Government and Politics

Course summary

Every part of every day is affected by politics. The choices available to us as citizens and our future health and wellbeing are determined in part by politics. If you have a keen interest in news and current affairs and a desire to know about the real issues facing politicians and their differing ideas about how our country should be governed then you will thoroughly enjoy Politics at A level. The lessons encourage independent learning as students discover how to research from a wide range of sources from newspapers and the internet to political journals, textbooks, the radio and television. Additionally there are many opportunities for debate and discussion as we consider how our system works or does not as the case may be and the ways in which it could be changed. To deepen student understanding a great deal of learning takes place outside of the classroom: trips to visit the Parliaments in London, Edinburgh and further afield and the opportunity to attend Politics Conferences and take part in specialist University led sessions help to bring the subject to life. Additionally, guest speakers have included Graham Stuart the local MP for the Beverley and Holderness constituency, Professor Bandeira from Leeds University Politics Department who is a specialist in Parliament and also works in the Petitions Committee in the House of Commons, and Lord Norton, Professor of Government at Hull University and a member of the House of Lords.