidates did not know basic double-entry procedures".  With that in mind, I've taken the 2016 question and turned it into a step-by-step task using Excel.  Pupils start with the first Excel sheet and work their way along gradually building up so that all Ledgers are completed.  Using comment boxes, I've tried to explain each part of the Ledger question one stage at a time.  **There are two Ledger Packs available. Pack FINV1009 gives ledger entries using financial documents and Pack FINV1010 gives practice using dates and entries.

N5 Accounting – SQA Income Statements Q’s

N5 Accounting - SQA Exam and Assignment Questions There are 3 Income Statements from the 2014 and 2017 SQA exams and the 2016 Assignment.  I've used the layout based on the "Suggested layouts for financial statements" from the SQA published in October 2018.  All the questions are on an Excel spreadsheet with formula and cell shading to help pupils with layouts etc.  Everything they need is onscreen. **A new pack BYS [FINV1006] - Income Statements (Level 2) is now available**.

N5 Accounting – SQA Statement of Financial Position Q’s

N5 Accounting - SQA Exam and Assignment Questions.  There are 4 Statements of Financial Position questions from the 2014, 2015 and 2018 exam and 2016 Assignment.  As with the Income Statements, the SQA's suggested layout has been used (2018 version  2.4).  All questions are on an Excel spreadsheet with formula and cell shading.  Where the original question was both an Income Statement and Statement of Financial Position, I have tweaked slightly so that all required information is available (eg giving the Profit figure within the notes).  All instructions and notes are onscreen.   **A new pack BYS [FINV1007] - Statement of Financial Position (Level 2) is being written in the same format - ready for February 2019**

N5 Admin & IT Project

"Pampered Pooches Boarding Kennels" - an old SQA Credit project updated to reflect current year and copied onto a Word document.

N5 Business Assignment – Preparation

I used this prep sheet with my N5 Business class to get them started with their business assignments.  There's no denying that this resource is a bit heavy on paper but I was trying to find a way for pupils to research their business properly,think about what area of business they wanted to focus on and the market research they had to do.... and get them to start writing things down!

N5 Business Management – Finance SQA Q’s

This is an Excel spreadsheet with all Finance questions from 2014 - 2018 SQA papers, sorted by topic.  Also included in a word document is all the case studies from Section 1 and in another, the templates / break-even charts / cash budgets needed to answer the questions.

N5 Business Management – H.R Revision

This is just a wee powerpoint outlining H.R by topic: Recruitment & Selection, Training, Motivating & Retaining, Legislation.  After each summary, there's a couple of SQA questions and screenshots from SQA past paper marking instructions.

N5 Business Management – Homework

A wee homework booklet with 115 questions organised by unit and topic.  A combination of SQA, text book and made-up questions.  No solutions I'm afraid!
N5 Business Management

N5 Business Management – SQA Marketing Q’s

This is an Excel spreadsheet with all Marketing questions from 2014 - 2018 SQA papers, sorted by topic.  Also included in a word document is all the case studies from Section 1.

New Freebie – Higher Financial Accounts Past Papers (Excel)

Past paper financial questions for Higher Accounting from 2018 - Ltd, Manufacturing and Partnership.  They're on Excel so no printing required.  There's 2 different Excel versions - one with questions and data and the other with labels too.  Solutions also included.  

Rapid Response S2 Task

I designed this short course as the Business Education’s department contribution to the whole school Rapid Response day for the S2’s.  Task 1 is a research task on natural disasters that have occurred, Task 2 follows on from Task 1 and looks at local food in different countries, Task 3 is a costing exercise on providing food in the disaster zone and Task 4 uses formulas in a spreadsheet to complete the challenge.

S3 Business Masterclass – Introduction

This is a small 5 task introductory unit that I used with my new S3 Masterclass in the June.  They only came for a 10 week block so I wanted to give them a flavour of the N4/5 course (without actually teaching it of course!)
  • Task 1 - "What is Business" -  Economic Factors and Recession explained in the simplest way I could
  • Task 2 - "My Island" -  Pupils to imagine they are turning an uninhabited tropical island into a thriving community.  There's even an attempt to assess their work with a grading criteria! (not sure if I ever did)
  • Task 3 - "Introduction into Branding" - a bit of theory and a quiz where pupils try to identify logo's and slogans of well known businesses
  • Task 4 - "Branding Task" - Details of 8 fictitious young Entrepreneurs with a wee case study for each and pupils asked to come up with a business name  / logo & colour schemes etc for one of them.  Followed by a second task looking at designing letterheads, leaflets and business cards
  • Task 5 - "Team Building" - Taken from the Internet, this is the Survival exercise based on a plane crash in Canada.  You'll probably recognise it
 

Tutor2u Brand Bingo

Downloaded from Tutor2u there are 80 bingo cards that can be printed off (2 per sheet x 40) and questions with answers.  All the logos are the same, but I changed some of the questions to update to 2017.  You may need to check again to ensure the questions are current.

Upskilling Excel Files

This FREE pack will help you if you want to improve your Excel skills. It will also help you if you are studying N4/N5 Administration and IT, or if you are doing the "crash" Higher. There are also 9 videos - 1 for each section that you will find on our YouTube Channel

Upskilling Word Files

This FREE pack will help you if you want to improve your Word skills. It will also help you if you are studying N4/N5 Administration and IT, or if you are doing the “crash” Higher. There are also 13 videos that you will find on our YouTube Channel.

XLOOKUP Example

I posted this video on the Build Your Skill facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BuildYourSkillScotland/) to demonstrate how the new XLOOKUP works. This is the Excel file that was used. More examples to follow.