Department Contacts

 

Psychology Curriculum: 

Psychology translates as ‘the study of the human mind’ - but psychology is more than this. Psychology is everywhere around us. It is intriguing, it is emotional, it is scientific and above all it is thought-provoking. This course offers you the opportunity to learn about the science behind human behaviour by understanding how research is conducted and used to develop theories and laws about human behaviour. 

In the A level course, we cover a wide range of phenomena from various perspectives. Alongside studying the various theories, we focus on how psychologists work; how they conduct studies, how they collect and analyse data and, most importantly, how they protect their participants from physical and psychological harm. 

We study the history of psychology, from the early days of participants looking at an image and describing their thoughts about it to modern brain scanning and DNA analysis techniques. 

The skills developed during this course equip students for careers in the law, education, medicine and allied professions, sports, therapy, research and many more. 

Assessment and Homework 

Assessment takes place throughout the course using a variety of methods. Knowledge and understanding are assessed through written work done in class, during discussion as well as through formal end of chapter assessments at the end of each unit. 

There are three written examinations at the end of Year 13, each carrying equal weight. At least 30% of the written papers will assess knowledge and understanding of research methods. 10% of the papers will assess mathematical skills. There is no coursework. 

Homework in A-level psychology is an integral part of the course. Each week students are set a Flipped Learning task through OneNote in Teams. Students are expected to complete homework before the lesson, so that teaching time can be used more effectively on discussing the most difficult parts of the topic, clarifying misconceptions and exam practice. Students are expected to complete around 4-5 hours of independent work each week. 

Sociology Curriculum:

Sociology is a subject that rewards and challenges those who are curious about the world around them. It encourages students to question why things are as they are. Sociology develops analytical and evaluative skills and encourages students to express their opinions and debate with others. 

Studying Sociology at TCA is an enjoyable, enlightening and challenging experience. Students see the world through the new and exciting lens of informed sociological understanding. This really helps students to mature intellectually and emotionally. 

The topics explored include education and family and households in year 12, as well as media and crime and deviance in year 13. 

Sociology offers the opportunity to make links between different aspects of the course and wider social and political debates. These can be used to deepen the knowledge base of the students and also to promote debate, develop discussion skills and increase interdependence. Developing these skills then allows students to write with more clarity and evaluate with more authority when answering exam questions. 

Assessment and Homework: 

Assessment takes place throughout the course using a variety of methods. Knowledge and understanding are assessed through written work done in class, during discussion, through formative assessment on longer essays as well as through formal end of chapter assessments at the end of each unit. 

There are three written examinations at the end of Year 13. Each exam carries the equal weight of 33% of the final A level grade.  Each exam has a range of questions including short stimulus response and longer essay questions. There is no coursework.  

Homework in A-level sociology is an integral part of the course. Each week students are set a Flipped Learning tasks as well as consolidation tasks. Students are expected to complete homework before the lesson, so that teaching time can be used more effectively on discussing the most difficult parts of the topic, clarifying misconceptions and exam practice. Students are expected to complete around 4-5 hours of independent work each week. 

Revision Resources: 

• Seneca learning 

• Tutor2u resources and website  

• Aqa.org.uk 

In addition to the above resources, social sciences department will give you access a number of physical and online subscription resources to help with your A level revision.