Politics
Why we teach Politics at Harris Academy Purley
In their final year of sixth form, the politics students will now use the knowledge they have built up from Year 12 and use it to compare an alien yet familiar political system in the United States of America. Now students will not only be introduced to a country that is vaguely familiar to most of them but will be immersed in the culture, news, and political ideology of one of the biggest capitalist countries in the world.
This is the purpose and intent of the politics A-level to immerse students in the inner working of not only their own country but that of countries around the world. United States of America is chosen as their expanded study instead of global politics as it is imperative that students understand the similarities and differences in a country that gained a lot of its ideals and principles for the United Kingdom.
The Politics A-level course is linear allows a certain flexibility in the order of which we can introduce different topics. The Edexcel specification that we follow reflects the demands of a modern and evolving political environment in the UK and around the world. We believe it is a qualification that will enable our students to apply themselves and give them the skills to succeed in an ever-changing and demanding world.
Politics will give the students the skills to debate and question. To write up arguments and theses. To recognise a different point of view yet be able to argue their own. This course is designed to introduce these skills and help them prepare for further education as well as the world.
During Year 12, students will study UK politics and UK government along with four political ideologies. This will give them a set of core knowledge and understanding of politics. Students will then develop this knowledge and understanding during year 13 and study the government and politics of the USA. Knowledge is retained through a planned curriculum structured by topics and themes. Students are given the opportunity to build upon the knowledge by using essay-based assessment, to judge their knowledge and their ability to analyse it. Students study the different themes and topics with sources, newspaper articles, podcasts, social media and keeping up with the news. Using these forms of information will teach them to understand bias and teach the students to be critical in whatever they read. It will also develop their ability to recognise an argument in a piece of text.
By looking at wide range of themes and topic students will learn about the importance of their own democracy as well as other nations. Theme 1, UK government and politics is a direct look at how our country runs and operates. Why do we have the traditions we do? Democracy and Participation introduces the student to how their democracy is run, how do we vote in this country, is it a fair system, who fights for our rights? Political Parties topic dives deeper into the history of our party system and their ideologies. Why do they have the values they currently do? Has it changed over time? The next two topics, Electoral systems and voting behaviour in the media,
gives students an opportunity to evaluate and argue on what voting system they think is best, or what social factor affects people voting behaviour? The Constitution, Parliament, Prime minister and the executive and Relationships between branches further develop their knowledge, specifically looking at the inner working of parliament and the supreme court.
Theme 2, Political ideas, is a history lesson within politics. Without the history of the political ideas of Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism and Nationalism, students won’t understand how politics is built and run, not only in their own country but in countries round the world. Theme 3, US government and politics repeats a lot of the topics in theme 1 by design. As this is the comparative skill they will be learning and implements. What differences and similarities can they identify, analyse, and evaluate between the United States and the United Kingdom? US Constitution and federalism links with the UK constitution and devolution; US Congress and US presidency links in with Parliament and the role of the Prime Minister; US supreme court and civil rights link with the UK supreme court and finally US democracy and participation links with UK democracy and participation. The leadership and management of the course is centralised, led by the federation and then the ESS. The role of the ESS is to hold regular curriculum and attainment meetings, provide subject and skills training on INSET days and set the exams across the federation. The assessments which are administered across the federation are created and dispatched by the ESS, this ensures clarity and then allows for standardisation and moderation across the federation. Students’ assessments are standardised across sites for examinations, this is lead and organised by the ESS. This means that high standards are upheld whilst we can also compare performance and progress to guide improved outcomes. This also allows sites to moderate exams and ensure mark schemes set by the exam board are being adhered to.
What exam board do we follow?
Students will follow the Edexcel specification.
