A specification driven intention ensures that students develop the various transferable skills outlined within the course. These include the ability to use specialist terminology to apply, analyse, evaluate and discuss psychological theories and explanation of human behaviour. Psychologists scientifically study all kinds of behaviour, such as our thoughts, feelings, and motivations behind action or decision. By studying this subject in Year 12 and Year 13, it allows students to examine questions like:
Psychology is an interdisciplinary subject that draws on the Sciences and the Humanities by applying scientific methods and theories to understand human and animal behaviour. It relates to everyday life by addressing topics such as learning, memory and group behaviour, integrating cross curriculum links to aspects of Biology, Ethics, Philosophy and other curriculum areas. All this combined makes Psychology a most fascinating subject to study but also gives our students a wide range of skills. As they are required to describe and evaluate studies, present their viewpoints to the class through presentations and debates, work in teams as well as individually to construct essays and gain a thorough knowledge of the 11 units, which at the end of two years are cumulates in three two-hour exams.
At KS5, students study A-level AQA Psychology. This course helps students prepare for university, especially BPS-approved Psychology degrees, as the content matches well with what universities teach.
The main aim is to help students get ready for further education and develop a better understanding of themselves and the world.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Course Structure
The course includes eight compulsory units (mostly taught in Year 12) and three optional units (taught in Year 13):
Year 12 Compulsory Units:
Year 13 Optional Units (currently taught):
The optional units allow flexibility based on students’ needs and staff expertise.
Research Methods
Research Methods is taught early in the course to give students a good understanding of scientific research. This helps them evaluate studies across all topics.
Assessment and Progression
After Year 12 mock exams, students study Issues & Debates, which brings together everything they’ve learned.
Year 13
All reasonable adjustments, advised by AQA, are adhered to in our teaching practices. This extends into the communication to both students and parents. Within Psychology, we use a range of different ‘quality first’ teaching strategies to help support and guide students.
This is achieved through CPD with our SENCO and SEND information provided on Provision Mapper on the best teaching and learning strategies to maximise each student’s potential.
Assessment for Learning to help students succeed is a vital element to our teaching style . This is differentiated based on student’s needs, for example in the use of white boards, extra time or the use of laptops, modelling of answers from both peers and teachers.
The use of work booklets and resources (given to students as well as Firefly) enables students to be organised and prepared for their lessons, reducing anxiety over lesson content and the amount of note writing as the resources are already pre-printed at the beginning of each topic. This also reduces cognitive load for students.
Linear assessments build on students’ knowledge and understanding throughout Year 12 and into Year 13, as well as end of topic tests that identify areas of strengths and areas that need to be improved. These areas of improvement become intervention strategies to consolidate students’ knowledge in class and in after school sessions to ensure “understanding of assessment criteria” (Ofsted 2021) Students are encouraged and praised, which is communicated through the use ATL points via SIMs in touch.
Key terms and level 3 knowledge are referenced through the lesson and refereed to within levels of grade boundaries and mark schemes.
Each student at the beginning of the year given the access details to the online login details for the Year 12 and Year 13 textbooks, as well as a library pass system with the revision guides and in class textbook which can be taken home and used.
All lessons and materials are on the curriculum area and wider reading, revision techniques, structure of the course and materials are also on firefly, which is where all homework’s and assessments are set for students.
Students are given booklets for each topic, with activities to help them learn more and improve their understanding. In class, more able students can complete extra tasks like writing, exam questions, or scenarios. Teachers also use questioning, different resources, and detailed feedback sheets for essays, homework, and tests to support all students.
Extra support is provided through one-to-one feedback in class, using red pen to help students improve. Parents are kept informed through SIMs messages when students are doing well or when they fall below their target grades. If a student keeps underperforming, teachers will call or meet with parents. The Director of Sixth Form is also kept up to date on student progress.
After each set of exams, students get a report showing what they did well and what they need to work on. Extra help is offered through after-school and lunchtime revision sessions for end-of-topic exams. In Year 13, extra revision sessions are organised for topics like statistics and research methods, as these can be more difficult.
Psychology is only taught at A-level, but it links closely to subjects students already know from GCSE and other A-level courses. This helps them apply what they’ve learned elsewhere to Psychology.
Key Links to Other Subjects
Maths (Edexcel GCSE)
Psychology uses Maths skills like:
✔ Working with decimals, ratios, percentages
✔ Estimating and using significant figures
✔ Creating and interpreting tables, charts, graphs
✔ Understanding probability and sampling
✔ Using statistical tests
✔ Working with averages (mean, median, mode)
✔ Understanding normal and skewed distributions
✔ Interpreting algebra and graphs
Most of these are taught in Years 7-11, but students apply them in A-level Psychology, especially in Research Methods.
Biology (GCSE & A-level AQA)
Psychology builds on Biology knowledge, including:
✔ The nervous system and endocrine system
✔ Neurons, neurotransmitters, and synaptic transmission
✔ Genetics and evolution
✔ Drug treatments
These topics link directly to Biopsychology and understanding mental health conditions like OCD, schizophrenia, and addiction.
Geography (A-level AQA)
Psychology and Geography share skills such as:
✔ Research design and data collection
✔ Analysing data using statistics
✔ Ethical issues in research
✔ Understanding cultures and global differences (important for Attachment and Child Rearing topics)
Media Studies (A-level AQA)
Media topics link to Psychology through:
✔ Identity and self-presentation
✔ The role of social media in relationships
✔ Parasocial relationships and celebrity addiction
These are taught in the Relationships topic in Year 13 Psychology.
Business Studies (A-level Edexcel)
Links to Psychology include:
✔ Motivation theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Psychology students study this in the Humanistic approach, looking at how meeting basic needs affects mental health.
PE (A-level AQA)
PE and Psychology both cover:
✔ Self-efficacy (Bandura’s work)
✔ Effects of drugs on the body and mind
✔ Nervous system functions
✔ Learning theories (e.g., Operant conditioning)
✔ Memory models (e.g., Working Memory Model)
These topics are taught in both subjects and complement each other.
History (GCSE & A-level Edexcel)
Psychology’s Social Influence topic links to:
✔ Events like the Holocaust, Civil Rights Movement, and Suffragettes
✔ Understanding obedience, conformity, and how social change happens
Theology (A-level OCR)
Links include:
✔ Freud’s ideas about personality and development
✔ The free will vs determinism debate
✔ Evolution and human behaviour
These are explored in Psychology’s Approaches and Issues & Debates topics.
Reading
Students improve their reading by learning new psychological words and ideas. They become more confident reading academic and scientific texts. They also practice reading critically, spotting strengths, weaknesses, and biases in research. Enrichment activities help students deepen their understanding and curiosity about psychology.
Writing
Students learn how to structure their answers for exams. They are taught to use key psychological terms accurately in their writing. Teachers use activities like whiteboard work, mind maps, and exam-style questions to help students remember key terms, theories, and evaluation points. Repetition and active tasks help students retain information better
Oracy (Speaking Skills)
Students regularly speak in class to explain definitions, theories, and research findings. They take part in group discussions and debates on topics like ethics, treatments, and cultural bias. This helps them develop confidence and clear academic language. Students also give presentations to practice organising spoken information and engaging an audience.
Vocabulary Development
Students are introduced to key terms early and use them often. These terms are repeated in different topics to help understanding. For example, the word “synchrony” is used in both Social Influence and Attachment topics. Students are given key term lists to help with learning.
Digital Literacy
Students use online textbooks and resources like Simply Psychology, Tutor2u, and Massolit to support independent study.
In class, they research studies and articles online to build their research skills. They learn how to evaluate information, check for reliable sources, and tell the difference between primary and secondary data. These skills are especially useful in Research Methods topics.
Assemblies are delivered to Year 11 students on Psychology and what it entails before Information evening in January. This allows students to gain a grasp and an overview before speaking individually to students. Information evening then provides a good basis for students to find out about psychology speaking to Year 12 students and giving a realistic viewpoint of the course. Year 11 students then have an induction day in July, whereby they meet with their Psychology teacher and gain and greater understanding of the course. Here they are set material that they must research and complete over the summer on the different approaches. As this is fundamental part of the course, and something with lead with in the first half term. Psychology teachers are always present at A level results days and GCSE results day to talk and sign up students in August to start September with the entry requirements.
The nature of Psychology enables students to apply the many facets of the subject to a variety of career choices, such as statistics and accounting, biopsychology to nursing/medical degrees. The role of attachment in writing storylines, or developing characters through researching disorders such as depression, or reasons for aggression. Psychology relates to lots of university degrees, some of which have specific psychology units/modules of study. The psychology classroom (EM6) a careers board is displayed about how Psychology could relate to future opportunities, as well as undertaking role play, debates and impact psychology has on careers such as the police and eye witness testimony.
Within PSHE it covers a wide range of psychological issues, such as anxiety and mental health. Mental health challenges often first emerge during early to mid-adolescence, with most mental disorders beginning in childhood or adolescence (Solmi et al., 2022). This underscores the importance of equipping students with the knowledge and skills to care for their mental wellbeing. Doing so may help prevent the onset of mental ill-health or reduce its severity during adolescence. It can also empower students to seek help earlier than they might otherwise.
