Sociology (GCSE)

What is our curriculum and intention?

Our Sociology curriculum introduces students to the systematic study of society, exploring how social structures, processes and relationships shape human behaviour. It is designed to develop curiosity, critical thinking and the ability to question assumptions about the social world. We aim to equip learners with analytical, evaluative and communication skills that support success in further study and a wide range of careers.

By studying sociology, students will develop transferable skills including how to:

• investigate facts and make deductions
• develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
• analyse and better understand the social world.

At the end of each academic year, we will review and reflect on how the curriculum is designed to ensure that students remember what they have been taught. This regular review cycle ensures that we have a curriculum pathway that promotes success for all learners and ensures that the Sociology curriculum is appropriate and fully differentiated for all students.

What is our learning journey?

Students begin by developing a secure understanding of key sociological concepts, theories and research methods. This foundation enables them to engage with core topics such as families and education, drawing on their own experiences to make learning relevant. As the course progresses, students extend their knowledge to more complex areas including crime, deviance and social stratification. Throughout the journey, they are encouraged to apply theoretical perspectives, make synoptic links across topics and critically evaluate evidence, preparing them thoroughly for examination and beyond.

GCSE Sociology helps students to gain knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes and issues through the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification.

Students will develop their analytical, assimilation and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.

Students study key ideas of classical sociologists including Durkheim, Marx and Weber, referencing their view of the world and their contribution to the development of the discipline.

Students will also learn how to apply various research methods to different sociological contexts. They will be introduced to sociological terms and concepts concerned with social structures, social processes and social issues.

The exam is two papers taken at the end of Year 11. They are both 1 hour 45 mins and equate to 50% of the overall grade.

Paper 1 is: The sociology of families and education

What's assessed:

• The sociology of families
• The sociology of education
• Relevant areas of social theory and methodology

Paper 2 is: The sociology of crime and deviance and social stratification

What's assessed:

• The sociology of crime and deviance
• The sociology of social stratification
• Relevant areas of social theory and methodology

Students will be expected to draw on knowledge and understanding of the entire course of study to show a deeper understanding of the topics.

Why this? Why now? Why have we sequenced our curriculum this way?

The curriculum is sequenced to build knowledge cumulatively. We start with concepts and methods to ensure students have the tools to access subsequent content. Families and education are introduced early as they are familiar contexts, allowing students to apply new knowledge meaningfully. More challenging themes, such as crime and social stratification, are studied later, drawing on and consolidating prior learning. This sequencing supports progression, interleaving and reinforcement of key ideas, ensuring students develop depth as well as breadth of understanding.

What will you typically see in our Sociology lessons?

Do Now activities at the start of lesson focus on recall of prior learning, checking for understanding and linking prior learning to new content about to be taught. Students are aware of where this lesson/ topic sits in the unit of work/exam specification and where future learning will take them with links to previous lessons and skills made clear to all. New content is taught in an engaging and interesting way with a focus on detail, depth, key terms and words.

Checking for understanding includes using cold calling, questioning, class discussion, low stakes quizzes, written work, practice questions and application of new knowledge to big picture work. These checks of learning and understanding will identify gaps and misconceptions which will be addressed on the spot in lessons via re- teach, and in planned re- teaches in subsequent lessons. Students are guided to make links between topics and units.

Live modelling and guided practice using I Do/ We Do/ You Do approach, using visualisers and/or whiteboards. Model answers are used to identify good practice and shared areas for development before pupils complete their responses independently. The scaffolding of answers, sentence stems and essay structures support our students to make progress.

Explicit teaching of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, glossaries and definitions of key terms, etymology of words and how to use them accurately in sentences and paragraphs compliment the holistic view we take of teaching and learning. 

How do we assess progress in our subject?

Progress is assessed through a combination of formative and summative approaches. Regular low-stakes assessments, questioning and feedback check understanding and address misconceptions. Written tasks model the style and demands of GCSE examination questions, enabling students to practice applying knowledge, interpreting data and evaluating perspectives. Summative assessments are strategically placed to measure progress against AQA assessment objectives, ensuring students are secure in the knowledge and skills required for success in the final examination.

Courses based on this specification encourage students to:

• apply their sociological knowledge, understanding and skills to develop an understanding of relationships and tension between social structures and individual agency within a UK and global context
• critically analyse information and use evidence to make informed arguments, reach substantiated judgements and draw conclusions
• use and apply their knowledge and understanding of how social structures and processes influence social control, power and inequality
• use sociological theories to understand social issues, debates, social changes and continuities over time
• understand and evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods
• use sociological terminology appropriately and make connections between the key areas of subject content.