Government & Politics
Government and Politics at Glyn School aims to provide students with an understanding of the systems and structures of the political world, while developing their awareness of how these structures and systems affect their everyday lives, and how they can enable themselves to interact with them and the world around them to be agents of change.
| Head of Government & Politics | Mrs J Clements | J.Clements@glynschool.org |
Year 12 sequence of lessons
Half Term 1 - UK Politics - Democracy and Participation
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Ideologies - Introduction to Ideologies and Liberalism
Democracy and Participation was chosen as the first unit to study as it provides the foundation understanding of basic political theory as well as giving the students a wider understanding of why people get involved in Politics. Liberalism was chosen as the first ideology to cover as it provides a clear set of beliefs that students can see in everyday life. It is also the simpler ideology in terms of the different branches from the exam board.
Half Term 2 - UK Politics - Political Parties & Voting Systems
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Ideologies - Conservatism
Political Parties as the second unit covers the history of the parties as well as the role of minor parties in elections. Each party is looked at so we can understand its history , ideology and policies over time. Parties are then looked at in a broad scope to analyse the impact of the parties on politics. Voting systems couples well with parties as it gives students an understanding of he impact of the system on the parties themselves. For example the impact FPTP plays on minor parties.
Conservatism offers students the opportunity to develop their political ideas from the previous ideology and offers a clear contrast to Liberalism and so pairs well to follow on afterwards.
Half Term 3 - UK Politics - Voting Behaviour
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Ideologies - Conservatism and then Socialism
Voting behaviour sits here as it allows our students to use prior knowledge to understand how the voting system impacts politics. Socialism follows on from Conservatism as, due to the complex developments that take place it requires prior understanding of other political systems to effectively engage with.
Half Term 4 - UK Government: The Constitution & Parliament
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Ideologies- Socialism
The Constitution and Parliament is the first topic of the UK government as it again provides foundation understanding to the entire process. We teach Government after Politics as it enables our students to use Knowledge from Politics in the Government side of the course.
Half Term 5 - UK Government: The Prime Minister & The Cabinet
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Ideologies - Nationalism
The powers of the PM and Cabinet follow on from Parliament. It gives students the ability to compare the two areas and work out who they interact. Nationalism was chosen as the non-core ideology as it offered the clear opportunity for recapping previous ideologies as well as engaging with a phenomenon that students will be engaging.
Half Term 6 - UK Government: The relationship between Branches
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Ideologies - Nationalism
The relationship between branches has to come last as students need to know the information about how the Branches work before comparing. In this unit we also look at the powers of the Supreme Court and the EU, how it works and its influences.
Year 13 Sequence of lessons
Half Term 1 - US Constitution & US Congress; Revision - Ideologies
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
Year 13 focuses on a different political system that can be compared to the UK. Throughout Year 13 we learn about a different component of US politics and then compare this to the UK, this also helps with revising the UK side of the course. In this term we look at the origins of and compare the US’s codified constitutional system against the UK uncodified system. We then look at comparing the bicameral legislative systems in both countries. We also focus heavily on the checks and balances within the US system and again compare this to the UK. On the other side of the course there is revision and exam skills regarding the ideologies side of the course.
Half Term 2 - US Congress; US Executive
Revision - Ideologies
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
In half term 2 we then look at the Powers of the US president both domestically and in terms of foreign policy. After doing this we recap the powers and role of the prime minister and analyse using comparative analysis both the role of the PM and President.We also focus heavily on the checks and balances within the US system and again compare this to the UK. On the other side of the course there is revision and exam skills regarding the ideologies side of the course. On the other side of the course there is revision and exam skills regarding the ideologies side of the course.
Half Term 3 - US Executive and US Supreme Court; Revision - UK Government
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
In half term 3 we move on to look at the role of the supreme court, focusing on key ideas of judicial activism and restraint. The appointment process for Justices and then looking at the courts role within the checks and balances of US politics. We also discuss how effective the supreme court has been at protecting civil rights in the USA. We then look at comparing the use and role of a supreme court in both countries. On the other side of the course there is revision and exam skills regarding the UK Government side of the course.
Half Term 4 - US Democracy and Participation; Revision - UK Politics
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
The final part of the US course is by looking at democracy and participation within the US subsystem. For example the electoral systems for Presidential and congressional elections, campaign funding and the role of political parties. Then the reasons for changes in voting behaviour over time. We then compare the role of electoral systems in both countries. On the other side of the course there is revision and exam skills regarding the UK Politics side of the course.
Half Term 5 - Comparative Approaches; Exam Skills
Why we sequence the scheme of work this way
This half term we focus on comparative approaches looking how to use rational, structural and cultural theories surrounding politics in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America and then how to apply these to exam questions. On the other side of the course we use this as general revision to apply knowledge to exam questions and focusing on synopticity between different topics.
Half Term 6 - Exams
