Government, Politics and Citizenship
Head of Department: Stephen Davis
Members of Department:
- John Pickett (Headteacher)
- Beth Squire (Assistant Headteacher)
The study of Citizenship (KS4) and Politics (KS5) is the study of the world around us. A study of the institutions and processes in and around our political system that impact every single thing we do.
Building on what students cover in the Citizenship element of CPSHE, they will cover a wide range of topics looking at vital concepts such as democracy, legitimacy and rights, as well as gaining an understanding of the political institutions that hold power in our country and beyond such as Parliament, the Police and the Media.
Ultimately, our aim as a department is to create well-rounded, engaged young people who have the skillset to be productive and passionate citizens.
Key Stage 4 - GCSE Citizenship
Exam Board: AQA
Content:
Citizenship allows students to explore a wide range of ideas and concepts linked directly to the politics and society of the UK and beyond. Discussion and debate is at the heart of what we do, and the department aims not just to produce students with outstanding academic outcomes, but students who can actively contribute to the political system they live in. At Morpeth it is offered as a 1 year GCSE option that can be studied in Year 9/10/11. In terms of content, students study:
Life in Modern Britain – British Values | Identity & Immigration | Media and the Free Press | International Organisations
Politics and Participation – Power | Participation | Parliament | Government | Parties | Elections | Spending | Devolution
Rights and Responsibilities – Laws | Rights & Responsibilities | Judiciary | Police | Crime | Punishment | Human Rights Active
Citizenship – The actions of others | Taking citizenship action (Citizenship investigation)
Assessment:
Students are assessed at the end of the course with two exams. There are also a range of other in-class assessments such as presentations and knowledge quizzes.
Key Stage 5 - A Level Politics
Exam Board: Edexcel
Content:
Politics is a popular A-Level at Morpeth that sees students learn about the UK, the USA and the political ideologies that underpin these two systems. With a strong focus on extended writing skills in assessments, students are helped to develop a range of other skills such as oracy, critical thinking and evaluation. In terms of content, students study:
UK Politics – Democracy and Participation | Political Parties | Electoral Systems | Voting Behaviour and the Media
UK Government – The Constitution | Parliament | The Prime Minister and the Executive | Judiciary + Relationships
Political Ideas – Liberalism | Conservatism | Socialism | Anarachism
US Politics – Democracy & Participation | The Constitution | Congress | The Presidency | The Supreme Court & Rights
Assessment:
Students are assessed at the end of the two years with 3 exam papers – these papers are focused heavily on essay questions with the majority of questions being 24 marks or above.
Assessment Plan
Extra-curricular
There is a huge commitment to extra-curricular at Morpeth and the Politics & Citizenship department pushes all students to go beyond just their studies. Some of the opportunities on offer are listed below:
• A range of trips to institutions of political significance such as Parliament and the Supreme Court • Visiting speakers such as member of the House of Lords and our local MP
• Attending conferences such as the US Congress to Campus at the British Library
• Wide range of additional reading with a well-stocked politics library
• Subscriptions to political resources such as Politics Review
• Weekly wider reading bulletin with a competitive news quiz
