Joanna Berechula, who achieved an A* in Politics, explains why Politics is worth taking at A Level (she went on to Cambridge to study History):

“The last few years have seen several transformative events all over the world that make studying politics more exciting and more relevant than ever. The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the Brexit vote, to name a couple of obvious examples, have dominated the news and will probably continue to do so for a while yet. But politics is equally important even on a smaller scale - things that affect the everyday lives of young people, from GCSE reforms to tuition fees to paying for a plastic bag, are also decided by our governments, whether national or local.

So, the question of why someone should study politics is an easy one to answer; it is a subject that affects everyone without exception. Learning about the systems which dictate our lives is an essential part of a general education for anyone, but particularly for students that want to be engaged with the world we live in and maybe go on to shape it. Even if you don’t have visions of world domination, politics is simply interesting! It’s the perfect combination of theory and practice, the ideas behind things and how they are put into place, relating to some of the most pressing issues of our time. From the big questions to everyday governance, there is something in politics to interest everyone.

I’ve found politics to be invaluable to my study of history and along with economics it’s provided me with an immensely helpful perspective on what drives our society. I thoroughly enjoyed studying it at A level and I hope to incorporate it into my studies at university. I would recommend it to everyone without hesitation!”

POLITICS

What will I study?

During the two year A Level politics course you will study three components. Each of these components will be assessed at the end of the final year. Each exam is of equal weight. They are:

1. UK Politics and Core Political IdeasStudents will study:

● Democracy and participation● Political parties● Electoral systems● Voting behaviour and the media

They will also study three political ideas:● Liberalism● Conservatism● Socialism

2. UK Government and Optional Political IdeasStudents will study:

● The constitution● Parliament● Prime Minister and the executive● Relationships between the branches●

They will also explore:● Feminism

3. Comparative politics: USA

Course entry criteria: you should have achieved a GCSE grade 6 in History, Geography, RS, Business, English or similar subject.

Combine Politics with a range of other subjects: Current students do this subject with history, geography, economics, psychology, chemistry, physics, maths, english, food and business studies.

US PoliticsThe US constitutionUS CongressUS PresidencyUS Supreme CourtUS Democracy and

participationUS Civil Rights

What skills and opportunities are there with Government and Politics A Level?

✓ Politics impacts on us all every day and studying Politics allows us to be able to see how the world around us is being shaped. Politics combines well with other subjects such as History, English, Economics and Business Studies.

✓ Politics is viewed by universities and employers alike as an academically rigorous subject which shows an interest in and awareness of current issues. Past pupils have done a range of degree courses and then moved into areas such as: Law, Accountancy, Administration, Civil Service, Health Service, Police, Teaching, Politics, Media, Journalism and Medicine.

✓ To study Politics, it is expected that you will already have an interest in current affairs and this will be utilised throughout the course.

✓ Students will develop a wide range of skills throughout their course of study, including the ability to comprehend, synthesise and interpret political information; identify connections and analyse political knowledge; as well as construct and communicate arguments clearly and coherently.

DID YOU KNOW? All our students of Politics will visit the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court in Westminster. Pupils have had the opportunity to question local councillors, MPs and an MEP in an Oldham Council Question Time event. This year we met the MP of Oldham West Jim McMahon in Parliament. We have also had the chance to meet a real peer from the House of Lords, Lord Greaves.

Hulme A Level students in a Q and A session with MP Jim McMahon

Hulme A Level students meeting Lord Greaves from the House of Lords here

at Hulme