Why study A level Politics?

With unexpected elections, referendum results and controversial figures in positions of power, it could be argued that there has never been a more interesting time to study A level Politics. This course will help you to understand contemporary politics, as well as your rights as a citizen and voter in the UK. It will also enable you to further develop your own political opinions, and study the history and background of the politics of today.

Our Politics tutors are extremely experienced, with backgrounds in teaching, lecturing and official examination marking. Our previous Politics students have found that our tutors’ depth of knowledge, support and attention to detail in marking has prepared them well for their next steps.

What will you study?

At Barts, our preferred exam board for Politics is Edexcel, although our tutors can also teach AQA and OCR. The Edexcel syllabus enables you to study an extremely broad range of Politics, from UK Politics and Government, to Global and US Politics. You will also have the opportunity to study one Non-Core Political idea such as anarchism, ecologism, feminism, multiculturalism or nationalism.

Other topics that you will study are as follows:

  • Democracy and participation
  • Political Parties
  • Electoral systems
  • Voting behaviour and the media
  • Liberalism
  • Conservatism
  • Socialism

As well as learning about Political systems, parties and voting behaviour and patterns, the Edexcel Specification states that Students will also:

  • develop a critical awareness of the changing nature of politics and the relationships between political ideas, institutions and processes
  • develop knowledge and an informed understanding of the influences and interests which have an impact on decisions in government and politics
  • develop knowledge and an informed understanding of the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups
  • develop the ability to critically analyse, interpret and evaluate political information to form arguments and make judgements

What Skills will you gain?

Through studying A level Politics you will learn to;

  • Comprehend and interpret political information
  • Critically analyse and evaluate the areas of politics studied
  • Construct and communicate arguments clearly and concisely, drawing strong conclusions
  • Develop your essay writing and debating skills
  • Use appropriate political vocabulary
  • Make connections between the different areas of politics studied

Where will A level Politics take you?

Studying A level Politics will provide you with a great foundation of knowledge and skills to pursue a career in law, politics, journalism, the civil service, teaching, business and business management, to name a few.

Taster lessons

If you are interested in studying A level Politics but are not 100% sure that it’s the right course for you, please do try a taster lesson with one of our amazing tutors! For the cost of our registration fee (£47), you are able to have 3 taster lessons in different subjects to see which ones suit you best.