Sociology

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

Studying A Level Sociology will teach you to interpret the world more critically. You will develop skills that will enable you to gain a greater insight into your society and how it works. You will challenge common-sense assumptions about poverty, inequality and discrimination. In addressing these, and other themes, you will become acutely aware of current affairs and the links this has to the stratification of contemporary society; this will often link with policy changes that affect everyday life for many.

Year 1 (Year 12 Content)

Paper 1: Education with Research Methods (33% of the A Level):

This unit introduces students to one of the key social institutions: the Education System. In Britain, all students are expected to go to school and, as such, the Education System plays an important role for society. However, who does education benefit? In this unit you will consider the role and functions of the education system, the reasons why some groups of students do better than others and the significance of educational reforms introduced by previous governments.

Paper 2: Topics in Sociology: SECTION A: Families and Households (33% of the A Level):

In this unit, we consider what a ‘family’ is. Does it have to be two people from the opposite sex living together, or can it be something else? We consider why the family is important in contemporary societies and the different functions that families play. We also look at the individuals that make up families and how their positions have changed over time: whilst women have made huge progress in terms of legal rights and equality the home remains a site of much injustice for many women: the family is the front line for women looking to fight inequality today. Similarly, we also examine childhood and the moral panics surrounding their abuse.

Year 2 (Year 13 Content)

Paper 2: Topics in Sociology: SECTION B: Stratification (33% of the A Level). An unfortunate fact of life

is that what sets us apart isn't always what pushes us forward. Although our differences should lift us up, they can often do the opposite. In fact, the practice of favouring some identities above others is all too common in our society. In this unit, you will examine the way society is divided in terms of social class, gender, ethnicity, and age and the impact these divisions have on people’s life chances and the way they are treated in society. We will study how inequalities have changed over time and engage in a debate about whether our society is more equal today than it was in the past.

Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Research Methods (33% of the A Level)

This unit is only studied at A Level. You will examine various theories of crime and deviance and consider how and why certain acts are classified as criminal and who this benefits. You will explore how certain groups are treated by the criminal justice system and whether this reinforces stigma and inequality. You will discuss the role of crime prevention strategies and whether they are effective – for example, do we need prisons?

There is no coursework for this subject. Assessment is through short and extended pieces. Students need to be able to write a balanced essay. No previous knowledge is required – just an open and engaging mind! Sociology can be studied with ALL A Levels, but has good links with History, RS, Geography, Psychology, Media Studies, Politics, Economics/Business Studies and English.

Grade 6 at GCSE in two of English Language, English Literature or a Humanities subject

University requirements

Typical grade requirements to study Sociology/ a sociology related degree are as follows: Oxbridge: A* AA; Russell Group: ABB to BBB; Non Russell Group: ABB to CCC

Links to Further Education

Any social science degree

Links to Careers

Criminologist; Law; Medicine, Children’s Services; Public Service/Community work;