Government & Politics KS5

In Government and Politics we aim to teach students the key knowledge, concepts behaviour and institutions required to understand and engage with the AQA Government and Politics specification. We aim to develop students’ ideas and opinions about democracy and consider important questions such as:

• Should the UK have a constitution like America does? 

• What is more important the rights of the individual or the rights of the collective? 

• How have political ideas (such as Socialism, Conservatism and Liberalism) developed over time? How are they reflected in current politics? 

• Who should you vote for in the next general election? 

Beyond that, we aim to challenge students’ views in order to help them hone their arguments. Debate is a key element of our curriculum. Through debates students can engage with the arguments and knowledge and practice devising arguments and counter-arguments, which they can then use in their written work. 
In addition, we encourage students to engage in political processes. All students, for instance, are required to write to their MP concerning an issue of their choice. Students with a strong affiliation to a political party are encouraged to take part in local campaigns. In the past we have helped students to apply for a seat in the audience for the BBC’s Question Time. Students are also encouraged to seek work experience with their local MP during work experience week for Year 12.

Current affairs is at the heart of our curriculum. It is through current affairs that students can see the institutions, concepts and behaviours working in ‘real life’. Therefore, we aim to ensure that all students regularly engage with current affairs. Students are asked to re-cap what has been going on in the news on a regular basis. Particular news articles are set as homework reading tasks to ensure students pick up on the most important examples in the news. 

• The course follows the AQA specification and exam board
• Teacher 1 teaches 66% of the curriculum (Government and Politics of the UK and Government and Politics of the USA and Comparative Politics) over 6 lessons a fortnight. 
• Teacher 2 teaches 33% of the curriculum (Politics Ideas) over 3 lessons a fortnight
• Assessments are based on end of topic exam questions (students are given regular practice of all 3 types of exam questions across the 2 years) and end of topic knowledge quizzes
• The comparative element of the Year 13 content is taught in lessons and through home learning. Students re-cap Year 12 knowledge through starter activities, independent study time grids (tasks on Year 12 content) and in lesson activities where they are regularly asked to compare the US and the UK (often through use of double bubble diagrams). These comparisons are introduced in Year 12, but are primarily focused in Year 13. 
• Engaging with current affairs is a fundamental aspect of the course. Students will discuss current affairs in nearly every single lesson. This can mean that students engage with different parts of the curriculum in the ‘wrong’ order as we discuss what is going on in the news at that particular time. Strategies such as bespoke dividers are used to help students make sense of their learning when this happens.