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28/03/24

Easter Break - wishing our students, staff and SJL community a very relaxing Easter break. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday 16 April 2024 – school is closed to students on Monday 15 April due to staff INSET day. pic.twitter.com/e8kleFCzSB

28/03/24

House Points - we like to take every opportunity to recognise and celebrate the effort and achievement of students at SJL. As a result of Merit Marks, ACE Cards, Faculty Commendations and Head’s Commendations awarded throughout term, the House Points tally to date is... pic.twitter.com/WpR8tdpO9q

28/03/24

Well done to everyone taking part in our Big Challenge - Ryder are in the lead, closely followed by Newton. King have some catching up to do, so make sure to keep reading over Easter!6 of our incredible students have also achieved 💎 Diamond Award 💎 (more than 52 books!) pic.twitter.com/lfyWABG9xn

28/03/24

Well done to our trio of year 13 A level Drama students who excelled in their text exam on World Theatre Day!#theatrematters#seizetheday pic.twitter.com/bcLn9QrKyF

27/03/24

Fabulous to see our ‘Have you met…?’ event so busy today, with students displaying their interests and hobbies to staff and peers and engaging in great discussion. Well done to all those who took part. pic.twitter.com/BoEULOWtqJ

27/03/24

Some of our Sixth Form students interested in studying medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry listened to the expertise of Devki Shah, a MedSoc consultant, who talked to students about how best to navigate the demanding application process. pic.twitter.com/U5rWv7cpJO

27/03/24

A throwback to Careers Day last week, when over 70 businesses gave employer talks and filled our sports hall to capacity for the Careers Fair. A huge thank you to everyone who took part!https://t.co/xmRh3N1FlM pic.twitter.com/RwaqwWWlZa

27/03/24

A throwback to Careers Day last week, when we welcomed over 70 businesses across the day giving employer talks and filling our sports hall to capacity for the Careers Fair. Thank you to everyone who took part!Careers Day 2024 - News - Sir John Lawes (https://t.co/DpyxjfXNBX) pic.twitter.com/tu1Nmhw8FQ

27/03/24

Day 3 in Valencia, exploring the beautiful Albufera, trying to spot cocodrilos! pic.twitter.com/UU8SG2mQQj

27/03/24

Well done to our Year 12 Enterprise team, Force 10, who raised £2400 for through a series of fundraising events. They won the most money raised and the best presentation. pic.twitter.com/1bBywleZem

26/03/24

Day 2 in Valencia visiting La ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and the biggest aquarium in Europe pic.twitter.com/m8mxrCi2t0

26/03/24

Day 1 in Valencia. We did a Paella cooking competition, team read were the winners! pic.twitter.com/AHWcMRwjM5

26/03/24

Congratulations to Kate, Ruhani and Tsun who have been awarded Head’s Commendations for passing their Cambridge Latin Course Stage 4 Attainment test with flying colours! pic.twitter.com/KgSgpYRJgk

26/03/24

Such a brilliant evening of debating last night. Big thanks to , and St George's School for joining us and to all the students for their fantastic performances. pic.twitter.com/dHfD3NIHg9

25/03/24

Good luck to all students in our debating teams from Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 who are taking part in an inter-school debating competition later today! pic.twitter.com/gVFDqhOjD2

25/03/24

Wishing our Year 12 art students and our Year 9 and Year 10 Spanish students a safe and memorable trip in Valencia. Have a great time! pic.twitter.com/w61y8dNCJw

25/03/24

Don't forget our School Uniform Sale after school today - 3.30pm-5.30pm in the school hall. pic.twitter.com/pRWVklZXQD

23/03/24

Last Saturday morning of the year ⚽️ 4 wins vs. Simon Balle 7s W 4-18s W 4-1 9s W 6-010s W 9-2 Thank you to all the students and parents for a brilliant football season. pic.twitter.com/IVWONzbLJ4

23/03/24

Perfect morning for Football. Thanks to all the staff who give up their free time to provide these opportunities. pic.twitter.com/zoj7NKNYQA

22/03/24

It looks like Year 7 had a fantastic day at Warwick Castle! https://t.co/NJEVG5onon

22/03/24

Some of our Year 11 German students enjoyed conversations with the Friends of Alzey who kindly came to visit to assist our students with further speaking practise ahead of their GCSE’s. pic.twitter.com/bNcN2NpEj9

22/03/24

The Second-Hand School Uniform Sale will take place on Monday 25 March from 3.30pm-5.00pm in the School Hall. All the uniform in stock has been freshly laundered and folded. Please note, card payments are preferred. pic.twitter.com/FWOYZP6pea

22/03/24

Zoo de Lunaret pic.twitter.com/zjgMRA1WSd

21/03/24

Yesterday we welcomed author Anna Mazzola who talked about becoming a writer, her creative process and publishing journey. We’re really grateful for the inspirational insights and encouragement Anna gave our students and for the copy of 'Book of Secrets'! pic.twitter.com/gf6AWccWYL

21/03/24

Year 10 drama students are studying the play 1984. To support their understanding of director and designer roles, they created model set boxes of key scenes and then used torches and coloured film gels to explore possible lighting design decisions. Brilliant creativity! pic.twitter.com/eRYBJyDUrY

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Politics

Key Stage 5 Curriculum

Consortium subject: St George's

Board: AQA Linear A Level

This course offers exciting opportunities for lively debate and demands clear thinking and analysis. Its aims are:

  • To provide students with knowledge of the processes and practices of Government in the UK and put it into context by comparison with the Government of the USA.
  • To explain the roles of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament and allow students to understand the way that law-making is carried out.
  • To root current political ideas within a tradition of ideological debate.
  • To develop students’ skills of argument and explanation in areas where debate and communication are important.

Assessment

At the end of the A Level course, there will be 3, 2 hour exams, on each of the three units. Questions will be mainly knowledge-based, and will require analysis, precise recall of detail, as well as interpretative and evaluative skills of writing. Students should expect to be proficient at essay writing and be able to juggle all sorts of arguments.

Course content

Paper 1 UK Government and Politics

This module looks at the theory and practice of democracy. It examines the various systems that can be used to carry out elections. It explains the problems of the first past the post system and considers the effectiveness of the alternatives. The module goes on to look at how people become involved in Politics at a deeper level, through political parties and pressure groups. We look at how such organisations work and the role they play. Why do people scale the wall of Buckingham Palace dressed as superheroes? What do the political parties stand for?

We also examine political institutions and structures: the apex of power in the UK. This unit examines the workings of the constitution and the different parts of the machinery of Government, particularly how laws are made and implemented. We examine the different levels of governing institutions, such as local/regional assemblies and contrast them with Parliamentary and European approaches. We assess the function of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Civil Service. In addition, candidates will be asked to keep their own political passport of the year. It will be expected that they keep up to date with current affairs and take an interest in news items relevant to the course.

Paper 2 US and Comparative Government and Politics

Is America the “Land of the Free”? We investigate how effectively the electoral process and direct democracy work to represent the people. To what extent does money do the talking? We also examine the political parties and the attitudes and values of the enormously diverse American nation, from the liberal margins of California and New York to the traditional Mid-West and the southern Bible Belt. This module offers an insight into what makes a fascinating and unique country tick.

We look at the constitutional framework and how well the theory translates into reality. How effective is Congress? Is the Presidency Imperial or Imperilled? What does the Supreme Court do? How are the rights of citizens protected? The Civil Rights of America is also studied in depth and contextualised within a nation of diverse ethnicity, and entrenched constitutional rights such as the freedom to assemble and the freedom of speech. The structures and main issues of American politics are then explored and contrasted with that of the UK, in a comparative section of the examination.

Paper 3 Ideologies

The study of British Politics is very much enhanced through the examination of three key political ideological movements: Socialism, Liberalism and Conservatism. Key ideological positions on issues such as the state, society, the economy and the notion of human nature will be explored. Tensions both between and within these ideological movements will be analysed and key thinkers studied: from Mary Wolstencraft, John Stuart Mill, Rosa Luxembourg to St George’s School’s very own Michael Oakeshott! British political ideological trends will then be contrasted with a broader, more internationalist movement: Feminism. The growth and development of Feminism across the twentieth century will be studied, as well as the divergence of the movement into radical and liberal groups. The history of Feminism will be supported through reference to key thinkers – from Simone de Beauvoir to Kate Millet.

Assessment

At the end of the A Level course, there will be 3, 2 hour exams, on each of the three units. Questions will be mainly knowledge-based, and will require analysis, precise recall of detail, as well as interpretative and evaluative skills of writing. Students should expect to be proficient at essay writing and be able to juggle all sorts of arguments.

Other Information

The course will appeal to all those with an interest in Politics and current affairs. It will be particularly suited to students who enjoy debate and show skills at communicating in written form. We have found that all sorts of students enjoy the course and do well so we tend to have an eclectic mix in our classes. Some Scientists will want to add an Arts or Humanities subject to their Core Science diet; other students combine Politics with English or Economics, Philosophy and Ethics or Psychology.

Progression

Results and University

Politics is a popular subject and students achieve well; in 2019 91% of students achieved A*-C grades at A Level. Politics is recognised as an academically rigorous subject, which challenges students and develops in them important skills. We have seen many of our students go on to top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, studying politics-centred courses (such as PPE or International Relations), or to combine Politics with other subjects in their degree course. A significant number go on into Law.

Extra-Curricular

The Department encourages students to study Politics beyond the classroom. Students of Politics regularly participate and lead in Debates both through the School Debate Club and within the Friday 5 programme. A trip to Washington and New York will run in October 2020 for students studying Politics or History.

Possible Career Paths/Opportunities

Politics is a well-respected degree and opens many doors. The study of political science leads naturally into a career in lobbying, Parliamentary service and political campaigning. The study of Politics also enables students to understand the political objectives and barriers behind Government decision-making – vital to working in any public or private field. The analytical and evaluative skills developed through the study of Politics are valuable to a successful career in many professional fields from Law to Accountancy.

Entry requirements

5 full GCSEs or equivalent at grades 9-5, which would include English (Language or Literature) and Mathematics, with 3 of the passes at grade 6 or above in History or English Literature and in 2 further subjects.

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