Sociology

Applications Open: - Now

Applications Close: - Friday 13th February 2026 (This is the official deadline, when planning for the new timetable will begin; however, applications may still be accepted after this date.)

Entry Requirements: - 6 GCSE passes at Grade 5+, including a minimum of Grade 5 in Mathematics and English.

How to Apply: - Apply via KentChoices

A Level Sociology aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding and respect for the social world around them and the ability to recognise the environmental factors affecting the behaviour of individuals and groups, and by extension, society. Through the study of Sociology as an evidence-based approach to understanding social phenomena, students will develop the courage and resilience to appreciate the causes, impact and subsequent consequences of societal change on the structure of social institutions such as the family, education, religion and crime. Furthermore, students will develop a deeper understanding of individuals and specific groups life chances based on key social variables such as class, age, gender and ethnicity that exist in our society. This includes understanding the impact of social policy and political decision making.

Through the study of Sociology, students will develop the necessary skills to scientifically investigate society, critically assess evidence and build the courage to consider solutions to today’s societal issues. Students will be equipped with a greater understanding of the challenges facing individuals and groups beyond their own experiences.

Studying A Level Sociology gives individuals a better understanding of how society functions; it covers current social, political, economic, psychological, historical and global issues giving rise to a broader understanding of the world. As such, there is scope for a varied array of future career paths. These include but are not limited to: law, social research, teaching, social work, criminal justice system - policing, civil service, advertising and marketing.

Education with Theory and Methods

• the role and functions of the education system, including its relationship to the economy and to class structure

• differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society

• relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil identities and subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organisation of teaching and learning

• the significance of educational policies, including policies of selection, marketisation and privatisation, and policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome, for an understanding of the structure, role, impact and experience of and access to education; the impact of globalisation on educational policy.

Families and Households

• the relationship of the family to the social structure and social change, with particular reference to the economy and to state policies

• changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course, including the sociology of personal life, and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures

• gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society

• the nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society

• demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900: birth rates, death rates, family size, life expectancy, ageing population, and migration and globalisation.

Beliefs in Society

• ideology, science and religion, including both Christian and non-Christian religious traditions

• the relationship between social change and social stability, and religious beliefs, practices and organisations

• religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice

• the relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices

• the significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world, including the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context, and globalisation and the spread of religions.

Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

• crime, deviance, social order and social control

• the social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime

• globalisation and crime in contemporary society; the media and crime; green crime; human rights and state crimes

• crime control, surveillance, prevention and punishment, victims, and the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies.

Paper 1: Education with Theory and Methods

2 hour written exam 33.3% 80 marks

Paper 2: Families and Households and Beliefs in Society

2 hour written exam 33.3% 80 marks

Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

2 hour written exam 33.3% 80 marks

GCSE grade 6 in English Language or Literature.