Politics

Politics is the way a country is governed, relating to activities and policies of people in positions of power.

Department Vision:

To enable our students to become productive and thoughtful citizens through developing an interest in, and engagement with, contemporary politics.

Department Aim:

To develop an understanding of the nature of politics and the functioning of government in the UK and the USA.

Page content:

Examination Board – EDEXCEL A-level H9PL0 (Option A)

Politics is one of three A-level courses offered by the Department of Classics and Political Sciences. The course culminates in three exam papers, each comprising one third of the final marks, and there is no coursework component.

Paper 1 focuses on the UK’s political parties (their structure and philosophies and the vagaries of the various electoral systems that are used in the United Kingdom. Paper 2’s focus is on how the UK government functions with sections on Constitution, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary (overlapping with the Law syllabus to a sizeable extent), and includes a small depth study on Nationalism. Paper 3 switches to a study of US Politics and Government and include comparison questions on the US and the UK.

Politics is one of the most successful A-level subjects in the school because the teachers put great store into teaching students paragraph construction and essay technique. Learning is supported by physical resources, such as Revision Work Books, and a vast range of online resources. These include Activity Packs, Course Companions, Learning Grids, Topic-on-a-Page sheets, Election Guides and Assessment Systems that we have purchased from ZigZag Education, archives of back issues of Politics Review and Think Tank, eRevision topic tests and revision guides, and Pre-Chewed Politics lectures and articles.

This subject allows students with an interest in current affairs to learn about how the UK is run and how they, as individuals, can make a difference. The people elected to local councils and the UK Parliament make decisions that affect almost every aspect of our daily lives. These include decisions that affect homes, schools, the workplace, health, defence and the environment. It matters to each and every person who is represented by politicians at local, national and international level that they reflect our values and principles. Students learn about the decisions that take place when running a country. The course teaches students about the different viewpoints held by decision makers in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The course also investigates the importance of the rights and responsibilities of people and how individuals can make a difference to the lives of all citizens.

Learning Ladder

Click on the Learning Ladder to see a larger version. The Learning Ladder shows the subjects or topics that students will learn about each year. Click on any 'Year' roundel to view an in-depth Learning Journey for the year you have selected. This shows in more detail, what students will learn each term, with links to useful resources etc. (this applies to all roundels)

POLITICS KS5

See the Learning Ladder and Learning Journey for this subject by clicking on the link.

Career Options in Politics

These are some examples of career paths available if you study this subject:

Politician, Public Affairs, Political Researcher, Social Scientist, Civil Servant, Local Government Official, Journalist, Armed Services, Intelligence Services, EU Careers Campaigner, International Development, Events Management, Market Research