Curriculum Intent

Psychology at Sir Graham Balfour School aims to provide students with the opportunity to apply psychological knowledge to a range of different contexts. Students will be expected to demonstrate the contribution of psychology to an understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity, for example being able to discuss the impact of obedience and conformity in society, how an individual develops cognition as they grow and how culture can affect our language and communication strategies. The GCSE course allows for the analysis of psychological ideas, processes and procedures and intends for the development of descriptive and evaluative skills. Throughout lessons, students will be able to engage with a wide range of theories and studies, alongside the research methods heavy content involving designing research whilst analysing and interpreting data. At A-level, students will consider some similar content to GCSE, e.g., social influence and memory topics, but to a much deeper level and will scrutinise research closely. Students will also develop their extended writing skills and will examine the key approaches that underpin psychology in detail, with the ability to compare explanations of human behaviour. Furthermore, research methods skills will strengthen as students are given the opportunity to conduct their own research, reinforcing psychology’s place in science.

Key Stage 4 Exam Specification:

• AQA GCSE Psychology

Key Stage 5 Exam Specification:

• AQA A Level Psychology