Acting Subject Leader:	Miss Towson
Psychology Teachers:	Mrs Lay & Miss Rice
Website:	St Wilfrid's Catholic School: Psychology

 

Overview

Psychology is a fascinating science concerned with the study of the mind and behaviour. The common factor linking people who study psychology is curiosity and the search for scientific knowledge about human behaviour. Studying Psychology will enable you to answer fascinating questions such as; What are the psychological responses to stress? Why do we love our mothers? Why is eyewitness testimony often wrong? What is schizophrenia? What makes a criminal?

 

Key Stage 4

Psychology is offered at GCSE and we currently follow the OCR Psychology syllabus. The GCSE course involves taking 2 exams total. This is a two-year linear course and students will gain a GCSE by sitting 2 exams at the end of year 11.

The two contributing exams to the GCSE Psychology are:

Paper 1 50%
Studies and Applications in Psychology 1: Criminal Psychology, Development and Psychological Problems (alongside Research Methods)

Paper 2 50%

Studies and Applications in Psychology 2: Social Influence, Memory and Sleep & Dreaming (alongside Research Methods) 

 

Key Stage 5

Psychology is offered at A Level and we currently follow the AQA Psychology syllabus. The course assumes no prior knowledge so any student can pick the subject up without having studied it at GCSE. The full A-level course involves taking 3 exams total. This is a two-year linear course and students will gain an A level qualification by sitting 3 exams at the end of year 13. Students will not be sitting the stand alone AS level qualification except in specific circumstances.

 

The three A level modules are Contribution to the A Level

Paper 1 Social influence, memory, attachment and psychopathology (2 hr) 33.3%

Paper 2 Approaches to psychology, biopsychology and research methods (2 hr) 33.3%

Paper 3 Issues and debates, gender, schizophrenia and forensic psychology (2hr) 33.3%