Politics A Level

Applications Open - 20 November 2025 at 8am

Applications Close - 6 February 2026 at 15:00 (Except Beauty L2 which closes on the 22nd May).

General Entry Requirements:

Our level 3 Sixth Form entry requirements are five GCSEs at Grades 9-4 including Maths and English minimum Grade 4. However, please read the course information, which, provides specific details of course content and entry requirements.

For level 2 courses please read the course information.

Subjects: -

Level 3 - Enter your choices in order of preference for Level 3 courses. Students need to select the equivalent of 3 courses (Triple counts as 3), with 2 reserve options if selecting Level 3 courses. Year 12 are expected to study the equivalent of three subjects. Once we close to applicants on the 6 February the options selected will be reviewed and if required we will be in contact.

Level 2 - just add the course required, eg beauty, finance or fitness. However, please look up all entry requirements for individual subjects as some subjects require specific subjects and grades.

Timetable Blocks- Please read carefully: Level 3 Courses Please select 3 subjects and 2 reserve subjects by placing them in a ranked order/ or a Pathway. Once applications close we will review all subjects requested and may be in contact at this time to discuss your chosen subjects further.

Additional optional qualifications such as Arts Award (Gold),Core Maths, Further Maths and the EPQ are not applied for at the Kent Choice stage further information will be provided in the 6th Form induction if you would like to undertake this course in addition to your core qualifications.

How to Apply - Via Kent Choices or through link on our website https://www.hernebayhigh.org/sixth-form/how-to-apply

Further Information: We reserve the right to withdraw courses if insufficient numbers are attracted.

Any queries, please contact 6form@hernebayhigh.org

A level Politics involves a lot of discussion, so is ideal for those who enjoy talking and thinking about current affairs. You will also need to keep up to date with what is happening in the world via the internet, newspapers and TV programmes, and will need to engage in independent learning to increase your knowledge of politics past and present. Work will be set and assessed as research tasks, essay writing and presentation skills. In addition, you will need to be willing to discuss your ideas with others in the group.

Students will investigate in detail how people and politics interact in unit one. They will explore the UK’s democratic system as well as direct and indirect democracy. They will focus on the role and scope of political parties. This section also allows students to explore the three traditional political ideas of conservatism, liberalism, and socialism.

In unit two, students will develop an understanding of the nature of UK government (where, how and by whom political decisions are made). Students will be introduced to the set of rules governing politics in the UK, the UK constitution, which is different in nature from most of the rest of the world.

Government and Politics of the USA gives students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the nature of US democracy and debates surrounding this. They will explore its powerful impact on the rest of the world and compare US political institutions with those in the UK. We will consider the question: has ‘liberty and justice for all’ been achieved in the USA?

Unit One:

• Political Participation (democracy and participation, political parties, electoral systems, voting behaviour and the media)

• Core Political Ideas (conservatism, liberalism, socialism)

Unit Two:

• UK Government (the constitution, parliament, Prime Minister and executive, relationships between the branches)

• Non-core political ideas

Unit Three:

• Government and Politics of the USA (the US constitution and federalism, Congress, presidency, US Supreme Court, civil rights, democracy and participation)

• Comparative theories

The course will be delivered in a standard lesson format that has been planned to allow for discussions, debates, and presentations. Students are assessed by written exams at the end of year two.

2 Year Course – Normally 5 GCSE grades in the range of 9-4 including GCSE English (minimum grade 5) and GCSE Maths (minimum grade 4). It would also be advantageous to have a GCSE grade 5 and above in either History, Geography or Religious Studies but not essential.

Politics is one of the subjects that is highly regarded by universities and is particularly useful for students wanting to pursue careers in law, the police, the media, or journalism and for anyone who just wants a greater knowledge of the world around them. To continue studies into Year 13 students will need to achieve the required threshold in the end of year assessments along with the Course Leader’s approval.