Share This Page

Social Sciences

Back

Choose a Subject:

CURRICULUM INTENT

The Social Science department encompasses Health and Social Care at KS4 as well as Politics and Sociology at KS5.

The department seeks to give students the opportunity to explore human society and social relationships in an increasingly complex world.

The Health and Social care BTEC course seeks to unable pupils to explore and investigate key social institutions, their development and their contribution to a well ordered society. The course encourages students to draw on their own experiences and apply their learning to real life scenarios, make judgements and justify their choices.

Politics and Sociology, taught at A Level, encourage students to develop well informed and considerate opinions. Lessons incorporate the extensive use of debating and discussion after conducting extensive research into a wide variety of topics. These subjects consistently require pupils to consider current affairs and international events.

All Social Science students are given regular opportunities to be assessed via verbal responses, group work and written communication.

PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Social-Sciences-Programme-of-Study-23.24.pdf

Curriculum Implementation

Health and Social Care student progress is assessed via regular in class tasks, verbal responses and written answers. Students need to complete two PSAs (Pearson Set Assignments) during the course. These are tasks set by the exam board and completed in exam conditions. The tasks require students to draw on the content and skills they have learnt in lessons. Students are also assessed via an exam at the end of year 11.

Politics and Sociology students are regularly assessed on their comprehension of knowledge and understanding as well as skills. They complete practice exam questions as well as past paper questions in timed conditions. They are then given both peer and teacher feedback and given opportunities to improve on their grade. Both subjects are externally assessed with final grades being awarded on performance in three exams at the end of the course. Students are assessed on their ability to make reference to current affairs and links to contemporary society.

Curriculum Impact

The Social Science curriculum is designed to nurture students through current affairs and contemporary debates, to build their confidence to question, reflect and actively engage with several issues from the real world. Students will be exposed to differing opinions and theoretical arguments and will be encouraged to deal with socially sensitive and controversial topics in a safe environment. The Social Science curriculum recognises that students come from a wide variety of backgrounds culturally and see this as an exciting opportunity for discussion and an opportunity for diversity and tolerance to flourish.

Health and Social care students are encouraged to draw on their own experiences of systems and processes which they have been part of as well as conducting critical analyse of contemporary institutions. Sociology students regularly make comparisons of different approaches to social organisation, and Politics students consistently question the structures designed to seek social control.

The Social Science students who make the best progress have engaging conversations with parents and guardians at home. These conversations can be about topics studied in class or any contemporary issues from the news- they are greatly encouraged!