Why choose Politics?

If you are interested in current affairs and the world around you, then this could be the course for you. If you are of a curious disposition, asking ‘why’ questions, are concerned about Brexit, climate change, gender inequalities, racism, wonder why the Middle East is in melt-down in Syria & Iraq, are concerned about the level of UK debt, or about the rising levels of inequality and poverty in the UK, no matter what your viewpoint, then you will probably enjoy politics.

Politics appeals to students keen to understand more about current affairs and particularly, how the British political system works. The Year 12 course concentrates on the British political system, while in Year 13 we analyse some core political ideologies and their impact, as well as exploring global politics e.g. the war on terror.

How useful will it be?

Politics is a popular subject which combines well with subjects such as Sociology, Economics and History in particular. Politics is a valued and respected qualification for a wide range of Higher Education courses and careers in professions as diverse as Law, Personnel Management, Politics, Marketing, Finance, Journalism or the Civil Service. Politics, like History, has traditionally been perceived to be a high calibre academic subject and will be seen as such by the Russell Group universities when considering your suitability for their courses.

What will you need to be sucessful?

Students will be expected to stay up to date with current affairs and keep a ‘news diary’ of key events in politics.  Likewise they will be expected to regularly watch political programmes, such as The Andrew Marr Show, Dispatches,  Newsnight and read various political magazines, from The New Statesman to Private Eye, to thus immerse themselves in discussions about politics. Students are also encouraged to read the books in the library from contemporary political thinkers such as Monbiot, Klein or Chomsky and to watch contemporary political documentaries and dramas.

Exam Information

Course details:

Year 12 - We will explore how democracy works and fails to work in the UK and how the UK is governed.   We will also explore the relationship between the UK and the EU.  In term 3 we will start to study 4 political ideologies - namely Liberalism, Conservatism and Socialism, plus one other, and their relevance and impact on UK politics.  This will continue into the start of Year 13

Year 13 - The main focus of Year 13 Politics will be the analysis and evaluation of various aspects of the global political system and the many issues it faces regarding the economy, human rights, the environment and terrorism.

Assessment:

At the end of Year 13, students will write three 2-hour long papers, assessing them primarily through essays, with some questions being data-response in style