Politics
Curriculum intent
To have uncompromising aspirations for every individual and for our school to be an exceptional and inspirational community of lifelong learners.
To ensure all students have the knowledge to critically engage with the conversation of humankind.
Purpose
The Politics curriculum aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding for discussion of key ideas of society, state, economy, and human nature that are referred to as Politics. It is designed to give our students recognised vocabulary, and political awareness so that they can understand and communicate viewpoints within Politics. The curriculum is designed to enable students to evaluate political participation and government systems in the UK and the USA. Students are equipped with a clear understanding of the political ideologies which shape political discourse in twenty-first century Britain. Students will explain or analyse similarities and differences between UK and US political systems using comparative theories, further equipping students for future critical analysis of politics in their futures.
Key Concepts that underpin the Politics Curriculum
- Political Ideologies
- Structures of government and state
- Political participation
- Political awareness
- Understanding and communicating viewpoints
- Political vocabulary
- Comparative theories
How does our curriculum shape learners?
Learners are taught to question ideas and to be curious about the world in which they live. They are taught to be independent in their approach to studies and to engage in wider research outside of the classroom where that is relevant. Students are encouraged to formulate their ideas in the relevant written forms and consider how to use evidence to support what they are saying. Moreover, students are
| ACADEMIC END POINTS | |
| Year 12 | By the end of Year 12, students will be able to communicate key ideas and principles of the core ideologies of conservatism, liberalism and socialism and the non-core ideology of anarchism. Within these ideologies students will understand the differing ideas and tensions between key thinkers in the areas of the state, the economy, society, and human nature. Students will be able to evaluate differing viewpoints, assessing the weight of evidence in drawing substantiated conclusions and communicating this in a balanced manner on matters of political participation and government. Students will show an awareness of contemporary politics, as well as political parties and issues in context. Students are starting to show an ability to apply theoretical understanding of politics to these examples. The tier 3 vocabulary that students are using will add clarity, specificity and sophistication to their communications in politics. |
| Year 13 | By the end of Year 13, students are active participants in contemporary political discussion, drawing upon a range of political language and vocabulary to describe current events in the world. Students can now accurately evaluate and communicate issues within political participation and government both in UK and US politics. Students have developed understanding of UK Politics from Year 12, and can now apply comparative theories to explain, and analyse, similarities and differences in UK and US Politics. Students can apply theoretical understanding of core and non-core ideologies to contemporary and contextual examples in UK and US Politics. Students use a sophisticated palette of tier 2 and 3 vocabularies to communicate well-evidenced evaluative answers via debate or prose. In a broader sense, students can use politics as a lens of understanding to form a critical view of both the past and contemporary worlds. |
Click here to visualise the Politics journey
Key features of learning
Subject matter is made as relevant as it possibly can be with parallels being drawn with what is happening in both national and international politics. We aim to develop in our students a clear grasp of political vocabulary and the ability to use key terms with precision. Students are taught about the main principles of the political structures, both within the UK and USA, and then required to analyse and evaluate those political systems both in class discussions and in their written work. Students are encouraged to debate and discuss ideas and to question their own statements as well as those of others. They are taught to recognise the value of other people’s viewpoints.
What will you see in Government and Politics lessons?
- Explicit teaching of T2/T3 words
- Reading of materials to understand key knowledge.
- Summarisation activities
- Recall quizzes
- Use of video clips to show political issues/events/news
- “Dig Deeper” templates for students to further analyse concepts and keywords.
- DELVE templates for students to further analyse concepts and keywords
- Use of scenarios to encourage critical thinking from perspective of political ideologies.
- “Where do you stand?” - an evaluative tool to gain evaluative viewpoints
- Debates on key issues.
- Use of contemporary news to show current issues in politics.
What will you see in Government and Politics books?
- Structured notes
- Tables arguing for against with evidence placed in each side
- Practice paragraphs
- Evaluation lines
- Lesson handouts and templates such as DELVE and Dig Deeper
- Lesson resources such as textbook photocopies, articles and other printed hinterland.
- Exam-style questions as assessed pieces of work
- Diagrams/pictorial representations to demonstrate key concepts.
What formative assessment will you see in Government and Politics?
- Keyword Tests
- Folder Checks
- End of Unit assessments – exam practice
- End of Year 12 Exams
- PPEs
- Recall Quizzes
What is the department currently reading and why?
News sources to keep up to date with politics happenings and to use as appropriate learning material or hinterland.
- Andrew Marr Show
- Sunday Politics
- Beyond 100 Days
- Broadsheet newspapers and broadcasters
Politics Review: this contains up to date evaluative politics content with explicit exam links
Tutor 2 U: revision material and notes
Politics Podcasts to keep up to date with politics happenings and to use as appropriate learning material or hinterland.
Material associated with political key thinkers and ideologies to deepen student understanding.
