Social Sciences

Here we explore the John Roan curriculum principles in the context of the Psychology curriculum:

• Entitlement: All pupils have the right to study every topic of the psychology curriculum, which expose students to critically understand the world around them using psychological concepts. All pupils will learn the scientific study of human mental processes and behaviour, psychological theories and research, which will be applied to a variety of interesting real-life situations! They will develop their skills of analysis, evaluation, and critical thinking, which will be excellent preparation for higher education!
• Coherence: Students first develop a grounding in key approaches to studying Psychology, which are crucial in understanding the human mind: learning, cognitive and biological approaches. They then develop the skills to apply these approaches to understanding a variety of contemporary and relevant issues, such as relationships, schizophrenia and forensic Psychology.
• Mastery: Our lessons are split equally between the different topics we study in each year group, with content sequenced from foundational to more abstract and advanced. Our topics are grounded in key questions about the nature of the mind (such as nature vs nurture), which are explicitly linked to current and relevant issues affecting our students. The structuring of topics reflects the demands of the specification, which is rooted in classic psychological studies as opposed to recent research, but this is complemented by the use of contemporary examples in lessons. Core knowledge is explicitly planned and clear, and homework focuses on learning key concepts and ideas and practising examination technique. Regular retrieval is built into lessons to revisit and consolidate prior learning.
• Adaptability: In Psychology, we aim to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all students, regardless of starting points, for example whether students have studied GCSE Psychology or not. We intend that students will develop confidence in a new subject at A-Level and thrive on their love of learning.
• Representation: The skills learnt will enable students to enter the world beyond The John Roan School as a good citizen and a perceptive, adaptive and valued employee. We will provide opportunities for an enriched understanding and appreciation of the subject by starting to integrate key issues and debates surrounding human behaviour; this should lead to a respect for all through deeper compassion and empathy for the diverse behaviours displayed by others and the wealth of issues experienced.
• Education with character: Throughout their learning journey, students will have the opportunity to develop literacy, mathematical and science-based knowledge and skills, the knowledge acquired in GCSEs will be highly relevant to studying Psychology. Students will learn how to pay attention to detail, solve problems, analyse beyond face value, think ‘out of the box’.

Here we explore the John Roan curriculum principles in the context of the Sociology curriculum:

• Entitlement: All pupils have the right to study every topic of the psychology curriculum. The course content has been designed to inspire, nurture and develop learners. Popular topics such as Education, Families and relationships and Crime and Deviance have been selected for study.
• Coherence: Students acquire knowledge and a critical understanding of contemporary society and social changes. They have the opportunity to develop a broad set of desirable key skills, including the ability to analyse and formulate clear, logical arguments, with scope for extensive evaluation from a range of theoretical perspectives.
• Mastery: Our lessons are split equally between the different topics we study in each year group, with content sequenced from foundational to more abstract and advanced. Our topics are grounded in key questions about society; ‘nature versus nurture?’, ‘how do sociologists investigate inequality in society?’ and ‘what is the purpose of education’ which are explicitly linked to current and relevant issues affecting our students.
• Adaptability: Throughout their learning journey, students will have the opportunity to develop literacy-based knowledge and skills, acquired in English, and skills from History will be highly relevant to studying Sociology.
• Representation: Sociology at The John Roan School develops critical and reflective thinking with a respect for social diversity and encourages an awareness of the importance of social structure and social action in explaining social issues. Students at are encouraged to develop their own sociological awareness through active involvement with the contemporary social world.
• Education with character: We will provide opportunities for an enriched understanding and appreciation of the subject by starting to integrate key issues and debates surrounding societal behaviour; this should lead to a respect for all through deeper compassion and empathy for the diverse behaviours displayed by others in society and different cultures. Students will learn how to pay attention to detail, solve problems, analyse beyond face value, think ‘out of the box’. The skills learnt will enable students to enter the world beyond The John Roan as a good citizen and a perceptive, adaptive and valued employee.