Walthamstow Academy > Curriculum > Social Sciences

Psychology

"In life, particularly in public life, psychology is more powerful than logic" – Ludwig Quidde

Psychology in Walthamstow Academy is taught as an A-level in Psychology. Psychology will help you understand yourself and other people by learning about different aspects of human behaviour that will help you in daily life, including your interactions with others, your learning and memory performance, your ability to cope with pressure and your understanding of the causes of psychological disorders.

Key Stage 5

AS Psychology content:

A-level Psychology
Paper	Topic	Content	Assessment overview
Paper 1:	· Social influence · Memory · Attachment	Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology This unit includes learning about social influence (why we obey, conform and change the majority’s point of view), memory (how it works, why we forget and how memory with crime works) and attachment (how our relationships with caregivers as children affects us as adults).	· written exam: 1.5 hours · 72 marks in total · 50% of AS level
Paper 2:	· Approaches in psychology · Psychopathology · Research methods	Paper 2: Psychology in Context: This unit includes learning about the different schools of psychology from behaviourist to biopsychology, how stress is registered and how human behaviour is studied as a psychological science and psychopathology (how mental health disorders affect people and how they are treated).	· written exam: 1.5 hours · 72 marks in total · 50% of AS level

A-Level Psychology content:

A-level Psychology

Paper

Topic

Content

Assessment overview

Paper 1:

· Social influence

· Memory

· Attachment

· Psychopathology

Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology

This unit includes learning about social influence (why we obey, conform and change the majority’s point of view), memory (how it works, why we forget and how memory with crime works), attachment (how our relationships with caregivers as children affects us as adults) and psychopathology (how mental health disorders affect people and how they are treated).

· written exam: 2 hours

· 96 marks in total

· 33.3% of A-level

Paper 2:

· Approaches in psychology

· Biopsychology

· Research methods

Paper 2: Psychology in Context:

This unit includes learning about the different schools of psychology from behaviourist to biopsychology, how stress is registered and how human behaviour is studied as a psychological science.

· written exam: 2 hours

· 96 marks in total

· 33.3% of A-level

Paper 3:

· Relationships

· Schizophrenia

· Forensic Psychology

Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology:

This unit includes learning about psychological debates (such as is it nature or nurture that is more important), relationships (why we need them and why they break down), schizophrenia (what it is, the different causes and treatment), and aggression (how it occurs in gangs, why we are aggressive people and if there is a biological basis).

· written exam: 2 hours

· 96 marks in total

· 33.3% of A-level

Assessments

The A-Level is 100% exam based.
The A-level exam consists of three papers at the end of the two-year course
Each of the three papers is worth a third of the final mark.

Skills gained and enrichment opportunities:

Psychology develops a range of valuable skills, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research. These skills are particularly relevant to young people and are transferable to further study and the workplace.

Progression/career opportunities:

Psychology is a great subject if you are interested in working with people (i.e. counsellor, market

researcher, psychiatrist, teacher or nurse). However, it is essential if you wish to become a sport, forensic, developmental, occupational or clinical psychologist.

The Psychology Team

Ms S Begum – Teacher in charge of Psychology