Key Stage 5 Sociology Overview
Our A Level Sociology course provides students with the exciting opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and reflect on social issues that are often relevant to their own social experiences. Students can acquire knowledge and a critical understanding of contemporary social processes and social changes. They have the opportunity to develop a broad set of desirable key skills, including the ability to analyse and formulate clear, logical arguments with scope for extensive evaluation from a range of theoretical perspectives. Developing strong critical thinking skills and being able to consider issues with a global outlook will be of huge benefit to students moving forward, whether this is in further education, the workplace or society in general.
Students must have a genuine interest in social issues and why British society is as it is.
The study of Sociology offers students the opportunity to gain an insight and form opinions on social and cultural issues; developing the skills, and knowledge that many employers across a variety of industries are looking for. Our students will complete the course, having developed a critical understanding of social issues surrounding a range of topics, including; Religion, Culture and Crime.
Broader skills will also be developed, including; research methods, essay writing and independent learning, all of which will be an asset at university and in the world of work.
Meet the Department Team
| Name | Title |
| Mrs C Ledward | Head of Sociology |
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Entry Requirements Five or more A*‐ C (9-4 under the new grading system) grades at GCSE including English Language and Maths. Grade B (5/6) in English Language is preferred. |
| Course Content | |
|
Students will study three units to qualify for the A-level qualification. These are all assessed by a mixture of short, medium and extended compulsory questions, some of which are based on source material. |
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| A Level | |
| Unit 1 |
Socialisation, culture and identity and youth subcultures (30% of total A level) |
| Unit 2 |
Research methods and understanding social inequalities (35% of total A level) |
| Unit 3 |
Debates in contemporary society:
(35% of total A level) |
Career Opportunities
Throughout the course our students will develop their skills enabling them to learn and think critically, to solve problems, to work independently and as part of a group and to write a clearly structured, analytical essay.
Those students who show a particular aptitude for the subject can go onto study the topic further at university, and have access to a wide range of careers, such as the Police, Probation Officer, Law (Criminal Justice), Media, Public Relations, Social Work, and Teaching and Social Researcher.
