Politics – Level 3 Advanced GCE 

Qualification: Level 3 Advanced GCE in Politics 

Exam board: Edexcel  

Entry Requirements 

To study Politics at Coombe Dean you will be required to have an interest in the workings of British and global politics and political systems. You will also need to be interested in current affairs and political developments. 

It is recommended that students have studied at least one of History, Geography, Religious Studies (or other humanities subjects) at GCSE level to grade 6 or above and have strong English language skills. 

Skills Required 

Disciplined independent study skills and willingness to read around the topic. An ability to write essays which evaluate and reach judgements, taking account of different arguments. Politics exam questions are all ‘longer style essays’.  

If you like to examine debates using a wide range of information before making judgements, then you may well be suited to the study of Politics! 

Course outline 

We follow the Edexcel exam board at A Level. Students study the topics below throughout Year 12 and Year 13: 

Component 1: UK Politics 

This is a study of the following topics: democracy and participation, political parties, electoral systems, voting behaviour and the media. 

Further to this, student also study ‘core’ political ideologies. Students study all three - conservatism, liberalism, socialism. 

Component 2: UK Government 

This is a study of the following topics: the constitution, parliament, Prime Minister and executive, relationships between the branches.  

Further to this, student also study a ‘non-core’ political ideology. This will be one idea from the following: anarchism, ecologism, feminism, multiculturalism, nationalism. 

Component 3: Comparative Politics (Global Politics) 

This is a study of the following topics: sovereignty and globalisation, global governance: political and economic, global governance: human rights and environmental, power and developments, regionalism and the European Union, comparative theories. 

Career paths 

Politics is highly regarded by universities. It provides the necessary framework to allow learners to be critical, independent thinkers and to understand the world they live in. Students will need to be motivated and have an active interest in issues which affect them. This can lead to careers in politics, the civil service and local government, journalism, law, teaching and many other areas. 

Course outline/assessment 

All topics are examined in equally weighted exam papers at the end of Year 13. Prior to this, students will complete assessments within their lessons alongside mock exams.  

Recommended Resources 

The core text for the course that you need to purchase is below.  

The hyperlinks take you to amazon.co.uk to purchase new. In many subjects, we may recommend to look for used versions. However, because of the nature of the course, students will need the most up to date version of the textbook. Many of the case studies within the textbook will be very recent, and could form part of the examinations they take at the end of Year 13.  

Pearson Edexcel A Level Politics: UK... by Tuck, David (amazon.co.uk) 

Note – Please do not purchase this textbook prior to July 2024. We will write to all students due to study Politics A Level to confirm that this is still the most ‘up to date’ textbook and therefore the required text for students.