Politics A Level

Step 1: Apply

Step 2: Interviews and taster events

As part of your application you will be invited to book an interview, to discuss your chosen course, where you will meet with an academic tutor from your chosen area of study for an informal discussion about your course choices, to ensure you have chosen the best course for your future ambitions.

This will give you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss anything about the course that you are unsure about. Please ensure you check your confirmation email for full details, so you do not miss your appointment.

You are initially only able to book an interview for your first choice course, please let us know if you would subsequently like to be able to book interviews for other courses by emailing admissions@paston.ac.uk

Step 3: Offer

This stage provides you with an outcome of your recent interview, which will confirm if you have been made an offer of a place on your chosen course.

All offers are provisional until the point of enrolment and most of our course offers are conditional, meaning there is entry criteria you need to meet before enrolling. This will be outlined in your offer letter.

Sometimes we are unable to offer you a place on your chosen course. If this happens the reasons will be discussed with you at your appointment and we will look at alternative options with you. We will be in contact to confirm the outcome and what to do next. We also have a team of specialist Course Advisers who are more than happy to look at alternative options with you and answer any questions you may have.

Step 4: Enrolment

Enrolment is the final stage before starting your course with us and takes place within the last two weeks of August. We require you to be available to attend your appointment in person at college, so we can complete all the required steps to enrolling you on your chosen course.

We may ask you to bring some documents with you so please read your enrolment invitation carefully.

You will also explore issues such as why our voting system is seen as unfair, whether we have a right not to vote and what comes first; protecting you and me against possible terrorist attacks or defending the rights and freedoms of the individual.
In your first year of study, you will learn about people and politics which will involve looking at the British political system and how democracy operates in practice, why participation in mainstream politics is declining and the role and function of elections. You will also explore the unique nature of the UK constitution, the role of Parliament and whether it is effective and the role of the Prime Minister and how the cabinet is formed. In the second year of study, you will focus on completing political ideologies and global politics which includes sources of power, global conflict and the distribution of wealth, different global organisations such as the UN and NATO and liberalism, conservatism, socialism and feminism.
Every year we attend the Politics Conference in London where you get to listen to a range of MPs. We also hold a Question Time debate in College with MPs like Norman Lamb and representatives from a range of parties. This course is ideal if you are interested in local, national and global current affairs, enjoy debating a range of ideas and are capable of formulating your views in extended essays.

You will sit three exams at the end of your second year with each of these exams being two hours long. They will contain a choice of essay questions and a source based question.

3 A Level Programme

Minimum of 66444 at GCSE

You must also study English/Maths GCSE if you have not already achieved grade 4 in these subjects.

If you achieve a minimum of 3 GCSE's at grade 8 plus 5 at grade 7 and your English Language and Maths are at minimum grade 4, you will have the option to join the A Plus programme.

Please note that A Plus is designed for applicants to academic courses at Oxford, Cambridge or Russel Group.

You can work for the government, in the civil service, on political campaigns or for local council offices. You can also enter careers in journalism, teaching and international organisations especially if you continue to study international relations.