AS Level Government & Politics

Politics is a prestigious A Level, and a very interesting and dynamic new subject to study.

AS Level Year 1

British politics is the main area of study. Key questions considered are:

- who has power and who can influence the people in power?

- what is wrong with our politics and how can it be changed?

These questions are central to all the topics covered including elections, pressure groups, civil rights, parties, the Prime Minister, devolution and Europe.

A2 Level Year 2

The A2 year is an excellent study of American politics, the key topics covering a range of issues such as the Obama Presidency, guns, religion, gay rights, race etc and again questioning power, democracy and participation in the political system.

Key & Essential Skills

To aid achievement and progression Coleg Cambria is committed to providing opportunities to develop and accredit the Key and Essential Skills. The following are delivered as part of this A Level course:

AS: Improving Own Learning and Performance (Key Skill) Level 3

A2: Communication (Essential Skill) Level 3

Extra-Curricular Activities

All students have the opportunity to develop their interests and prepare themselves for both university and careers. Activities include a role play mock United Nations exercise, coalition building activities, trips to conferences and London (Parliament) or the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff and visits from a range of guest speakers including MPs, MEPs and Ams.

How you will gain the qualification

The AS and A2 are both assessed by end of year exams, in the first and second year. There is no coursework however the department uses important mock exams as a means of preparing students for external assessment and regular exam style questions are set.

What qualifications you need

Students wishing to study A-levels full-time at Yale College must have 6 GCSE Grade Cs or better including English Language.

It does not matter at this stage if you know little about the subject; Politics combines particularly well with Economics, History, Law, Religious Studies, Geography, Business Studies, Sociology, Classics and Modern Languages, though students do it with all kinds of subjects including Maths and Physics.

Where to next

The skills obtained are extremely valuable in a number of careers. Employers look favourably on Politics students as they tend to have a mature understanding of issues and strong analytical skills. Relevant careers include:

- Law

- Journalism and Broadcasting

- Business Management and Finance

- Administration Civil Service, Local Government, Health Service, etc.

- Social work

- Armed Forces and the Police.

- Work in the European Union or other political institutions such as the Welsh Assembly

- Public Relations and Marketing

“When I think of Politics in relation to work skills I think of interpretation, investigation and analysis, and an understanding of people and events: skills that are very much needed…” Carl Gille (Association of Graduate Recruiters)

“A level Politics has formed an intricate part of my career as a Broadcast Journalist. It gave me an understanding of the workings of central and local government and the confidence to interview politicians". David Williams - Journalist at Marcher Sound.

“Politics helped me a great deal in my course and trained me to appreciate and discuss all sides of an argument". Geraint Wheatley - Law student at Oxford University.

“I would recommend the A Level in Government and Politics because it offers the opportunity to study contemporary issues relevant to life today. It also gave me the ability to organise and communicate opinions." Suzanne Chaloner - Civil Servant at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

“It is the analytical skills which are looked upon most favorably by employers, who very much value the study of Politics. My job as Information and Research Officer for Cheltenham Borough Council still draws from my A Level Politics." Michael Cantwell - Local Government Officer

“Having worked for the media and on behalf of business, I can honestly say that this course provides an excellent insight into Britain today". Alexandra Cole - works for a firm of public relations consultants.

“The great thing about the course was that you look at what was happening around you and put the issues into the context of the course. It is exactly like running a telecommunication company. I have constant news feeds and have to react to them before our competitors.” Jamie Hughes - Manager of Pace Telecom.