St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School

Year 10

Curriculum Intention:

The content of the Yr10 course covers what they will be examined on in paper 1

Order of units:

Sociological approaches and research methods (introductory unit)
Families and Research methods taught simultaneously
Education

The department follows the AQA course.

Students need to know the basic theories and key terms taught in the introductory unit to help them understand the main units of study that follow. It will provide a good foundation for the more complex ideas which will be discussed at a later date. The units get progressively harder and require a deeper understanding of theories, studies and relevant legislation.

Research methods must be taught early on as exam questions in both papers require students to apply their knowledge of primary and secondary sources to the sociology of the family, education etc.

Students will finish the academic year by completing an independent research project on an area they have studied. This will help to deepen their understanding of sociological research, whilst also gaining a practical understanding of primary and secondary methods of research.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 6th - Oct 25^th Introducing sociology unit Research methods	Jan 5^th – 11^th Feb The Family	20^th April – 27^th May Education Mock exam preparation
Half term	Half term	Half term
Nov 1st^h – Dec 17^th Research Methods. The Family These topics are taught together.	20^th Feb – 1st April Education	6th June – 22nd July Consolidation of skills through revision and exam questions Independent Research Methods project to develop practical understanding of the process.
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

A deeper, more accurate understanding of Sociology will develop over time. Students will be able to include some key theorists, studies and sociological vocabulary in their answers.

Students will show progression towards their target grades.

Employability skills:

Communication skills

Development of writing skills

Ability to analyse and evaluate information/statistics

Knowledge of government legislation which might be relevant in some careers.

Empathy and awareness of barriers to equality – again relevant in some careers.

Year 11

Curriculum Intention:

Order of units:

Crime and Deviance
Stratification
Exam practice and revision

Crime and deviance is the natural progression as students are able to apply the Yr10 units (Education and Family) to their understanding of why some people commit crime.

Stratification is the last unit that is taught as it is almost synoptic in nature, pulling together many concepts/theories previously taught to study inequality in society by class, age, gender and ethnicity

Homework tasks will cover units already studied in Yr10 to aid with revision and retention of information in preparation for the mocks in November and the external exams in May 2022.

Next steps:

The Yr10 /Yr11 curriculum provides students with a good foundation for those who wish to do A level Sociology.

The key skills imbedded in each unit will support a smooth transition to A level Sociology.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 6th - Oct 24^th Crime and deviance Research methods revision	Jan 6^th – 11^th Feb Stratification	20^th April – 27^th May Revision and exam practice
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 30^th – Dec 17^th Crime and deviance Stratification	20^th Feb – 1^st April Revision and exam practice	6th June – 22nd^h July
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will show stronger development of the key skills in their writing.

Essays will be structured well, showing clear evaluation at the higher end.

Test results and exam question answers will show progression in their understanding of the skills/knowledge needed to do well.

Student will be able to refer to key theorists/studies and differentiate between the main theoretical perspectives. They should be able to apply them to social issues with accuracy. Students will acquire a wider sociological vocabulary which they will be able to use with increasing precision.

Employability skills:

Acquire knowledge relevant for certain careers, example policing, social work, probation etc.

Communication skills

Development of writing skills

Ability to analyse and evaluate information

Knowledge of government legislation which might be relevant in some careers.

Empathy and awareness of barriers to equality – again relevant in some careers.

Year 12

Curriculum Intention:

Order of units taught:

Introduction

Family

Research methods

Education

Introduction – the main theorists/perspectives and key concepts are taught first. Students will see these key terms/perspectives appear in all of the units so will need an understanding of them.

Family unit taught alongside research methods (interleaving) these are taught together to help with the evaluation of the studies they need to learn within the family and households unit. This cannot be done without knowledge of the methods unit. In addition, Methods is a unit students find challenging. Teaching it in short bursts with the more interesting and relatable family unit resolves this issue.

Research methods must be taught before the education unit as exam questions require a knowledge of both units to be completed.

After the mock exams, we begin the Beliefs in Society unit in preparation for the Yr13 course.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 6th - Oct 14^th Introduction Families and Households/research methods	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Education	20^th April – 27^th May Revision in preparation for mock
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Families and Households/Research methods.	24^th Feb – 30^th March Education	1^st June – 13^th July Beliefs in society
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

The development of the key skills needed for the examination in their writing and oral contributions.

Essays will be structured well, and begin to show some some evaluation.

Test results and exam question answers will show progression in their understanding of the skills/knowledge needed to do well.

Student will be able to refer to key sociologists, differentiate between the main theoretical perspectives, and apply them to a specific context with accuracy.

Students will acquire a wide sociological vocabulary which they will be able to use with precision.

A gradual improvement in their marks will point to sustained progress.

Employability skills:

Communication skills

Ability to analyse and evaluate information.

Interpret charts/statistics.

Knowledge in certain areas of employment e.g. public sector jobs, Law etc

Year 13

Curriculum Intention:

Order of units to be studied:

Beliefs in Society
Crime and Deviance
Theory and Methods

The order takes into consideration the complexity of the topics.

Topic 3 is also very synoptic in nature as there is a lot of overlap with the previous units taught. To do well in this unit students need to be able to refer to the other units taught over the two years.

The topics covered and skills acquired will support students who wish to pursue a social science/humanities degree at university.

Curriculum Implementation:

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Sept 2^nd - Oct 14^th Beliefs in Society Family and deviance retrieval	Jan 6^th – 10^th Feb Theories and Methods	20^th April – 27^th May Revision and exam practice
Half term	Half term	Half term
Oct 28^th – Dec 16^th Crime and Deviance (beliefs and family retrieval)	24^th Feb – 30^th March Theories and Methods/Revision	1^st June – 13^th July
Christmas Holidays	Easter Holidays	Summer Holidays

Outcomes:

Students will begin to show more accurate knowledge and understanding of sociology in their writing and include more rigorous evaluation.

Students will have a deeper awareness of the AO skills needed to do well. This should be reflected in their written work/test scores and oral contributions.

Employability skills:

Communication skills

Ability to analyse and evaluate information.

Interpret charts/statistics.

Knowledge in certain areas of employment e.g. public sector jobs.