Sociology

Sociology is a social science which offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of culture, status, social roles and identity in the UK and other societies. Sociology explains how we learn the social rules of human behaviour. It examines how our social norms and values are influenced by our family, education, peer groups, the mass media and religion. It explores how we develop social identities and how our identities are influenced by our nationality, gender, age, ethnicity, social class and the mass media. Sociology seeks to explore social inequalities in society, including issues such as why some individuals and groups have more power, wealth and opportunities than others.

Sociology specification reflects the core principles of Catholic Social teaching in the following ways:

Call to family, community and participation – Sociology of the family, Functionalist theory, comparative analysis of cultural diversity (GCSE and A level)

Option for the poor and vulnerable – Examining social inequalities in the UK (GSCE and A level)

Rights and responsibilities – Functionalist theory and fundamental British values (GCSE and A level)

Solidarity – Globalisation and the digital social world (A level)

Curriculum Overview by Year Group and Term

Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
Culture and identity	Introduction to Sociological theories >Socialisation	Families and Households	Families and Households	Education	Education & Research Methods

Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
Research Methods	Crime and Deviance	Crime and Deviance	Social Differentiation and Stratification	Social Differentiation and Stratification

Curriculum prepared June 2025

Exam Syllabus & RevisionInformation, support & resources
Intent
In KS4, our students will learn about issues such as changing roles in the family, how the concept of ‘childhood’ has changed over time, the decline of marriage and the increase in divorce. They will learn why there are such significant differences in exam results according to pupils’ backgrounds. Our students will learn about the different types of schools in the UK such as comprehensives, grammar and private schools and assess their impact. They will develop knowledge and understanding of how sociologists conduct research and analyse data about society using a range of different methods such as questionnaires, observations and interviews. Our students will learn about the role of the police, the courts and prisons in England and Wales. They will learn about key patterns in offending and the different sociological explanations for crime. Students will consider key contemporary issues such as misogyny and institutional racism in policing. Our students will learn about differences in status and wealth in the UK and the ways in which social class, gender, ethnicity, age and disability can increase or decrease our chances of having a financially stable, healthy life in the UK today.
Implementation
Our lessons are necessarily closely aligned with the specifications for Eduqas GCSE and OCR A level Sociology so that students are thoroughly prepared for the external examinations. However, in order to embed deep learning in our subject, we have included a discreet module called ‘Introduction to Sociological Theories’ early in the GCSE and A level courses, so that students can be introduced to the founding fathers of Sociology; Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber, Symbolic Interactionism, Feminism and Postmodernism. This provides students with a firm foundation and a ‘set of lenses’ though which they can interpret culture, socialisation and identity in the contemporary UK. This also enables student to apply theories and the necessary sociological language as early as possible.

At GCSE level, we have moved Social Differentiation to the end of the specification in order to promote a synoptic analysis of social inequalities in the UK. This means that students can apply examples that emerge across the two units and this provides us with additional opportunities to re-visit and revise key content within our lessons. We chose the OCR specification because of its emphasis on contemporary issues and research, so we strive to ensure that we update our teaching materials to include real world examples, research and statistics that reflect the issues and debates evident in life in the UK today such as the cost-of-living crisis, riots and social protest movements, radicalisation and the impact of social media on children.
Impact
We consistently use mini-whiteboards in lessons to check for understanding and highlight what students need to prioritise in their independent learning. Students will complete in-class assessments throughout the academic year, developing the necessary skills to write exam answers to the ‘one mark a minute’ ‘golden guidance’ from our exam boards. In addition, we will test students on the core key concepts in Sociology so that they can demonstrate sociological language and interpretation of evidence in their written work. Students will maintain a record of their assessments in a separate exercise book. They will receive a feedback summary sheet after key assessments and be guided through the mark scheme by their teachers regularly. Furthermore, students will complete exam wrappers at the key assessment points to review their revision strategies and attitude to learning. This will help students to identify strengths and areas for development both inside and outside of the classroom.

Curriculum Overview by Year Group and Term

Year 10

Year 11