Psychology

Psychology is the study of human behaviour and experience. It seeks to explain why we behave the way we do and how our minds work. It is directly relevant to you, your friends and society in general. Where does our behaviour come from? Are we born with our personalities, or do we learn to be the people we are? Questions such as these lie at the heart of Psychology. If you are at all interested in how we learn, how our memory works, why some of us have phobias and how other people influence us, then Psychology is the subject for you!

Studying Psychology will help you to develop skills that will be beneficial to your other subjects. You will be taught effective essay writing skills, and alongside this, you will be encouraged to become a critical thinker who can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and pieces of research. You will learn about research methods and you will design and carry out practical investigations. Psychology lessons need your input; you will be encouraged to develop your communication skills so that you can contribute to debate and discussion and present your ideas in an effective way.

Course content and assessment

We follow the Edexcel GCE specification. Psychology is a linear assessment qualification so students are examined on the full content of the course at the end of the two years.

In the first year students will study four modules which give students the underpinning of the main areas of Psychology: Biological, Cognitive, Learning and Social. In the second year students will learn about the topical areas of Clinical Psychology and Child Psychology as well as completing a synoptic review of the content from both years. These topics are all covered in two of the three exam papers that students take at A Level. The third paper is on Psychological Skills which is more of a synoptic paper assessing the debates, studies and research methods taught over the two years. Though coursework is not directly examined, a new feature of this exam is that at the end of each topic students will create, carry out and write up their own practical investigation. Questions within the exam could then focus on the practical research students have carried out.

Additional features

The Psychology department aims to inspire students in all areas of Psychology, even beyond the curriculum. We run a regular Psychology society throughout the year where students and staff given talks on a range of topics outside the curriculum such as: Psychology and Interrogation Processes, Psychology and Warfare, Subliminal Messages, The Psychology of Music to name a few. We run a regular cohort trip to a Psychology Conference at Bristol University and also take the L6 to Bristol Zoo in the summer term. Clinics are run when needed throughout the year, especially in the run up to exams.

What subjects does Psychology combine with?

Due to it's versatile nature and the fact that it is a science that also holds the analytical features of essay subjects Psychology combines well with a very wide range of subjects from the arts to the sciences. Common subject combinations are: Biology, Geography, Business, English, PE, Languages.

Potential Careers

If you want to work in any career that involves people then Psychology can provide a huge benefit. You could go on and become: Any type of psychologist, physiotherapist, counsellor, teacher, HR, advertiser, journalist, PR, media, forensics, charities, healthcare to name a few.

Facilities and staff

We have three members working in the department; all of whom are subject specialists, have a passion for Psychology and bring the subject to life in the classroom. Our classrooms are equipped to teach all content to the highest level with a wide range of interaction and student engagement.

Requirements

Grade 5 (or B) in GCSE Biology, Mathematics and English.

Course Offered

A Level Edexcel Psychology