Have you ever wondered… what makes people turn to crime, why development in the early years of life is so important, how people learn right from wrong, whether or not memory is accurate, or why people decide to change their gender?

The psychology department offers insight into many areas of interest, and provides answers to burning questions about human life and behaviour!

The department has its own teaching room dedicated to the subject for its sole use. Each room has a range of audio-visual equipment, including an interactive white board, television, DVD player, and network points.The department is vibrant, forward thinking and welcoming with a range of expertise and experience. The members of staff in the Psychology department are Mary Osborne (Psychology teacher and SENCO) and Daniella Aschettino (Head of Psychology).  

There is a well resourced Sixth form study area and school library with the latest GCSE, AS and A2 publications available to students.

The subject is a popular choice as a GCSE option, with many students opting to continue their psychological studies into A Level. Many students also apply for psychology courses at university.

At GCSE level students have the opportunity to explore enticing areas of Psychology, including Criminal Behaviour, Memory, Phobias and Perception of optical illusions. They also study the research methods psychologists use to investigate human behaviour.

At AS level students learn about 15 core studies in psychological research whilst exploring how the authors of these studies have investigated human phenomena.
At A2 level students explore more specific areas of Psychology. The applied options are Forensic Psychology and Clinical Psychology where students learn about what makes a person turn to crime, what happens to criminals through the judicial system and what the alternatives to imprisonment are. For the Clinical Psychology unit students explore the nature of mentaldisorders, including how they develop and their treatments. Students also investigate the nature of stress, its effects on the body and how humans are able to deal with stressful life events. 

 

Psychology CAREERS

Possible Jobs:

Counselling Psychology
Concerned with the integration of psychological theory and research with therapeutic practice.
Educational Psychology
Tackles the problems encountered by young people in education, which may involve learning difficulties and social or emotional problems.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Psychology is devoted to psychological aspects of legal processes in courts. The term is also often used to refer to investigative and criminological psychology: applying psychological theory to criminal investigation.
Health Psychology
Health psychologists promote changes in people's attitudes, behaviour and thinking about health and illness.
Occupational Psychology
Concerned with the performance of people at work in training, how organisations function and how individuals and small groups behave at work.
Sport & Exercise Psychology
Work with sports participants across a range of both team and individual sports and from amateur to elite levels of competition.
Teaching & Research
Includes teaching in secondary schools, lecturing in Further Education colleges and Higher Education Institutions.

Clinical Psychology
Aims to reduce psychological distress and to enhance and promote psychological well-being and reduce depression.

 

Websites:

The British Psychological Society http://www.bps.org.uk

 

Subject leads into university:

Masters in Psychology and a PhD (doctorate) in Psychology can lead to the chartered basis to practice Psychology professionally. Undergraduate degree in Psychology is the first step to becoming a psychologist.