Politics

The Politics department at Harris Rainham Sixth Form intends to deliver a rich, thorough and challenging curriculum that will enable students to develop an understanding of contemporary institutions and political theory which underpins the world in which we live.

To be a student of politics is to be a student of the world, a global citizen. The political landscape of the UK, and indeed the world, changes on a daily basis. A-Level politics allows for students to develop a range of different skills and characteristics that allow them to:

• Comprehend and interpret political information in relation to areas of UK government
• Understand, and critically analyse and evaluate areas of UK government
• Identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between content studied, providing a basis for comparing the UK with the USA and appreciating the UK’s position in global politics
• Construct and communicate arguments and explanations with relevance, clarity and coherence and draw reasoned conclusions
• Develop knowledge and understanding of key political concepts
• Develop a wider knowledge and understanding of vocabulary.

By studying Government and Politics at A-Level, students will have the opportunity to learn about the mechanisms of political institutions, political ideologies, key individuals in political history and the impact that each of these have on the whole of society.

Students will understand the ideologies, events and individuals that have shaped modern society. Our students will explore themes such as the development of the UK’s democratic system and the nature of democracy, the role of political parties and the importance of the individual in the political process.

Students will expand their studies to the USA, considered by some to be a ‘beacon of democracy’, learning about the nature of US democracy and the debates surrounding it, such as the nature of the US Constitution and States’ rights.

Students will develop comparisons between US and UK political institutions, which will deepen their understanding of Politics as a discipline. To develop their understanding of theoretical politics, students will examine a range of political ideologies such as socialism, liberalism and conservativism, studying their emergence and impact, while also considering the influence it has had on the UK.

By the end of their two-year study, our students have a refined understanding of the discipline of Politics, are equipped with the wisdom to understand the rapidly changing political landscape, and are successful, happy and informed citizens ready for university and for the career of their choice.

Year 12

In Year 12, the students begin a study of how people and politics interact in the UK. They will draw upon their analytical and evaluative skills learned in subjects such as History, Geography and English at GCSE when exploring the emergence and development of the UK’s democratic system and the role and importance of political parties.

Students will examine how electoral systems in the UK operate and how individuals and groups are influenced in their voting behaviour and political actions. Students will draw upon their analytical and evaluative skills to apply them in a more complex fashion when studying the rules governing politics in the UK, the UK Constitution, which is distinct and almost unique in its nature compared with other countries. In addition, students will cover the role of the legislative, executive and judiciary branches in the UK as well as the relationships between them.

Towards the end of Year 12, students will begin their exploration of political ideologies, learning about the central ideas and principles of each ideology, and how they apply in practice to human nature, the state, society and the economy.

Finally, focus will move to the debates and divisions within each idea and the core beliefs of key thinkers such as Karl Marx, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Year 12 will provide students with a solid foundation of political understanding and by the end of the year they will be able to debate and critique all aspects of both politics and government in the UK.

Year 13

Year 13 begins with the study of people and politics in the US democratic system, exploring the nature of the US Constitution and its comparison to the UK.  Progressing on from this, students will examine the electoral process and the emergence of the two-party system. 

Similarly, to their study of UK politics, students will learn about the major branches of the US government, the legislative, executive and judiciary, as well as the relationships between them. Alongside their study of US politics students will learn to conduct comparative analysis by considering the similarities and differences between the US and UK political systems.

By the end of Year 13, students will have mastered their analytical and evaluative skills when interpreting political information covering the rules governing US politics and the core ideas behind ideologies, while also being able to critically analyse and evaluate the debates and arguments central to these themes. They will be able to evaluate whether ‘liberty and justice for all’ has been achieved in the USA, whilst interrogating the debates around the nature of democracy in the USA while also having the ability to compare political institutions in the US with those in the UK.

By the end of their studies our students will have a deep understanding of UK politics, how it is structured and will understand how it shapes society and affects daily life. Students will be well prepared to engage in current debates and critically analyse current affairs. Above all else, students will be prepared to be active participants in society and prepared for university and future careers.