Sociology Curriculum Overview

Aim

Here at Southmoor Academy, we aim to securely equip all of our students for life beyond school as successful, confident, responsible and respectful citizens. We believe that education provides the key to social mobility and our curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in the knowledge, understanding and skills which lead to academic and personal success.  We want our students to enjoy the challenges that learning offers.

Our aims are underpinned by a culture of high aspirations. Through developing positive relationships, we work towards every individual having a strong belief in their own abilities so that they work hard, build resilience and achieve their very best.

Intent

The curriculum includes formal teaching, in-class group/team activities, independent work, paired work, research projects and home learning opportunities. We regularly review content to ensure we continue to meet our curriculum aims. The Sociology curriculum is planned to enable all students to develop knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes and issues through the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification.

Students will develop their analytical, assimilation and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.

The Sociology curriculum is planned to enable all students to develop knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• draw on information and evidence from different sources and demonstrate the ability to synthesise them
• analyse and evaluate different research methods used in sociological investigations and assess, critically, the appropriateness of their use
• analyse and evaluate information and evidence presented in different written, visual and numerical forms
• apply their understanding to explore and debate the current sociological issues outlined in each of the topic areas
• use sociological theories and evidence to compare and contrast social issues, construct reasoned arguments and debates, make substantiated judgements and draw conclusions
• draw connections between the different topic areas studied.

By studying sociology, students will develop transferable skills including how to:

• investigate facts and make deductions
• develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
• analyse and better understand the social world.

Throughout our programmes of study, every attempt is made to make explicit links to careers and the world of work. In addition to subject specific links, we aim to explicitly reinforce the skills and aptitudes which support employers say are important in the workplace;

• Resilience (Aiming High Staying Positive Learning from Mistakes)
• Collaboration (Teamwork Leadership Communication)
• Creativity (Originality, Problem Solving, Independent Study)

The British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly within the Sociology curriculum and reinforced in the way in which the school operates.

Sequence and Structure:

Our KS4 curriculum is spilt across 2 years which is assessed by 2 exams which are both 1 hour and 45 minutes. The course covers the following topics:

1. The sociological approach
2. Social structures, social processes and social issues
3. Families
4. Education
5. Crime and deviance
6. Social stratification
7. Sociological research methods

• Year 10 Key Stage 4 Curriculum

  Click here to view the KS4 Sociology curriculum intent for 2021-2022.

  Year 10
  Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
  Topic: Introducing Sociology Key Themes: Key Theorists Functionalism Marxism Interactionalism Feminism New Right Social Processes Social Structures	Topic: Research Methods Key Themes: Research Design Types of research Research case studies Comparing research designs	Topic: Families Key Themes: Family diversity Families in a global context Theories about family units	Topic: Families Key Themes: Changing families Theories about family units	Topic: Education Key Themes: Function of education Comparing perspectives of education Alternative education	Topic: Education Key Themes: Internal and external factors of achievement Social class, gender and ethnicity and achievement Educational policies

  Year 11
  Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
  Topic: Crime and Deviance Key Themes: Measuring crime Social class and crime Gender and crime Ethnicity and crime Age and crime	Topic: Crime and Deviance Key Themes: Informal and formal social control Treatment of young offenders The prison system Theories of crime	Topic: Social Stratification Key Themes: Theories of social stratification Life chances Class and poverty Globalisation	Topic: Social stratification Key Themes: Political power Patriarchy Gap analysis exam catch up	Exams	Exams

• KS5 Curriculum

  Our Key Stage 5 Curriculum:

  Our KS5 curriculum is spilt across 2 years which is assessed by 3 exams of 2 hours. The course covers the following topics:

  A-level Subject content 

  Compulsory content:

  • Education with Theory and Methods
  • Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

  Optional Content:

  Option 1

  • Culture and Identity
  • Families and Households
  • Health
  • Work, Poverty and Welfare

  Option 2

  • Beliefs in Society
  • Global Development
  • The Media
  • Stratification and Differentiation

  We know that students who read well achieve well. As such all subject areas are committed to providing regular opportunities to read extensively. We provide regular opportunities for students to read for pleasure and to receive small group interventions if their reading skills are lower than we would expect.

How does our Curriculum cater for students with SEND?

At Southmoor, we believe that all students deserve an engaging and inclusive education that matches the individual needs of all pupils. In Sociology, we aim to ensure that SEND students consistently receive stimulating and meaningful lessons which is often achieved by linking subject content to personal experiences wherever possible.

How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?

As a school serving an area with high levels of deprivation, we work tirelessly to raise the attainment for all students and to close any gaps that exist due to social contexts. The deliberate allocation of funding and resources has ensured that attainment gaps are closing in our drive to ensure that all pupils are equally successful when they leave the Academy.

In Sociology, each member of staff holds a teaching handbook that identifies disadvantaged pupils. Pupils are placed in the classrooms with careful consideration so that they receive high quality focus and support from staff and peers.

How do we make sure that our curriculum is implemented effectively?

• Staff have regular access to professional development/training to ensure that curriculum requirements are met.
• Curriculum resources are selected carefully and reviewed regularly.

How do we make sure our curriculum is having the desired impact?

• Lesson observations
• Learning walks
• Regular feedback from Teaching Staff during department meetings
• Regular feedback from Middle Leaders during curriculum meetings
• Pupil surveys
• Parental feedback