Course Description

A GCSE in Psychology will require you to use skills from English, Mathematics and Science as we will be exploring themes from Language, Thought and Communication to the Brain and Neuropsychology.

Throughout the Psychology GCSE course, students will:

· Gain an understanding of how the human mind works and how this leads to our behaviour

· Learn about the fundamentals of psychology through exploring different approaches to human behaviour

· Develop skills of critical analysis and start to become reflective thinkers

· Begin to think independently about issues raised

· Develop research skills by conducting their own studies

· Learn how psychology is central to everyday life in everything from trying to remember words for a test to why some people follow the crowd and others don’t

· Gain an understanding of psychological problems

· Understand how psychology fits in to individual, social and cultural diversity

Assessment Structure

There is no coursework in the GCSE Psychology course. Students will be assessed through two 1 hour 45 minute exams at the end of Year 11 which make up 100% of the assessment for this GCSE. These include multiple choice, short answer and essay        questions which require extended writing skills.

Special Features

Students on the GCSE Psychology course engage with and enjoy the topics covered as they find them very relevant to their own lives. They like finding out about the science   behind topics such as perception, child development, memory, social influence, and neuropsychology. It helps them to understand what is going on around them and how they can put some of the knowledge gained into practice; such as memory techniques to improve study skills, which also helps them in other subjects. Students also enjoy doing the practical work that goes with each topic as they have ample opportunity to design, conduct, and evaluate their own experiments.