Psychology

Psychology offers the ability to understand moral, ethical, social and cultural issues. It is about you, the people around you and differences that exist in different people which will benefit you personally, socially and in any job that requires you to interact with or understand other people. Psychology offers maximum opportunity to acquire and develop the new ‘Key Skills’ of communication, application of number, information, technology, working with others, improving own learning and performance and problem solving. There are a number of employment opportunities in clinical psychology, industrial or occupational psychology as well as many personal benefits to be gained from studying Psychology. There are many other jobs where Psychology is indirectly used such as nursing, social work, teaching and business.

A minimum of 48 points from the sum of your best 8 full course GCSEs and a minimum Grade 5 in both English Language and Mathematics.

The course consists of three units, examined at the end of the two year course. You will begin by studying the different approaches within the field, from the influence of our biology, through our environment and into our unconscious and how each of these areas attempts to explain human behaviour. This knowledge is then applied to topics such as psychopathology, memory, attachment, social influence, gender, stress and addiction. The biopsychology topic introduces the various means of studying human physiology and how the functions of the brain relate to our concept of the mind. Being a scientific discipline, psychologists apply scientific methodology to their work.You will be taught the theory of research methods, but will also carry out practical studies, formulating theories and then testing hypotheses through a variety of research methods. You will analyse your findings using statistical tests to help you to draw conclusions and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of your investigation.In Year 13, you are invited to present an area of your choice to Year 10 and 11 students at the fortnightly 'PsychSoc' allowing you not only to further your own understanding of this area, but also to lead a seminar-style discussion.

We offer lunchtime seminars with local, practising psychologists. Examples include a clinical psychologist working with refugees, as well as those working in addiction services and in neurofeedback. You will have the opportunity to attend a conference; further broadening your knowledge of the opportunities available to you.

A4 Lever arch file; 10 dividers; lined paper; coloured fineliners/writing pens; highlighters.

Students sit three written papers covering the content from introductory topics in psychology and psychology in context and issues and options in psychology.

SHS A Level Psychology students have gone on to study: Anthropology | Applied Medical Sciences | Applied Psychology (Clinical) | Business Management & Psychology | Criminology & Social Policy | Marketing | Master of Chiropractic | Medicine | Nursing | Psychology | Psychology & Global Sustainable Development | Special Education Needs | Social Sciences | Sociology | Speech & Language Therapy.