Politics

Applications Open: - Friday 28th November 2025

Applications Close: - Friday 6 February 2026 - Please note - If you do not complete your application fully by the deadline of Friday 6 February 2026, we may not be able to consider it until August when GCSE results are published.

How to Apply:

Internal students - Applications to join our Sixth Form, via Applicaa, can be made via this link Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend (applicaa.com). PLEASE NOTE that you should use an e-mail address that you check regularly as the Applicca system will contact you with updates about your application.

External students - Year 11 Students from other schools applying to Mayfield Grammar School should apply via KentChoices using this link - https://www.kentprospectus.co.uk/login. Please note - After sending your application, you'll receive a welcome email from Applicaa asking for further information.

If you applied to us before the deadline but have not heard from us for a while please bear with us, we are working through the applications and will get back to you with our decision and advice as soon as we can. We will continue to send messages via Applicaa so please logon from time to time to check if we need some additional information from you

Applications After the deadline

Students who are interested in applying to Mayfield Grammar School for Sixth Form but have missed our application process can contact us once they have their GCSE results in August. After the publication of GCSE examinations results in August we ask that you make an appointment to discuss your application with the Sixth Form team. You need to call 01474 352896 or email admissions@mgsg.kent.sch.uk. Please check you have met our entry criteria for the subjects you want to study and read our Options Booklet under the Sixth Form tab on our website for our general entry criteria. If you meet our criteria, please get in touch, and bring your original documents for GCSE Results Summary and Birth Certificate as ID when you are offered an appointment.

Entry Requirements: -

Entry to the Sixth Form is dependent on demonstrating achievements which show general breadth of ability as well as depth in the specific courses chosen for study in the Sixth Form. For this reason you will need to have achieved all the following:

1. A minimum of 6 GCSEs at Grade 5 and above, preferably on the higher papers, in discrete subjects, with the exception of Combined Science, which counts as two subjects.

2. Grade 5 or above in GCSE English and GCSE Mathematics.

3. To have met the requirements of the individual subjects that you intend to study at A Level/Level 3, which are all, with the exception of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Languages, a minimum of Grade 6 at GCSE on the Higher papers. This is essential.

Essential skills

A strong emphasis is placed on up-to-date knowledge and students are encouraged to follow current affairs and make sense of what appears in the media. Students will need to develop their skills of argument and debate, bearing in mind that such skills need to be based on evidence and consider alternative viewpoints. In a subject that is examined by written papers, these skills must also be translated into the ability to create a powerful, written argument.

The most important requirement is your interest in the subject and being prepared to work hard. You should already be familiar with the political system and have a good understanding of events in the news. You need to be able to write fluently, research independently and have an analytical approach to the issues involved. You should take an interest in the news and either watch this regularly or read a good quality newspaper.

For the A Level course we study for three components:

For Paper 1 we study British politics including democracy and participation, political parties, electoral systems, voting behaviour and the media, as well as the ideologies: liberalism, conservatism and socialism.

For Paper 2 we study British government including the constitution, parliament, prime minister and executive, relationships between the branches and the ideology of feminism.

For Paper 3 we focus on American politics. This comparative component covers the US Constitution and federalism, the US Supreme Court and civil rights, the US Congress, the presidency, and democracy and participation. Each of the three papers consist of a 2-hour exam.

Other details

Due to the up-to-date and constantly changing nature of the subject matter the exam boards have decided that there will be no coursework element to any Politics syllabus. Politics has been combined with every subject offered within the Sixth Form syllabus. Clearly it enhances a study of History, Sociology, Geography, Psychology or English, but its contemporary nature and obvious relevance attracts students from every subject area.

Grade 6 at GCSE in two of English Language, English Literature or History

University requirements

To study Politics at Oxbridge you will need A* A* A. To study at a Russell Group university you will need AAA – AAB. For example, The London School of Economics asks for AAA, as do Durham, Warwick and Exeter. Politics can be studied at Leeds, Nottingham and Sheffield and you will need AAB.

Links to Further Education

Political Science; History; International Politics and History; International Marketing; Politics, Economics, Philosophy; Economics; International Studies; International Business; American Studies with Politics and Governance; Business and Computing with Politics and Governance

Links to Careers

Business Management; Civil Servant; Solicitor; Barrister; Politics; Human Resources; Writing; Journalism; Charity worker; Teacher; Economist; Political Researcher; MP