Subject:
Psychology
Exam board:
AQA, Specification B
Key stage / year group: 5/12
Course length: 1 year as an AS or 2
years if continuing to A2
Number of lessons per week: 5
HOD:
Laura Edwards
Term 3 Topic and Content:
Term 1 Topic and Content:
Term 2 Topic and Content:
Approaches in Psychology
Biopsychology
Research Methods
Psychopathology
Psychopathology cont.
Memory
Social Influence
Attachment
Research Methods (cont.) including some
statistics
Links to other subjects:
Strong links to Health and
Social Care and Sociology
Assessments and grading:
Two 90 minute exams will be taken in May 2015 and involve a mix of short and longmark essay style questions. The two exams count for the AS qualification. For the full
A level students sit a longer version of each paper in Year 13 as well as third unit.
Year 12 exams (for AS qualification):
Unit 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology (Social Influence, Memory, Attachment)
Unit 2: Psychology in Context (Approaches, Biopsychology, Research Methods,
Psychopathology)
Homework topics:
Readings, exam style questions
and assignments are set on all
exam topics.
Revision and Exams (May 2015)
Preparation for the A2 course
Year 13 exams (for A level qualification) – each exam last 2 hours:
Unit 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology (Social Influence, Memory, Attachment,
Psychopathology)
Unit 2: Psychology in Context (Approaches, Biopsychology, Research Methods,
Scientific Processes)
Unit 3: Issues and Options in Psychology (Issues and debates in Psychology, Gender,
Schizophrenia, Forensic Psychology)
Recommended reading / websites;
Clubs, extra-curricular, revision
Students have access to an online and
sessions available:
interactive textbook - AQA Psychology for In Year 12 students hear a talk from a
A Level Year 1 & AS, Cara Flanagan, Dave
clinical psychologist and have the
Berry, Matt Jarvis and Rod Liddle,
opportunity to attend psychology
Illuminate publishing.
conferences. There is a trip to the Old
Bailey at the end of the year which
They can also buy one of a number of
complements the forensic psychology
textbooks for the new A level
topic.
specification:
The Complete Companions: AQA
Psychology Year 1 and AS Student Book
(Fourth Edition) (Complete Companion
Psychology) by Mike Green and Cara
Flanagan
Oxford AQA Psychology: A Level: Year 1
and AS, Simon Green, Rob Lewis and Julie
Willerton, Oxford
Revision guide (available to buy through
HGAED): New 2015 A-Level Psychology:
AQA Year 1 & 2 Complete Revision &
Practice, published by CGP
www.ted.com – there are lots of really
useful talks about topics we study in
psychology
www.simplypsychology.org
www.psychologytoday.com
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind