Balcarras School Psychology department: Curriculum intent

The psychology curriculum supports the whole school curriculum aims by ensuring equal access to a broad, balanced and relevant selection of psychological topics. The psychology department also fosters literacy, numeracy and scientific skills and achievement. The department also encourages students to enjoy their learning and get a sense of success through their achievements. It also aims to prepare students for the next stage in their lives by encouraging resilience, self-reliance and an understanding of their responsibility to take ownership of their own learning, as well as essential skills for the workplace or higher education.

Curriculum intent: Core ideals

• Students will develop a broad and varied understanding of key topics in psychology.
• Key skills (knowledge. application, evaluation) will be taught to allow depth of learning and also to facilitate essential exam techniques.
• Students will be able to make links between different aspects of the curriculum.
• Students considering studying psychology at university or following a relevant career path will be supported in making relevant decisions and understanding the important information for their options. 
• Students should be able to make links between areas of the psychology curriculum and aspects of their own lives/events around the world/in history.

Curriculum intent: Context

At Balcarras we follow the AQA exam board for psychology. This qualification offers an engaging and effective introduction to psychology which will appeal to a cross-section of students, regardless of whether they have studied psychology before. It is also the most popular and well-resourced exam specification with excellent online analysis tools available.

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts, theories, research studies, research methods and ethical issues in relation to the specified content
2. apply psychological knowledge and understanding of the specified content in a range of contexts
3. analyse, interpret and evaluate psychological concepts, theories, research studies and research methods in relation to the specified content
4. evaluate therapies and treatments including in terms of their appropriateness and effectiveness.
5. Show knowledge and understanding of research methods, practical research skills and mathematical skills will be assessed in all papers. These skills should be developed through study of the specification content and through ethical practical research activities, involving:
   1. designing research
   2. conducting research
   3. analysing and interpreting data. In carrying out practical research activities, students will manage associated risks and use information and communication technology (ICT).

These objectives are met through careful curriculum planning (see curriculum map) to ensure that topics follow a logical and coherent structure, building on previous knowledge and ensuring that students are prepared for external examinations. For example, Approaches (Unit 2) is taught early on in the course, but this being a very lengthy and content heavy topic I have broken it into two ‘chunks’. The first chunk covers an introduction to psychology as well as just the first three approaches that are necessary to apply to psychopathology (the next topic covered). Applying them in this context helps to support understanding of the approaches and facilitates teaching of the second half of the topic.

As a department we believe that the optional topics we have selected (forensic, gender and schizophrenia) reflect the main interest and core values of the majority of our students despite being among the most challenging. These are often referenced as students’ favourite topics to cover and the ones that provoke the most interest in terms of topics for EPQ and even progression to the study of psychology at an undergraduate level. The A level psychology curriculum has many links to strands of PSHE and citizenship provision, namely mental health, law and criminality, gender, culture and family relationships. We also have clear links to other KS5 curriculum areas, for example geography in terms of research methods, biology (research methods and some biopsych content), English and philosophy. In addition, many of the units taught have links to prior learning in KS4 for example in maths and science.

The psychology department believe wholeheartedly in inclusive education and as a result are one of only a few departments who have no subject specific entry requirements to study psychology at A level. This means that students representing a broad spectrum of abilities are welcomed on to the course. Lower ability students are fully supported through the introduction of work booklets to help organise and manage work, lots of focused support on exam technique, hands on experience of carrying out practical experimental work and revision based focus groups. Further information about SEND support is detailed in a separate SEND provision document.

Assessment intent:

Pupils will be offered a range of regular assessment types throughout their study at Balcarras. This will usually take the form of past paper questions (AQA) and essays. All assessments will involve detailed feedback to students for example going through the mark schemes and annotating areas of improvement within their work. The most important aim for assessment in psychology is that students know how to improve their work.

 Assessed work in psychology aims to cover three key areas that they will require during A level study:

• AO1 – Knowledge and understanding.
• AO2 – Application of knowledge to novel stimulus material.
• AO3 – Evaluation and analysis.

For more detail on marking and assessment within the department, see department marking policy document.

Implementation of the curriculum

All students will be taught by two experienced subject specialists who will split the course between them (see curriculum map above for current topic division). Teachers within the department review the curriculum regularly and ensure that all topics are delivered in a clearly structured series of engaging lessons. Teachers are responsible for designing assessment materials for the area of study they deliver and these are updated regularly – this is to ensure that the most recent exam feedback is incorporated into our teaching, and areas of weakness can be directly addressed during feedback sessions.

Self-evaluation is crucial for the department, so learning walks (formal and informal) and lesson observations take place regularly to ensure that quality of teaching and learning is high and consistent.

Impact of the curriculum

Progress and effort grades are collected at regular intervals to formatively asses the impact of the curriculum. These are informed by a number of factors. Firstly, we consider the students’ verbal contribution to discussion and their general attitude to learning. We also take into account the marks and grades achieved on homework and class-based assessment tasks. Progress grades are regularly analysed and in Year 13 a group of target students is identified who may require additional support in meeting their minimum expected grade. Support will be provided for this group in a number of ways with contact being made with home to ensure parental support as well.

Ultimately, the impact of the curriculum is measured through the final A level results at the end of Year 13. These results are carefully analysed every year, and this is used to inform any changes needed in the delivery of the curriculum e.g. areas of weakness in skill or content will be targeted for improvement

The first year of the course is made up of two units:

Unit 1: Introducing topics in psychology

Unit 1

• Social influence: Conformity, obedience, resistance, minority influence & social change
• Memory: Models of memory, explanations of forgetting & eyewitness testimony 
• Attachment: role of the caregiver, development of attachments with reference to humans & animals, functions of attachments, types of attachments & the influence of childhood attachments on adult relationships.

Unit 2

• Approaches & Biopsychology: Origins of psychology, biological, behaviourist, cognitive & social learning approaches. The nervous system, structure and function of neurons & synaptic transmission, the endocrine system, flight or fight response
• Psychopathology: definitions, biological, cognitive & behaviourist explanations and treatments of phobias, OCD & depression
• Research methods: Planning research, experimental and non-experimental methods, representing and describing data

To complete the full A level all first year content is required as well as an additional unit

Unit 1: Introducing topics in psychology

Unit 1

• Social influence: Conformity, obedience, resistance, minority influence & social change
• Memory: Models of memory, explanations of forgetting & eyewitness testimony 
• Attachment: role of the caregiver, development of attachments with reference to humans & animals, functions of attachments, types of attachments & the influence of childhood attachments on adult relationships.
• Psychopathology: definitions, biological, cognitive & behaviourist explanations and treatments of phobias, OCD & depression

Unit 2

• Approaches: Origins of psychology, biological, behaviourist, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic & social learning approaches
• Biopsychology: The nervous system, structure and function of neurons & synaptic transmission, the endocrine system, flight or fight response, biological rhythms, localisation of the brain split brain research & methods of studying the brain
• Research methods: Planning research, experimental and non-experimental methods, representing and describing data, statistical testing

Unit 3

• Issues and debates in psychology:  Gender and culture in psychology, free will and determinism,  nature-nurture debate, holism and reductionism, idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation and ethical implications of research studies and theory.
• Schizophrenia: Classification of schizophrenia, positive symptoms of schizophrenia, reliability and validity in diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia, biological explanations, psychological explanations, drug therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and family therapy, token economies as used in the management of schizophrenia.
• Forensic psychology: Measuring and defining crime, profiling, theories explaining criminal behaviour, custodial sentencing and dealing with offenders
• Gender: Gender:  Sex and gender, sex-role stereotypes, androgyny and measuring androgyny, biological explanations, cognitive expansions, psychodynamic explanations, social explanations, atypical gender development

For further information of the course structure, please click here.

Many of our students go on to study psychology related degrees at university. These courses allow students to explore many areas of psychology from the neuroscience of behaviour to the social construction of reality. A degree in psychology will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in psychology and beyond. Degrees that are accredited by the British Psychological Society are the first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist working in areas such as forensic, occupational and clinical psychology. The abilities you develop will also serve you well in related areas such as teaching, human resources, health and social care, and research.