Head of Department: Mr J Pratt
Teachers: Mr A Hammond, Mr S Rockell, Mr J Stuart
Our intention is to promote engagement with, and awareness of, the institutions, processes and ideas that shape life in our own democracy, and that of the hugely influential United States. These are times of turbulent change in our society and for democracy to function effectively it is vital that schools educate students to enable them to navigate their way through such times as informed citizens. Those who study Politics should be able to evaluate the merits of different ideological approaches to the direction society should be heading, how this translates into political aggregation and policy formulation, and how institutions and systems mediate competing demands and channel political inputs from parties and pressure groups into policy outcomes and implementation. Pupils should be made aware of the influence of culture and historical context on politics and to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different political systems and approaches.
Beyond preparing students for further study in subjects such as Politics, History and International Relations, the course should create more active, informed citizens with an ability to play their part in shaping our democracy as responsible and reasoning actors. [Updated 2023/24]
Any man who says they are not interested in politics is
like a drowning man who insists he is not interested in water.Mahatma Gandhi
The specification requires in-depth study of UK and US government and politics, and comparisons across the two political systems are required. Students are required to identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between aspects of politics. This ensures that students develop a critical awareness of the changing nature of politics and the relationships between political ideas, political institutions and political processes.