The study of Government and Politics allows students to understand the inner workings of the political systems in the modern world. It helps the pupils to understand how decisions are reached, where power lies and the role of politics in modern society. Through studying these various aspects of political systems and routines, students will therefore also understand their own role within them and their responsibilities. They will also develop their skills in debating, analysis, oracy and writing which will support them in future endeavours.
At Coloma, the schemes of work have been written within the aims and ethos of the national curriculum. This requires students to develop a breadth and depth of knowledge of Government and Politics in both the UK and the USA. In order that the subject resonates and reflects the wide diversity at Coloma, the curriculum has been developed with the emphasis of encouraging students to investigate a broad range of political topics that resonated in the UK and USA. This requires a sound political understanding, as well as a wide range of knowledge on the evolution of politics throughout history right through to the current day. Moreover, students are also required to develop an understanding of a range of concepts including; democracy, ideologies, institutions and political processes which will allow them to consider patterns across time and how relevant they are to this day. The focus is on ensuring that pupils engage analytically with political concepts and their impact on the political world today. Teachers will ensure that students can express their opinions using knowledge rich vocabulary and high level concepts.
Furthermore, teachers will ensure students master each concept before moving through to the next, following a curriculum specifically sequenced to draw links between concepts and target misconceptions head on. These skills are ideal for those students considering a career where they need to evaluate evidence, present information in a balanced way and extend this into written communication.
Politics is ideally suited for those considering the: politics, civil service, journalism, charities sector, the heritage industry, architecture, marketing, sales and of course teaching and lecturing.
Year 12 has a focus on understanding the UK political systems and structures. This includes examining the Legislature, Executive and Judicial arrangements in place and the reasons for the models they operate under. Moreover, a wider awareness of the factors that influence central and devolved politics including the role of the media, pressure and interest groups and current debates around voting age and responsibilities. At the end of the year students engage with three core political ideologies: Conservatism, Socialism and Liberalism. As well as a chosen ideology which is Feminism. This is designed to give students a broader awareness of the ideas that have shaped out current democracy, as well as the ongoing debates for women in the UK and the wider world. Year 13 is focused on comparing the UK system to the US including the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, voting systems and ideologies under pinning the democratic model. Furthermore, students consider the role that race and race relations has had upon the US political systems.
Year 12 and 13 are taught by two teachers who employ a range of teaching strategies to ensure students transfer content from their long term memory. This includes regular low stakes class knowledge and skills tasks and quizzes to help embed key facts and concepts. Key vocabulary, spelling and definition tests are used to increase students' language development and academic expression.
The curriculum is designed to ensure all students are supported to build success by forming links with concepts previously taught and not just within one year but across multiple years. As such, exams can test a wide range of knowledge including materials, concepts and vocabulary from previous modules. Students are actively encouraged to share ideas, give speeches and presentations and be able to speak with fluency on a given topic.
| Subject Documents |
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| POLITICS Curriculum Overview |