Psychology

Psychology is available from Sixth Form and is a very popular A-Level choice at our school.

The subject is taught by dedicated teachers who demand the very best from all pupils studying the course. The Head of Department, Miss S Ladbrook, is an experienced Senior Examiner for the AQA Examining Board and is an academic author.

The Psychology Department offers a stimulating and engaging science-based course, where pupils’ active curiosity for this subject is encouraged and developed in preparation for University and future academic careers.

We follow the AQA Specification. Pupils study the following papers over the two-year year course:
Paper 1. Introductory Topics in Psychology – topics studied include Memory, Attachment, Psychopathology, and Social Influence.
Paper 2. Psychology in Context – topics studied include Approaches in Psychology, Biopsychology, and Research Methods.
Paper 3. Issues and Options in Psychology – topics studied Gender, Schizophrenia, Forensic Psychology, and Issues and Debates in Psychology.

A wide range of enrichment and extension activities are undertaken in order to support learning and enhance pupils’ understanding of material studied in the classroom. We aim to enable our aspiring Psychology pupils the opportunity to develop their analytical thinking skills and to meet leading academics in the field of Applied Psychology.

Those who study Psychology annually attend the Criminology Student Conference in Manchester where they have the opportunity to listen to and engage with leading academics in the field of Criminology and Forensic Psychology, but also to meet reformed offenders and learn of their experiences. They are then able to apply the content of these lectures to the topic of Forensic Psychology.