Curriculum Intent

The intent of our A-Level Psychology curriculum is to engage, inspire and challenge students, equipping them with specific Psychology knowledge and skills. These include critical analysis, independent thinking and research. This will be via a broad and ambitious set of learning opportunities linked to the whole school CHRIST values and will offer students the opportunity to develop competence and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical and problem-solving skills. Students will also understand how society makes decisions and different issues and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economic and the wider society.

We aim to develop our students’ knowledge and understanding of Psychology areas, such as memory, social influence, attachment and schizophrenia. In addition to this wide raging subject knowledge, they will develop general scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures and learn to apply this learning in both a theoretical and practical context. Finally, we aim to develop students who are able to analyse, interpret and evaluate information, ideas and evidence, to make judgements and reach conclusions and develop and refine practical design and procedures. Excellence within Psychology would mean each pupil learning Blue Coat School with a sound grasp of scientific processes and techniques, a questioning mind and the ability to make judgments and reach conclusions for themselves. Our subject allows all students to develop socially through collaborative tasks, yet also develop the confidence to work individually and solve problems.

Our intention is that all learners, whatever their prior attainment will experience a challenging curriculum, that builds them in scaffolded stages towards becoming confident and questioning individuals. Psychology develops a range of valuable skills, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research. These skills are particularly relevant to young people and are transferable to further study and the workplace. Students will be enabled to use this classroom learning beyond school and apply them to a range of problems in the real world.