It is our philosophy that the priority of the department is to encourage and motivate our students to achieve their full potential and we have an experienced and committed team of staff to deliver high quality teaching and learning.
We wish for students to leave our courses with the skills and abilities to help them in their future routes, whether that be higher education or the work place.
Curriculum
Key Stage 5
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. It allows students to explore a variety of aspects of human behaviour such as social influence, memory, attachment and biological rhythms. It is a subject that is not only academically beneficial for those studying it but can also be applied to aspects of daily life.
In studying psychology at A Level students have a variety of options to support their future career aspects. Many of our students go on to study psychology at university but for those who are interested in different career paths such as medicine, physiotherapy or even business, psychology is seen as a facilitating subject.
Sociology
Sociology is important because it looks at the structure of society and how its components and institutions fit together. It helps us to understand how institutions can help to socialise individuals in society and this therefore provides a good insight into why we have different cultures.
Politics
Students are encouraged to develop an interest in and enthusiasm for the study of Politics. This will enable students to develop an insight into political beliefs central to an understanding of the modern world. Studying politics allows students to develop a structured foundation of political knowledge on which to develop skills for citizenship and further study. There is an emphasis on contemporary politics and current areas of constitutional concern. There is a focus on both UK and US politics. Students also learn about the different political ideologies that form the foundation of political belief.
Health & Social Care
Health and Social Care is important because it gives you an understanding of the whole of the healthcare system and how it supports service users and their individual needs. It encompasses a range of subjects including sociology, biology, psychology, nutrition, law and PSHE. Students who undertake this qualification will complete a weekly placement in a relevant setting. Students who complete this course go on to study a variety of health and social care courses such as midwifery, nursing, education, social work and biomedical sciences.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
This level 3 qualification from AQA is the equivalent to an AS level. It is a 1 year course and it is vital for you to adhere to deadlines in order to achieve success.
The EPQ provides an exciting opportunity for you to conduct your own research, something you are interested in or enthusiastic about, but may not be available as part of your formal studies. You will gain valuable UCAS points on completion.
You decide on a project that you wish to carry out, in consultation with your supervisor and centre co-ordinator, complete the project and submit it within a time frame. An extended project may be an extension of an aspect of your main programme of study, or a totally separate topic in which you have a personal interest. We strongly recommend that you select an area that is completely different from your main programme of study.
This qualification is very flexible and taps into your creativity and interests, giving you significant input into choice and design. Your project can be submitted in any format appropriate to the topic. It may consist of an extended written report / essay, an investigation or piece of practical work, a performance, a piece of creative work or any other form such as a model, creative piece of writing, or multimedia presentation.
The potential benefits of EPQ are enormous. It allows you to have the opportunity to get deeply involved in a subject that interests you, to develop research skills, to pull together different areas of other subjects you are studying and to develop extended writing skills. These skills are all valuable preparation for going to university. The extra UCAS points it attracts can make a difference to the success of your university application. The EPQ is a well-respected qualification amongst universities.
Certificate In Financial Studies (CeFS)
Awarded by IFS
This course will appeal to students who:
- have an interest in how money works and discussing a wide range of issues with its use;
- enjoy expressing their opinions and justifying their comments;
- enjoy studying a subject which is relevant to their own lives and experiences and points out some of the problems when dealing with money;
This is one of only 2 AS level courses that awards the A* grade.
Homework
At A level, homework is an essential part of exam preparation. Students are expected to match the number of hours in lessons with additional reading and homework outside of the lesson. Some of this will be formally set work in the form of questions, essays, preparation etc. However, students are also expected to take responsibility for re-reading the material covered in class, reading around the material and preparing revision notes in their own time.
Enrichment
Film Club
Students are invited to take part in a Social Studies film club which is run by students. During these sessions students at JRCS get the chance to explore current and previous films that relate to a range of subjects within the department. Examples include the film Red Lights (2012). A pair of professional skeptics try and prove that a famous psychic is lying about his ability. This film explores the role of anomalistic psychology and research methods.
Trips
Students in the department are given the opportunity to attend a range of trips. These include:
- Conferences held by professional examiners and lead specialists. The purpose of these visits are to allow students to engage with the content in an exciting and enlightening manner.
- A trip to a Magistrates Court for sociology students to deepen their understanding of the judiciary system.
- Parliament trips for politics students
- Zoo trips for psychology students
- A range of university visits and visiting speakers for EPQ students
- Brain Day for psychology students
- Bethlam Museum of the Mind
Study club
Each week students can attend study club if they would like extra help with understanding the subject material, or would like to deepen their evaluation and analysis skills. Easter revision school also runs each year.
University Taster Sessions
All students at JRCS are offered the opportunity to engage in university taster sessions at a variety of London universities. During these sessions students are given the chance to take part in lectures, group discussions and at times even design their own research.
Health and Social Care
Students are offered the opportunity to complete a First Aid qualification during the course. Students also visit a children’s hospice to help them understand the range of services in the sector and have the opportunity to meet a range of professionals in various sectors. As part of their placement, students will be given opportunities to engage in the wider life of school, such as attending trips and meetings with their class group.
Marking Policy
At the core of our approach to marking at JRCS is task marking.
In non-practical subjects one substantial piece of work will be task marked at least once every eight hours of teaching. Students will respond to the tasks and they will be checked by staff. In between that time students’ work may be peer or self-assessed or briefly checked by staff.
It is likely the same piece of work will be assessed for literacy. Staff will mark work using the literacy marking code:
| Sp | spelling mistake |
| P | punctuation mark missing or incorrectly used |
| Voc | incorrect use of vocabulary |
| ^ | word missed out of sentence |
| ~ | unclear meaning or grammar within a sentence |
| // | new paragraph required |
| CL | capital letter error |
Levelling and Assessment
KS3
To develop a growth mindset and reflect ‘life after levels’ work in KS3 books will not usually be levelled; assessment will be formative and highlight how students can improve. Students will record areas of strength and development on their ‘reflection sheets’ which will be at the front or back of the book. At the end of each term a level is reported for students in each subject, which reflects all their work over that term. These are found on students’ pale yellow progress cards, which are stuck into their planners. These cards show students whether they are in line to meet their end of key stage target. With the move away from National Curriculum levels, the school is trialling a new ‘skills thermometer’ and 1 to 9 levelling in English. Other KS3 subjects will be using NC levels for the remainder of this year.
KS4
KS4 practice exam questions and mock exams are likely to be graded. This work might not be in student books. Students will record grades and areas of strength and development in their ‘reflection sheets’ which will be at the front or back of the book. All students receive an attainment and predicted grade at the end of each term. These are found on their pale yellow progress cards, which are stuck into their planners. These cards show students whether they are in line to meet their end of key stage target.
KS5
At KS5 students take a series of VIMAs (Sixth Form Milestone Assessments) during their course. Students receive developmental comments to help them improve their work. Each VIMA result includes four parts: the grade for that assessment, a comparison of the grade with their expected progress grade (EPG), a Learning Capability mark and a prediction of their end of year grade (PEG). The outcomes of these assessments and other graded work will be in student folders. They are also sent home to parents. A summary of VIMA marks and the students’ expected progress grade is also recorded in their planner.
Further Information
Students’ work will be regularly marked according to the school policy combined with the exam board requirements. Knowledge is assessed using clear assessment objectives (AO’s). Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all AS and A-level Psychology specifications and all exam boards. The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.
AO1
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures.
AO2
Apply knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures:
- in a theoretical context
- in a practical context
- when handling qualitative data
- when handling quantitative data
AO3
Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information, ideas and evidence, including in relation to issues, to:
- develop and refine practical design and procedures..
- make judgements and reach conclusions