Teaching AQA A Level Politics for the First Time

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This course, new for Autumn 2022, aims to provide teachers who are new to/in the first few of years of teaching AQA A-level Politics with what they need to teach the course well. It will equip delegates with a thorough understanding of the AQA specification and its assessment objectives, and will help develop the classroom ideas and the planning and marking skills necessary to become a confident, successful A-level Politics teacher. The course focuses on the core areas of UK Government and Politics, US Government and Politics and Comparative Politics, as well as Political Ideas, and brings a wealth of experience from the classroom and exam marking to provide attendees with tips vital to starting out as a teacher of Politics.

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Gain a thorough understanding of the requirements of AQA A-level Politics
• Take away strategies on how to plan and manage the content of a two-year course
• Learn what level of depth is appropriate
• Develop a confident understanding of the assessment objectives and mark schemes, from an experienced examiner, to develop the skills students need
• Analyse a range of sample answers
• Take away ideas on examination and essay technique in AQA A-level Politics
• Gain teaching ideas and approaches for A-level Politics across the three papers
• Learn how to ensure students to keep up with contemporary political developments and how to apply them to their existing understanding

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PROGRAMME

The ‘Big Picture’ in AQA Politics

10.00 – 11.00am

• An examiner’s eye view of the assessment objectives and the mark scheme
• Ensuring students hit the ground running in September with little or no prior learning
• Suggested models of delivering UK Politics, US and Comparative Politics and Political Ideas across the two years
• When and how to set home study tasks and activities in Politics to ensure that students are honing their skills and keeping up with an ever-changing subject
• Ensuring higher achieving students are stretched whilst lower achieving ones are supported

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Break and informal discussion

11.00 – 11.15am

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Key Ideas for Teaching UK Government and Politics

11.15 – 12.15pm

• Analysis of the different structures and ways of teaching UK Government and Politics
• Easy wins and pitfalls when teaching an area of Politics that students are likely to be most familiar with
• Ways to tackle the tougher/drier topics, such as the UK Constitution, Elections and Referendums, the Judiciary and Devolution
• Exam questions and exemplar answers - approaches to the 9-mark and 25-mark questions

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Lunch

12.15 – 1.15pm

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Key Ideas for Teaching US and Comparative Government and Politics

1.15 – 2.15pm

• How best to introduce students to the USA’s often unfamiliar political system and culture
• The vastness of the USA’s Government and Politics and how to make it manageable for students
• Ways to teach the comparative element of the paper confidently and successfully
• Exam questions and exemplar answers - approaches to the 9-mark and 25-mark questions, including the mastery of comparative theories and comparative essays

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Afternoon tea and informal discussion

2.15 – 2.30pm

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Key Ideas for Teaching Core Political Ideas

2.30 – 3.30pm

• The unique challenges in making political theory and political thinkers accessible
• Practical ideas, methods and approaches to teaching the core ideologies
• Discussing the optional ideologies
• Exam questions and exemplar answers - approaches to the 9-mark and 25-mark questions, including the particular challenge of dealing with extract questions when it comes to Political Ideas