Politics at RPA
"If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made."
Otto von Bismark, 19th Century German statesman
Politics at Richmond Park Academy
If you have any interest in making a difference in the world, you are in the right place. We unpick the way that the world has been put together: from the ideas that underpin our institutions to the people who have shaped it. We find out how people fought and won their battles for rights and representation, and examine why sometimes it feels as if the world we’ve built is straining at the seams.
Who's who in the team
Mr J Charlton - Head of subject
Mr J Cook - Deputy Principal
We study UK Politics, US Politics (and UK/US Comparative Politics) and Political ideas. Over a two-year course, you will study each of the three units concurrently with four lessons per week. This is to help you gradually fill in the complex jigsaw which explains how the world works, and identify what links it all together.
We use the AQA Exam Board, and students are rewarded marks based on three core Assessment Objectives across all units. Each objective represents a third of the total marks available:
AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of political institutions, processes, concepts, theories and issues.
AO2: Analyse aspects of politics and political information, including in relation to parallels, connections, similarities and differences.
AO3: Evaluate aspects of politics and political information, including to construct arguments, make substantiated judgements and draw conclusions.
The three units are assessed in three separate two hour papers, in a Summer exam series after your second year of study. A typical 25-mark essay question which incorporates all three units of study is: ‘Political circumstances have a greater impact on the power of the UK prime minister than they do on the US president.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement.
Future Careers
Politician
Political assistant
Government social research officer
Policy officer
Speechwriter
Election forecaster
Policy advocate
Teacher or lecturer
Journalist
Public relations officer
Human resources officer
Local government officer
Marketing executive
Teacher or lecturer
Journalist
Public relations officer
Human resources officer
Local government officer
Marketing executive
