A Level Law

Please refer to EN's Entry Requirements Guide for specific advice on our Admissions Policy. This guide is supplied at interview to prospective students and is also available to Schools & Careers Advisers.

At some point in your life you will come into contact with the English legal system, whether this is to set up a business, write a will, get a divorce or report a crime. The A level law course will de-mystify the legal system by introducing you to the people and processes involved in creating laws, along with the role of the police, legal professionals and the ordinary men and women of the jury. You will develop critical thinking skills and learn to apply these laws to factual scenarios so that you are able to advise on the likely outcome.

You will also have the opportunity to engage in a range of extra-curricular activities. Previous trips have included visits to the Houses of Parliament and Supreme Court in London; Norwich Crown Court to witness the law in action and a unique opportunity in your second year to participate in the Bar National Mock Trial Competition, where students pit their wits against other schools and colleges by taking on the roles of barristers, witnesses and court personnel in a dramatic courtroom showdown.

AS Level Content:

Paper 1 – English Legal System and Criminal Law

Civil and criminal procedures, lay and legal personnel, sentencing, access to justice, criminal rules and theory and non-fatal offences against the person

Paper 2 – Law Making and the Law of Tort

Parliamentary law making, delegated legislation, judicial precedent and statutory interpretation, European Union law, the rules and theory of tort law, negligence and occupier’s liability.

A Level Content:

Paper 1 – The Legal System (25%) & Criminal Law (75%)

Everything from AS component 1, plus fatal and property offences, and general defences.

Paper 2 – Law making (25%) & the Law of Tort (75%)

Everything from AS component 2 plus vicarious liability, nuisance, defences and remedies.

Paper 3 – The Nature of Law (25%) & Human Rights Law (75%)

Law and morality, law and justice, rules of theory and human rights law, protection of rights and freedoms in the UK, restrictions on and enforcement of those rights.

Assessment

You will sit 2 exams at the end of year one. Each exam paper is 90 minutes long and worth 80 marks. Questions will assess your ability to explain, discuss and apply the law to a range of situations.

If you are taking the whole A level you will then go on to take 3 further exams at the end of year two. Each exam paper is 2 hours long and worth 100 marks, focusing on similar skills to the AS. These exams will determine your final A level grade.

Exam - 100%

GCSE English Language grade 4 or above. An average GCSE score of 5.20.

Can I study Law at A level if I want to study it at university?

Yes!

Our current students have chosen to study law for many different reasons (often just wanting to know more about a topic of interest). Approximately half of them go on to study law at university.

Our students have received offers from all of the top universities (including Cambridge and Oxford).

You don’t have to study law at A level to go on to do so at degree level but we certainly advise it. Our past students say that they had a big advantage over students who had not studied law at A level. It also avoids the risk of signing up for a course (and paying c. £27,000 in tuition fees!) for a course you have no prior experience in.

What other subjects does Law combine well with?

Our current students study a very wide range of subjects alongside law but the most popular combinations are history, English, maths, politics, criminology, sociology and psychology.

Just pick subjects you think you will enjoy and do well in!

You must have a keen interest in reading and writing.