business studies
business studies
business studies
HOLY TRINITY COLLEGE
'Inspiration, Innovation, Excellence'
sOCIAL SCIENCES
Exam Board: AQA
Course description: Psychology is a fascinating subject which deals with the mind and all of the very complex ways in which we perceive and learn about the world in which we live. Psychology is a scientific subject which examines memory, cognition, perception, motivation, emotions etc… in an attempt to understand how we behave in society. Recently, someone described Psychology as “the scientific study of behaviour”. Against this background, you can easily imagine the range of areas to which Psychology is relevant. For example, Psychology is closely related to the world of business, sport, education, social work, youth work, criminology etc… It is an excellent subject to study at A’Level, as an introduction to almost any degree you can possibly think of. Psychology is particularly well linked to subjects such as Sociology and English and there is enough flexibility in your Year 13 subject choices to slot Psychology into an interesting A’Level combination which would be looked upon favourably by the various universities when selecting successful candidates.
There is no need to have studied Psychology at GCSE in order to do well at A’Level because we cover all introductory aspects as we go along. However, it is absolutely necessary to have at least a “C*” or above in GCSE Maths and English, because you will be required to write complex essays and reports as well as carrying out statistical analysis of results from research carried out by yourself and other more professional Psychologists! Above all, as your teacher, it is my intention that Psychology should be interesting, stimulating, enjoyable and a bit of fun for all concerned, including myself.
You will learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills valued by Higher Education (HE) and employers, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research.
Retaining the most popular features of previous, market-leading qualifications, AQA have worked with teachers, HE and the British Psychological Society to produce clear, up-to-date and stimulating specifications. AQA have built on the success of previous specifications by introducing some minor amendments that reflect advances and changes in the subject and provide a coherent and holistic programme of study.
Co-teachability of AS and A-level
The AS and A-level specifications have been designed to cover the core areas of psychology and be fully co-teachable within the first year of study. This will also allow students to switch between AS and A-level during the first year if they wish.
AS Specification at a glance
These qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all the AS exams at the end of their AS course and all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level course.
Subject content
1 Social influence
2 Memory
3 Attachment
4 Approaches in psychology
5 Psychopathology
6 Research methods
AS Examinations consist of 2 x 1 ½ hour examinations at the end of Year 13, each worth 50% of overall AS grade.
12x 50minute lessons over the 2 week timetable
A-level Specification at a glance
Subject content
Compulsory content
1 Social influence
2 Memory
3 Attachment
4 Psychopathology
5 Approaches in psychology
6 Biopsychology
7 Research methods
8 Issues and debates in psychology
*Choose 1 topic from each section below
Option 1
9 Relationships
10 Gender
11 Cognition and development
Option 2
12 Schizophrenia
13 Eating behaviour
14 Stress
Option 3
15 Aggression
16 Forensic psychology
17 Addiction
Department Staff
Mrs U. Doyle (Head of Department)
Ms. E Conlon
Ms. D McGorrey
Mrs M Tracey
PSYCHOLOGY
* Performance in AS Psychology does not contribute to A Level grade.
Assessment
A Level Examinations consist of 3 x 2 hour examinations at the end of Year 14, each worth 33% of overall A Level grade.
AQA assessments continue to employ a variety of familiar types of question such as multiple choice, short answer and extended writing/essays, which target the skills of knowledge and understanding, application and evaluation.
Students’ understanding of research methods, gained through classroom experience of practical psychology, will be assessed using the familiar scenario-based question style and research methods questions embedded in topics.
12x 50minute lessons over the 2 week timetable
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology: Course Description:
Exam Boards: GCSE- WJEC
A Level- AQA
You will be required to write complex essays and extended pieces of writing; therefore, a high standard of written English is essential.
Sociology at GCSE and A Level is a really interesting subject, through which you will learn lots of surprising things about the society we live in. For example, why is it easier for children of wealthy people to pass their exams? Is it because they are more intelligent? NO! Why are most primary school head teachers men, when there are hardly any male teachers in primary schools? Why is it that a song you dislike when you first hear it becomes your favourite song two weeks later? Why do women get paid much less than men for the same type of work? Why do we usually obey complete strangers when they tell us what to do? Why do some people get locked up in jail while others get away with all sorts of badness? Why is it ok for America to kill thousands of people in other countries?
These are just some of the tricky issues we deal with in the weird and wonderful world of Sociology! So, if you are a person who does a bit of thinking and you want to know what really goes on in your world, this is the subject for you.
Sociology is an extremely successful subject in Holy Trinity College. We enjoy very high GCSE and A’Level grades, which can greatly assist students to get into University. If you are a thinking person, who tries to take a critical look behind the things you see and hear, then Sociology can open your eyes for you in an enjoyable and very useful way. It could be your passport to a great career.
GCSE Sociology Specification at a glance
These qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all the all exams at the end of year 12. There is no coursework in GCSE Sociology, it is 100% Examination.
Subject content
1 Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission
2 Families
3 Education
4 Sociological research methods
5 Social differentiation and stratification
6 Crime and deviance
7 Applied methods of sociological enquiry
GCSE Examinations consist of 2 x 1 hour 45 min examinations at the end of Year 12, each worth 50% of overall GCSE grade.
GCSE Sociology Teacher- Ms D McGorrey
6x 50minute lessons over the 2 week timetable
AS Sociology Specification at a glance
These qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all the AS exams at the end of their AS course and all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level course. There is no coursework in AS or A Level Sociology, it is 100% Examination.
Subject content
1.Education.
2.Methods in Context.
3.Research Methods.
4.Research Methods and Topics in Sociology:
5.Research Methods.
6.Families and Households.
AS Level Examinations consist of 2 x 1 1/2 hour examinations at the end of Year 13, each worth 50% of overall AS Level grade.
AS Level Sociology Teacher- Ms E Conlon
12x 50minute lessons over the 2 week timetable
A Level Sociology Specification at a glance
These qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all the AS exams at the end of their AS course and all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level course. There is no need to have studied Sociology at GCSE in order to do well at A’Level because we cover all introductory aspects as we go along. However, it is absolutely necessary to have at least a “C*” or above in GCSE English and a “C” or above in Maths. You will be required to write complex essays and extended pieces of writing; therefore, a high standard of written English is essential.
Subject content
1.Education with Theory and Methods: Education.
2.Methods in Context.
3.Theory and Methods.
4.Topics in Sociology:
5.Families and Households.
6.Beliefs in Society.
7.Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods:
8.Crime and Deviance.
9.Theory and Methods.
A Level Examinations consist of 3 x 2 hour examinations at the end of Year 14, each worth 33.3% of overall A Level grade.
A Level Sociology Teacher- Ms. E Conlon (Year 1)
Mrs M Tracey (Year 2)
12x 50minute lessons over the 2 week timetable