Politics is about power: who has it, what they can and can’t do with it and how they win and lose it. It is therefore about us, the people, as well as political parties, pressure groups, and international organisations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

Politics A Level is never dull or predictable. The course could hardly be more relevant as you discover what the political parties stand for, whether protest is effective and what your rights are in our democracy. You will learn to identify political arguments and come to understand how your life is affected by political activity. You will explore topics such as why people vote for particular parties – is it the media, the appeal of leaders or are there longer-term factors such as age or class? You will explore the impact of BREXIT, devolution and human rights legislation on the way the UK is governed.

You will also examine the ‘nuts and bolts’ of our political system; the power of the Prime Minister, the role of Parliament and the limitations placed on their powers by the Supreme Court.

Underpinning this are the political ideologies: liberalism, conservatism, socialism and nationalism. Studying these ideologies raises important questions of political philosophy, such as, what makes a just and fair society?

In the second year, you will study Global Politics. We live in a complex world with significant challenges, including global terrorism, poverty, economic instability, weapons proliferation, failing states and environmental degradation. Global Politics gives students an opportunity to develop an understanding of these issues and how the international community addresses them.