Politics - KS5

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Students at SJB study Politics to enable them to be proactive members of society and gain a better understanding of the world that we live in. This will enable them to develop an informed appreciation of current affairs, as well as an understanding of differing political ideologies and how they have developed over time. Students will learn how to form their own opinions using facts and reason as well as engage in informed debate on some of the key issues facing the world today.

At A-Level we study the AQA specification for Politics which consists of the following Units:

Paper 1: UK Government and Politics

Paper 2: US and Comparative Government and Politics

Paper 3: Political Ideologies including Anarchism

For more information on the content of these please see the exam specification below:

Exam specification

Students will sit 3 exams at the end of Year 13. The exams are all 2 hours long and equally weighted. Each exam consists of three 9-mark questions, one extract question, and one essay question.

 

Politics will enable students to develop a wide variety of skills which are looked on favourably by both employers and universities including:

  • The ability to research, source and examine information thoroughly
  • The ability to critically analyse evidence and construct coherent arguments
  • Excellent written, presentation and oral communication skills
  • Intellectual independence and autonomy
  • Team working skills
  • IT skills
  • A flexible and open-minded approach to work
  • Self-motivation and self-reliance
  • A creative approach to problem solving
  • Organisational and time management skills.

There will be individual talks, small group activities and whole class teaching. You’ll have to analyse different types of evidence, make notes on various sources and write essays. iPads are frequently used. The most successful students will read around the subject! Politics is a demanding, but rewarding, subject. You’ll have 12 lessons a fortnight and should expect to be doing the same again in your own time. You will also be expected to keep up to date with the news. There will also be a trip to Parliament and the Supreme Court.

Politics is a demanding, essay-based subject. We therefore ask students to have a grade 6 in at least one of the following subjects:

  • History
  • English Literature
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