Sociology

Curriculum Overview - Sociology

Curriculum Intent:  

Our A’ Level in Sociology concentrates on contemporary society and fosters the development of critical and reflective thinking with a respect for social diversity. Students will develop knowledge and understanding of structures within society and the factors which contribute to social identity.  

This A’ Level provides an awareness of the importance of social structure and social changes both globally and nationally, in explaining social issues. Students will have the opportunity to develop a broad set of transferrable skills, including the ability to analyse and formulate clear, logical arguments, with opportunity for extensive evaluation from a range of theoretical perspectives. They will advance strong critical thinking skills and will be able to consider issues with a global outlook. This will be of huge benefit to students moving forward, whether this is in further education, the workplace or society in general. 

Within Year 12 we introduce the topic of socialisation, culture and identity. We also begin the study of research methods and social inequalities. Students are supported to explore norms, values and social trends that influence a person’s social identity. They have the opportunity to critically think about primary and secondary socialisation, agencies of socialisation and aspects that contribute to identity. Our students are also empowered to explore the diversity of family and household types in contemporary UK.  

In Year 13 students are encouraged to explore a range of methods and sources of data, as well as the factors influencing the design of sociological research. They are empowered to consider the practical, ethical and theoretical issues arising in sociological research and explore the context of social inequalities. Students will research key theorists, such as functionalism, Marxism, Weberian, feminism and New Right.  

By the end of their A’ Level journey students will have experienced a challenging and ambitious curriculum to prepare them for their careers/education beyond our school. 

Curriculum Implementation:  

Within year 12 our students explore culture and identity, as well as socialisation. They will learn how to conduct their own research and how to methodologically analyse sources of data. Key learning from Year 12 involves primary and secondary socialisation, factors that influence demography as well as starting to explore key theorists linking to the family unit.  

By Year 13 our students will be able to evaluate globalisation and the role of education on society. Our students will be comfortable in exam technique, analysing research and utilising multiple resources to formulate an argument. Students will explore social class, alongside key theorists that address the social issues around education and educational inequalities globally. 

Key skills utilised across KS5:  

• Written communication skills- including how to formulate a written argument/ how to conduct research findings/how to note take and condense important information/ writing extended exam answers that match to the command verb  
• Verbal communication skills- including conducting debates/ how to constructively challenge/ presentation skills 
• Research methods- including creating own findings/ researching a range of sources from qualitative and quantitative data  

External Link:

AS and A Level – Sociology – H180, H580 (from 2015) (ocr.org.uk)