Politics

Rationale

Studying politics is essential because it provides us with a crucial framework for understanding the systems of governance and decision-making that shape our societies. It equips students with the knowledge and analytical skills needed to participate in and contribute to the democratic processes that underpin our modern world. By exploring political theory, history, and current events, students gain insights into the power structures, policies, and institutions that impact their lives. The study of politics also promotes critical thinking, as it encourages students to question and evaluate the actions and policies of governments, fostering a deeper understanding of the consequences of political choices. Moreover, it encourages an informed and engaged citizenry, which is fundamental to the functioning of any democracy. Ultimately, studying politics empowers individuals to be active and responsible members of their communities, making it a cornerstone of civic education. The curriculum offered provides a balance of UK, US and European politics underpinned with an explanation of the key political ideologies that inform our political processes. Every opportunity is taken to connect lessons with current events, and each week current issues are explored in greater depth in our hugely popular Debating Society. Students who have studied politics at FSG have gone onto careers in media, public administration and even government itself. Tracey Crouch, the MP for Chatham and Aylesford was a former pupil at our school, and other students have gone on to work as parliamentary PAs or undertaken placements at the United Nations.

Overview

Post 16

The A-level Politics curriculum offered by the AQA exam board is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of political systems, theories, and contemporary issues. The course is structured around three key components: UK Politics, US Politics and core political ideologies. These components encompass a wide range of topics, including elections, voting behavior, political parties and pressure groups. The papers are structured in a similar way, with 3 short questions testing knowledge of key features of our political systems, extracts to analyse and an essay-style question. For the US unit, students are expected to make synoptic links and comparisons with material studied in the first unit of work on the UK. The final unit explores the 3 core ideologies that are associated with many of our mainstream parties: conservatism, socialism and liberalism. In addition, schools elect to study one additional ideology of their choice to be examined on as an essay. Given the context of our school, we offer feminism as our additional option. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to engage critically with political theory and real-world political developments, honing their analytical and evaluative skills. The course offers a solid foundation for those looking to pursue higher education in politics or related fields, and it equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become informed and active participants in the political landscape.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

Trip to Westminster, Houses of Parliament and Supreme Court; Debating Society; visits by MPs and professional lobbyists; trip to Washington to visit Congress, Whitehouse and museusm at the Smithsonian with a political dimension, such as the Museum of National History and the Museum of African-American History; opportunities to take part in competitions such as Mock Bar and Youth Speaks.

Online Resources

Exam Board

A-level - AQA

If you would like to know more about our curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact the school.