Blackpool Skills Academy
Business and Customer Service Curriculum Overview
A 39-week spiral curriculum developing business knowledge, professional communication, customer service and workplace readiness.
Customer service in practice
Great service is more than being polite
Customer service is the way a business communicates with, supports and responds to the people who use its goods or services.
Strong customer service involves listening carefully, understanding what the customer needs, communicating clearly and taking appropriate action. Sometimes this means answering a straightforward question. At other times, it means resolving a problem, asking for clarification or knowing when an issue should be passed to somebody with greater responsibility.
This Indeed video introduces practical customer-service skills and shows how professional behaviour, communication and problem-solving can shape a customer’s experience of a business.
Watch the video and consider what makes a customer feel heard, respected and confident in the service they receive.
Our curriculum model
Learning how businesses work and serve customers
Business knowledge with practical application
The curriculum develops knowledge of businesses, their purposes, roles and activities alongside professional communication and customer-service skills.
Every student receives the core Business and Customer Service curriculum. Students choosing the NOCN qualification study the same content at greater depth through additional supervised teaching, practice and portfolio development.
Learning is applied through business examples, workplace communication, customer scenarios, role-play, written tasks and structured problem-solving.
- Business purposes
- Goods and services
- Business types and sectors
- Customer needs
- Workplace roles
- Professional communication
- Customer interactions
- Service procedures
- Problem-solving and escalation
- Written and digital communication
Students revisit communication, responsibility and customer needs throughout the year. Expectations increase from recognising simple business ideas towards responding independently to realistic customer situations.
Optional qualification pathway
NOCN Business and Customer Service
Students choosing the qualification pathway complete the same curriculum at qualification depth and compile internally assessed portfolio evidence. Practical communication may be assessed through tutor observation, with evidence subject to the academy’s internal quality-assurance arrangements.
The learning journey
Progression Through Stages
Stage 1
Identify
Recognise businesses, goods, services, customers and appropriate communication.
Supported recognitionStage 2
Describe
Describe business types, purposes, roles and routine customer situations.
Guided explanationStage 3
Apply
Apply business knowledge and communication skills in supported scenarios.
Practical applicationStage 4
Evaluate and Improve
Complete evidence accurately, evaluate responses and improve work through feedback.
Portfolio qualityStage 5
Respond Independently
Handle customer situations professionally and demonstrate qualification readiness.
Workplace readinessThe 39-week programme
Curriculum Overview
Autumn 1
Business Basics and Professional Communication
| Week | Lesson | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Induction, Baseline and Professional Communication | Recognise appropriate and inappropriate workplace communication. | Describe one expectation for professional speaking and listening. | Apply agreed standards in a short workplace scenario. | Evaluate communication strengths and identify a clear improvement. | Model professional communication and set purposeful development targets. |
| 2 | What Is a Business? | Recognise examples of businesses. | Describe a business as an organisation providing goods or services. | Apply the definition to familiar and unfamiliar examples. | Evaluate borderline examples and justify classification. | Produce and defend a precise definition using business terminology. |
| 3 | Examples of Businesses | Identify two familiar businesses. | Describe what each business provides. | Classify examples and respond appropriately to a peer’s explanation. | Compare businesses using purpose, customer and offer. | Present a varied business profile and respond confidently to questions. |
| 4 | Goods, Services or Both? | Recognise a good and a service. | Describe the difference between goods and services. | Classify named businesses accurately. | Analyse businesses that provide a combination of goods and services. | Justify complex classifications using clear business examples. |
| 5 | A Business and What It Provides | Name a business and identify what it provides. | Describe the business using a structured prompt. | Ask for clarification and complete a business profile. | Evaluate missing information and improve the profile for accuracy. | Produce a concise professional profile and justify information choices. |
| 6 | Why Clear Communication Matters | Recognise a clear and an unclear workplace message. | Describe one consequence of poor communication. | Improve a workplace message for clarity and purpose. | Analyse effects on tasks, safety, customers and reputation. | Create and quality-assure professional communication for a defined audience. |
| 7 | Portfolio Checkpoint | Select completed evidence with support. | Describe what each piece of evidence demonstrates. | Organise evidence and respond to tutor feedback. | Audit accuracy, completeness and authenticity. | Independently improve evidence and explain how it meets expectations. |
Autumn 2
Business Types and Local Enterprise
| Week | Lesson | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Types of Businesses | Recognise retail, service and manufacturing businesses. | Describe a feature of each business type. | Classify familiar businesses using evidence. | Compare business types and analyse overlap. | Justify classification of complex or mixed businesses. |
| 9 | Businesses Across Sectors | Recognise that businesses operate in different sectors. | Describe a business within a familiar sector. | Match businesses to sectors and explain the connection. | Analyse how sectors differ in customers, activities and outputs. | Produce an evidence-based comparison of several sectors. |
| 10 | Businesses in the Local Community | Identify a local business. | Describe the need it helps to meet. | Research and present a short local-business profile. | Analyse its contribution to employment and community life. | Evaluate its local impact and suggest a realistic development. |
| 11 | Local Goods, Services and Both | Recognise a local good or service. | Describe what a local business provides. | Classify local examples and justify choices. | Analyse how combined offers meet different customer needs. | Present a detailed local-business offer and evaluate its effectiveness. |
| 12 | Match Businesses to What They Provide | Match a familiar business to a good or service. | Describe why the match is correct. | Complete a range of matches while following instructions accurately. | Identify and correct errors using evidence. | Lead a checking process and explain difficult classifications. |
| 13 | Digital Local Business Profile | Select key information about a local business. | Organise information using a template. | Create a clear written and digital profile. | Evaluate accuracy, structure, tone and audience suitability. | Produce a polished professional profile and justify design decisions. |
| 14 | Portfolio Checkpoint | Locate required business evidence. | Describe progress using tutor prompts. | Organise and improve work in response to feedback. | Audit evidence against assessment expectations. | Independently resolve gaps and demonstrate portfolio control. |
Spring 1
Business Purpose and Customer Needs
| Week | Lesson | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Why Businesses Exist | Recognise a simple reason a business exists. | Describe provision, profit, employment or economic contribution. | Apply more than one purpose to a named business. | Analyse how business purposes may support or conflict with one another. | Evaluate the purposes of a business using balanced evidence. |
| 16 | Profit, Service and Community Purpose | Recognise profit-making and community-focused activity. | Describe a difference between business purposes. | Compare two businesses with contrasting purposes. | Analyse how purpose affects decisions and customer expectations. | Evaluate how successfully a business balances financial and community aims. |
| 17 | Identifying Customer Needs | Recognise a straightforward customer need. | Describe how needs may differ between customers. | Match appropriate business responses to customer needs. | Analyse explicit, implied and changing needs. | Recommend and justify a responsive customer-service approach. |
| 18 | How Businesses Meet Needs | Identify a business response to a customer need. | Describe how a product or service meets that need. | Explain the connection using a named example. | Evaluate whether the response is effective and inclusive. | Propose a realistic improvement supported by customer evidence. |
| 19 | A Simple Reason a Business Exists | State one reason a named business exists. | Explain the reason using a sentence frame. | Produce a concise business-purpose explanation independently. | Refine the explanation for precision and evidence. | Present and defend a nuanced explanation of business purpose. |
| 20 | Portfolio Checkpoint | Identify completed purpose and customer evidence. | Describe strengths and gaps with support. | Apply feedback and improve portfolio organisation. | Evaluate evidence quality against stated criteria. | Complete an independent evidence audit and improvement plan. |
Spring 2
Business Roles and Activities
| Week | Lesson | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Roles Within a Business | Recognise familiar business roles. | Describe a responsibility linked to a role. | Match roles and responsibilities accurately. | Analyse how roles work together to support operations. | Evaluate staffing needs within a realistic business scenario. |
| 22 | Responsibilities and Customer-Facing Roles | Recognise customer-facing and support roles. | Describe a responsibility within each category. | Classify roles and explain how they connect. | Analyse how support roles affect customer experience. | Evaluate how role coordination could improve service. |
| 23 | Daily Business Activities | Identify two activities completed in a business. | Describe why an activity is necessary. | Sequence a realistic working day. | Analyse dependencies between activities. | Design an efficient workflow and justify priorities. |
| 24 | Administrative and Customer Service Activities | Recognise an administrative and a customer-service task. | Describe the purpose of each activity. | Complete simulated tasks responsibly. | Evaluate accuracy, confidentiality and customer impact. | Coordinate tasks and demonstrate consistently professional standards. |
| 25 | Match Roles to Activities | Match a simple role to an activity. | Explain one connection. | Follow a written process and complete accurate matches. | Identify errors and justify corrections. | Lead quality assurance and explain ambiguous examples. |
| 26 | Unit Synoptic Assessment | Recall businesses, purposes, roles and activities. | Describe key concepts within a structured case study. | Apply knowledge across a synoptic business scenario. | Evaluate work, improve evidence and complete a portfolio audit. | Complete a coherent independent response and demonstrate unit readiness. |
Summer 1
Customers and the Purpose of Good Service
| Week | Lesson | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Who Are Customers? | Recognise the customer in a simple business scenario. | Describe the relationship between a business and its customers. | Identify customers across a range of scenarios. | Analyse situations where the customer is less obvious. | Evaluate stakeholder relationships and justify customer identification. |
| 28 | Types of Customers | Recognise two different customer types. | Describe internal, external, individual or organisational customers. | Classify customer personas accurately. | Analyse how different customer needs affect service. | Recommend adapted approaches for a varied customer base. |
| 29 | Why Customers Matter | Recognise that customers affect business success. | Describe one reason customers are important. | Explain a chain linking service, satisfaction and repeat business. | Analyse effects on reputation, income and employment. | Evaluate long-term customer value and recommend improvements. |
| 30 | Routine Service Situations | Recognise face-to-face, telephone and online service. | Describe a suitable response in a routine situation. | Match service channels and responses accurately. | Analyse which communication channel is most appropriate. | Adapt service professionally across several channels. |
| 31 | Purpose of Good Customer Service | Recognise positive and poor service. | Describe one purpose of good service. | Explain connections with satisfaction, loyalty and reputation. | Evaluate the business consequences of service quality. | Produce a justified service-improvement recommendation. |
| 32 | How Service Affects Customers | Recognise a customer’s likely feeling. | Describe how service may affect a future choice. | Compare positive and negative service scenarios. | Analyse emotional, reputational and commercial effects. | Evaluate service impact and develop an evidence-led response. |
Summer 2
Customer Communication and Problem-Solving
| Week | Lesson | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Appropriate Customer Behaviour | Recognise polite and helpful behaviour. | Describe appropriate tone and body language. | Demonstrate a greeting, active listening and helpful close. | Evaluate performance and improve verbal and non-verbal communication. | Handle a complete interaction confidently and support peer improvement. |
| 34 | Polite and Clear Customer Communication | Recognise polite language and clear information. | Describe how listening and checking understanding help customers. | Complete a routine enquiry using a clear service structure. | Analyse tone, accuracy, questioning and customer response. | Adapt communication independently to the customer and situation. |
| 35 | Following Service Procedures | Recognise the stages of a simple procedure. | Describe why procedures should be followed. | Follow the correct sequence and record the outcome. | Evaluate accuracy and identify when support is required. | Complete and quality-assure the procedure independently. |
| 36 | Simple Problems and Requests | Recognise a customer request or problem. | Describe the difference between a request, routine problem and complex issue. | Classify scenarios and select an appropriate response. | Analyse risk, authority and possible consequences. | Resolve routine matters independently and identify complex escalation needs. |
| 37 | Actions, Clarification and Escalation | Recognise when to ask for help. | Describe clarification, action, recording and referral. | Select and rehearse an appropriate response. | Evaluate the decision and communicate escalation professionally. | Handle the situation confidently, justify action and protect customer trust. |
| 38 | Written and Digital Service Communication | Recognise a suitable greeting, subject line and sign-off. | Produce a simple response using a template. | Write and edit a clear customer message independently. | Evaluate tone, accuracy, structure and confidentiality. | Produce a polished professional response adapted to purpose and audience. |
| 39 | Final Synoptic Service Assessment and Portfolio Audit | Respond to a supported routine customer situation. | Describe the correct procedure and communication approach. | Complete a spoken response, action decision and follow-up message. | Evaluate performance and confirm evidence completeness. | Respond independently, justify decisions and demonstrate qualification readiness. |
How progress is recognised
Assessment Approach
Knowledge Checks
Questioning and retrieval assess understanding of businesses, purposes, roles, activities and customers.
Scenario Work
Students apply business and service knowledge to realistic workplace and customer situations.
Practical Communication
Speaking, listening, telephone, face-to-face and digital communication are assessed through structured tasks.
Portfolio Evidence
Qualification students compile accurate written, digital and observed evidence across the programme.
Tutor Observation
Skills that must be demonstrated are recorded through observation checklists and learner reflection.
Synoptic Assessment
Final tasks require students to combine business knowledge, service procedures and professional communication.
What progress looks like
Progression Expectations
Stage 1
- Identify businesses, goods and services.
- Recognise customers and familiar business roles.
- Recognise appropriate workplace communication.
Stage 2
- Describe business types and purposes.
- Explain routine roles and activities.
- Describe appropriate responses to familiar customer situations.
Stage 3
- Apply business knowledge in supported scenarios.
- Communicate clearly through different service channels.
- Follow procedures and resolve straightforward issues.
Stage 4
- Evaluate customer needs, responses and consequences.
- Complete portfolio evidence accurately.
- Improve communication and evidence using feedback.
Stage 5
- Respond independently to customer situations.
- Use professional spoken, written and digital communication.
- Make justified decisions about clarification and escalation.
- Demonstrate workplace and qualification readiness.
The purpose of the programme
Curriculum Intent
The Business and Customer Service curriculum develops the knowledge, communication skills and professional behaviours students need to understand business and contribute effectively in the workplace.
Students learn how businesses provide goods and services, why businesses exist, how roles and activities support operations and why customers are central to business success.
Through realistic scenarios, students practise listening, questioning, explaining, recording information, following procedures, resolving straightforward problems and knowing when to ask for clarification or escalate a concern.
The optional NOCN pathway extends the same curriculum through additional guided learning and portfolio assessment. This enables students to develop recognised evidence of business knowledge, customer service and professional communication while preparing for further education, apprenticeships and employment.