Psychology
Intent
The psychology curriculum at Sir John Hunt is designed to inspire curiosity and develop a deep understanding of human behaviour and the scientific processes that underpin it. Following the AQA specification, students explore key topics such as social influence, memory, attachment, psychopathology, and biopsychology. These studies equip learners with the knowledge and skills to excel academically, pursue further education, and access a variety of career pathways. By engaging with scientific enquiry, critically analysing research, and applying psychological theories to real-world contexts, students gain insights into individual and societal behaviours, fostering resilience, adaptability, and lifelong learning.
Carefully sequenced to build on prior knowledge, the curriculum helps students make meaningful connections between topics, theories, and research methods. Through exploring sensitive issues like mental health and ethical dilemmas, learners develop empathy, ethical awareness, and an appreciation for diversity. This approach ensures students are reflective and analytical thinkers, prepared for exams and future opportunities. With high expectations for all, the curriculum nurtures academic, personal, and ethical growth, empowering students to become compassionate, informed, and capable individuals ready to make positive contributions to society.
Big Ideas
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Social Psychology |
Aims to understand how individual and group behaviour is influenced by the presence and behaviour of others. How and why are people's perceptions and actions influenced by environmental factors, such as social interaction, authority, minority and majority influence? |
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Cognitive Psychology |
Cognitive psychology is science of how we think. Cognitive Psychology explores our mental processes such as attention, perception, memory, action planning, and language. Students will develop an understanding of how these processes affect human behaviour. |
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Developmental Psychology
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Developmental psychology uses a scientific approach to explain growth, change and consistency though human lifespans. Developmental psychology looks at how thinking, feeling, and behaviour change throughout a person's life. |
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Clinical Psychology
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The study of Psychopathology which explores a wide range of psychological difficulties in mental and physical health including anxiety, depression, psychosis, 'personality disorder', eating disorders, addictions, learning disabilities and family or relationship issues. |
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Issues and Debates |
Students will develop an understanding of the key issues and debates in Psychology which include gender and culture in psychology; free will and determinism; nature-nurture debates; idiographic and nomothetic approaches and ethical issues and social sensitivity of research.
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Approaches |
Students will have a solid grasp and awareness of the main approaches in psychology which include; biological, psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive and humanistic. Students will be able to critique each approach and explanations of human behaviour.
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Methods
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Students will have a firm grasp and understanding of methodological and statistical approaches in Psychology and the evaluation of experimental design. In Psychology, methodology refers to procedures and designs that allow the identification of causal relationships between independently defined variables. |
Overview
Year 10
- Memory: Students will look at how we store and recall information and why we forget information.
- Perception: Students will examine how we interpret sensory information including illusions and how factors affect our perceptions.
- Development: Students will focus on how thinking and behaviour change as we grow, as well as how children learn best.
- Research Methods: Students will gain skills to understand and evaluate how psychological studies are carried out.
Year 11
- Social Influence:
Students will explore how behaviour is affected by the presence and actions of others, focusing on topics such as conformity, obedience, and bystander behaviour. - Language:
Students will investigate how humans develop and use language, including how speech and communication are used differently by humans and animals. - Neuropsychology:
Students will examine how different areas of the brain function, what happens when they are damaged, and how they are involved in behaviours such as emotion, decision-making, and language. - Psychological Problems:
Students will examine mental health conditions such as depression and addiction, exploring their symptoms, causes, and how they can be treated.
Year 12
- Social Influence:
Students will explore how group pressure and social contexts influence behaviour, including conformity, obedience, and resistance to social influence. - Memory:
Students will examine how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved, as well as why we forget and how memory can be distorted. - Attachment:
Students will investigate early relationships between infants and caregivers, and how these bonds affect emotional and social development later in life. - Psychopathology:
Students will learn about mental health conditions such as phobias, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), considering their symptoms, explanations, and treatments. - Psychological Approaches:
Students will be introduced to a range of perspectives in psychology—such as behavioural, cognitive, and psychodynamic—that offer different explanations for human behaviour. - Biopsychology:
Students will explore how the brain, nervous system, and hormones influence behaviour, including key structures and functions within the central nervous system. - Research Methods:
Students will develop core skills in designing, conducting, and evaluating psychological research, which form the basis for understanding and critiquing evidence in psychology.
Year 13
- Cognition and Development:
Students will explore how thinking and understanding develop over time, including theories of cognitive growth and how children acquire social and moral understanding. - Schizophrenia:
Students will examine this complex mental disorder, focusing on its symptoms, possible causes, and a range of biological and psychological treatments. - Aggression:
Students will investigate the psychological and biological factors that contribute to aggressive behaviour, including the role of hormones, brain structures, and social influences. - Psychological Approaches:
Students will build on their prior knowledge of key perspectives in psychology, evaluating how different approaches explain complex behaviours. - Research Methods:
Students will continue to refine their ability to design, conduct, and evaluate research, preparing them to analyse studies critically and apply methods in exam scenarios.