Government and Politics

Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact

HOD – Mr Ned Lawton

Exam Board: EDEXCEL

 

Textbook: Jeffries et al. (2023) Politics: UK Government and Politics; Political Ideas; US Government and Politics

Intent

The overall intent is for students to be able to use their knowledge of politics to see behind the headlines to understand why things happen as they do. We give the students the tools to analyse and evaluate political developments in the UK, the USA and the wider world, and to form their own judgements. In this regard we have designed a curriculum that encourages students to use their knowledge of politics to form their own views and be politically active and knowledgeable in their adult life.

 

More specifically the students will learn about

  • The functioning of UK political institutions: the Prime-Minister, Parliament, the Cabinet, the “unwritten” constitution
  • The modus operandi of US political institutions as laid out in the Constitution: Federalism, the President, Congress and the Supreme Court
  • Democracy and participation, the role of political parties, pressure groups and the media, voting systems
  • Ideas underpinning Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism, and Feminism
  • Taking and keeping notes, organized in one’s folder in accordance with the specification.

 

Students will read about these topics by reading a set text, or series of texts designed to introduce the basic ideas. In addition, students will broaden their ability to apply their learning to political developments by reading newspaper articles and books and by listening to podcasts. Articles and podcasts will be prescribed by the teachers on a weekly basis. However, students will be encouraged to undertake independent learning and seek out sources of information themselves. The students will also be guided and taught to write in a crisp, logical and succinct manner whereby they outline their reasoning for a particular point of view and carry through a line of argument across a number of different paragraphs, with a conclusion that provides a clear sense of their opinion on the matter.

 

While teaching to the A-Level exam is necessarily the primary focus, this is greatly enhanced and facilitated by instilling a passion for politics as a subject, and for the power that knowledge of politics gives to understand why and how decisions are made. If students become passionate, learn to develop clear arguments and learn to write clearly and succinctly, they will do well at A-Level.

 

Implementation

The learning unfolds through a pedagogy whereby students gain knowledge through pre-reading; use this knowledge to analyse how different economic events and phenomena are connected; and finally, evaluate how the topic in question is related to the broader picture. The lessons are deliberately set up this way as it is a solid, structured way to help students understand the material, but also because it reflects the Edexcel Governance and Politics A-Level Marking scheme.

 

We have designed a curriculum that is logically and rationally sequenced, so that’s students learn about the UK and US political systems, and the political ideas that underpin both. The curriculum ensures that there is cross-over between the different topics being taught under different strands of the course. For example, a students learn about the theoretical aspects of ‘democracy and participation’, they are also learning about ‘the UK parliament’. Clearly the former provides the theoretical underpinnings of the latter, and it is important students see this. As with economics we would plan lessons with the pedagogy of knowledge, analysis, evaluation. The rationale is the same. It is logical and reflects the marking scheme.

 

We have developed clear and succinct trackers of student work and performance. These monitor pre-reading, consolidation, results in bi-weekly exam practice questions, and exam results. One entire lesson per week, in both economics and politics, is devoted to the students practicing an exam question. At the outset this would involve planning an answer in plenary, with the second half being used for students to put pen to paper under exam conditions. However, as the year advances, and throughout Year 13, more and more of the lesson would be used for exam practice. It is important students become accustomed to the time constraints of different mark questions and experienced in tailoring their answers to the marking scheme.

 

Impact

The desired impact is that the students complete the course a core knowledge and understanding of politics; to provide them with the analytical mindset to understand and develop opinions on political developments both in the UK and the wider world, and effectively communicate their ideas in words and in print. Many students may decide to further their studies in politics at third level, or indeed decide to take the leap of running for elected office. Having students studying politics in WA Sixth Form will generate more political debate across the year per se. This is important as students prepare to exercise their right to vote for the first time. It is important that as young citizens they have the tools to weigh up arguments and decide where they stand.

 

Curriculum Coverage

Year 12 Autumn

  • Democracy and Participation in the UK
  • UK Political Parties
  • The UK Constitution
  • The UK Parliament
  • Liberalism
  • Conservatism

 

Year 12 Spring

  • UK Elections
  • Voter Behaviour and the Media in the UK
  • The Prime Minister and the Executive
  • Relations between the different branches of Government
  • Socialism

 

Year 12 Summer

  • Consolidation of the first two terms work, and linking themes together

 

Year 13 Autumn

  • The US Constitution and Federalism
  • The US Congress
  • The US President
  • The US Supreme Court and Civil Rights
  • US Democracy and Participation
  • Feminism

 

Year 13 Spring

  • Revision

 

Year 13 Summer

  • Revision