Social Sciences

By studying social sciences at NIA during KS4 and KS5 students will develop their theoretical knowledge and understanding about their lives beyond the classroom. Driven by a growing desire to understand personal, local, national and global issues they will gain the knowledge and skills to analyse these from a range of theoretical perspectives. Students will be socially aware about how they impact the wider world and how this impacts them, for example how their interaction with the education system might have impacted their lives and their future, or how an individual’s past, and genetic makeup might lead to criminality. They will become passionate about raising awareness of social issues, and how they can promote change within these. While the knowledge gained is transferable to other subjects and to life after school, students will also gain skills to support them in a wide range of other activities. For example, students will develop a critical mindset alongside an awareness of the views of others. They will be able to evaluate and analyse novel information and articulate themselves using written skills. They will also be able to plan, conduct and evaluate complex experiments, research projects and studies.

Students will finish a GCSE Social Science having studied a range of psychological and sociological theories and perspectives, in generic terms. These general, theoretical ideas will then be applied to specific social institutions such as the education system and mental health and selected sociological and psychological research. Students will be able to analyse and evaluate this knowledge and, by the time they have completed the A-Level, this analysis and evaluation will be spontaneous, and knowledge will be applied across topics.

Students will also gain a detailed understanding of research methods, including evaluative elements of this, and will have the opportunity to conduct and analyse research in areas of interest across their studies. Students will also gain the ability to apply mathematical and statistical skills to a practical setting as they process information they have gained from their own research, and research conducted by psychologists and sociologist

Careers:

Students who study Sociology may go on to look for careers in directly related fields such as Social Work, Youth Work, Education, Politics, Community Development or Media.

Students who study Psychology may go on to look for careers in Counselling/Therapy, Criminal Justice, Mental Health nursing/support or as a practicing Psychologist in a range of areas/fields.

Students of Social Sciences also develop a wealth of research skills and a depth of knowledge, understanding and critical thinking that can further serve them well on any degree course and in a vast range of careers and students of Psychology and Sociology have progressed to successful degrees and careers in Law, Criminology, Business, Marketing, Media, Nursing and more.

Sociology