Psychology

	Autumn 1	Autumn  2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
	Topics/skills	Topic/skills	Topic/skills	Topic/skills	Topic/skills	Topic/skills
Y12	Approaches, Psychopathology, and Research methods	Psychopathology, Research methods and Schizophrenia	Attachment and Research methods	Relationships and Research methods	Biopsychology and Research methods	REVISION   EXAMS
Y13	Memory and Forensic psychology	Forensic psychology and Schizophrenia	Relationships	Issues and debates in Psychology	REVISION   EXAMS

A level exam board & specification: AQA PSYCHOLOGY A- LEVEL
Textbook(s):

AQA A Level Psychology Year 1: By Cara Flanagan, Dave Berry, Matt Jarvis, and Rob Liddle

ISBN: 978-1908682406

 AQA A Level Psychology Year 2: By Cara Flanagan, Dave Berry, Matt Jarvis, and Rob Liddle

ISBN: 978-1908682413
 

How to help your child
1. Psychology will be a new subject to most students, therefore it is crucial for students to complete pre-reading tasks in order to be prepared to develop this knowledge further in lessons. Even if pre-reading tasks haven’t been set, encourage your child to read ahead as well as reading beyond the specification. This wider knowledge is what pushes exam responses from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’.

2. Your child will have more than one unit a week, and students are set pre-reading tasks to do for each lesson. This means strong organisation skills are needed from early on in the course. You can help your child by reminding them to organise their notes and homework in the correct folders.

3. Practice writing free hand. Encourage your child to regularly write essays in timed conditions. Speed writing and recall is an essential skill that is required at A-Level. Regular practice will ensure success for the exams.

For further information, contact: kdemosthenous@lampton.org.uk

 

 

A-Level Psychology

Background information about studying Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour in a given context. There is a common misconception that Psychology is similar to Philosophy, or at most, a ‘soft science’. Whilst Psychology has philosophical roots, the subject as we know it today is certainly a science. Biology, chemistry, mathematics and statistics are key components of psychological investigations and theories.

What can I expect from studying Psychology?

Level of Difficulty

Psychology has many sub-disciplines, and over the course of two years, you will study a range of different areas in Psychology. Whilst these theories may be interesting, they can be difficult to grasp the first time, which makes pre-reading before class crucial. At A-Level, students are required to think critically and evaluate complex theories and research, therefore, extended reading in your independent study time ensures your level of understanding is deep enough to be able to do this at the level required.

This subject also requires good mathematical skills as 10% of each paper is graded on this, and a further 25% on data analysis and statistics.

Workload

Psychology is not exclusively essay-based, however it is a large part of the subject. You will be required to write essays regularly, and complete mini-research projects where you are required to write a short report. You will also be assessed regularly through end of unit tests.

Required Individual Study

You will need to complete pre-reading tasks before you come into class. The minimum requirement to pass the course with an average grade is 5 hours of homework a week – outside of class. The most successful students also read beyond the specification.

How is it assessed?

This subject is 100% exam based – there is no coursework.

AS exams:

Paper 1 – Introductory topics in Psychology (1 hour 30 mins)

Paper 2 – Psychology in context (1 hour 30 mins)

A-Level exams:

Paper 1 – Introductory topics in Psychology (2h)

Paper 2 – Psychology in context (2h)

Paper 3 – Issues and options in psychology (2h)

Where can I go with a Psychology A-Level?

Psychology is useful for any job that requires lots of interaction or an understanding of human behaviour and development. People with skills in Psychology are sought after in business, management, teaching, research, social work and careers in medicine and healthcare.