Curriculum – Psychology

Psychology Curriculum Aims

The Aims of Our Curriculum

Psychology at Droylsden Academy offers an ambitious, inclusive curriculum that develops pupils’ understanding of human behaviour through cognitive, social, biological, developmental and criminal Psychology, alongside research methods and sleep and dreaming topics. By building powerful knowledge of key theories, core studies and real‑world applications, and strengthening critical thinking and scientific literacy, we ensure high expectations for all, so every pupil can thrive and succeed.

1. Inclusive and Ambitious for All

• Adapted teaching removes barriers for all learners so they are able to access challenging content, such as cognitive processes, brain structures, and research methods.
• High challenge for every pupil through analytical and evaluative thinking.
• Responsive teaching and assessment ensure pupils keep up, not catch up.

2. Building Knowledge and Disciplinary Thinking

• Sequenced content across various areas of psychology builds strong foundations for optional further study.
• Prior learning, including co-curricular learning, is revisited to deepen understanding and secure long‑term memory.
• Pupils develop disciplinary thinking through evaluating study designs, sampling methods, and subject specific issues and debates, e.g. the nature–nurture debate.
• Real‑world application is emphasised through contexts such as obedience in authority settings, psychological development in education, and biological and environmental factors in criminal behaviour.

3. Literacy and Numeracy in Psychology

• Explicit teaching of specialist tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary enables all pupils to read, write and speak like psychologists.
• Structured writing supports high‑quality exam responses, particularly in 9‑mark evaluation questions.
• Numeracy is strengthened through interpreting graphs, calculating mean/median/mode, understanding correlations, and analysing quantitative/ qualitative data.

4. Value for Life, Work and Society

• Pupils understand psychology’s relevance to mental health, learning, relationships and behaviour.
• The curriculum builds empathy, aspiration and personal development.

5. Ethical, Cultural and Moral Understanding

• Pupils become reflective, responsible learners able to consider cultural influences on behaviour, evaluate research respectfully, and engage thoughtfully with contemporary issues.
• Empathy and personal development are nurtured through exploring factors influencing behaviour, including social norms, developmental influences, and biological differences.

Sequence

Psychology Year 10 and Year 11 Teaching Plan

Knowledge and Skills

Year 10 Curriculum Guide

Key psychological skills students will develop:

Students will develop the knowledge and skills required to:

• Recall, describe and define key psychological concepts, theories and terminology.
• Explain psychological theories, concepts and research using accurate psychological vocabulary.
• Apply psychological knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios and stimulus materials.
• Analyse psychological explanations of behaviour across the biological, cognitive, developmental and social approaches.
• Compare psychological theories and explanations using supporting evidence.
• Interpret psychological models, diagrams and graphical representations of data.
• Describe the aims, procedures, findings and conclusions of key psychological studies.
• Evaluate psychological theories and research using validity, reliability, ethics, objectivity, subjectivity and generalisability.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of psychological explanations using evidence from research studies.
• Use psychological evidence to justify conclusions.

Year 11 Curriculum Guide

Key psychological skills students will develop:

Students will further develop their ability to:

• Select and apply psychological theories to explain behaviour in unfamiliar contexts.
• Analyse and compare competing explanations of behaviour using psychological evidence.
• Evaluate psychological research using validity, reliability, ethics, objectivity, subjectivity and generalisability.
• Interpret quantitative and qualitative research findings.
• Evaluate treatments, interventions and rehabilitation programmes using supporting evidence.
• Construct extended responses using accurate psychological terminology.
• Apply psychological knowledge and understanding to stimulus materials.
• Analyse psychological investigations and draw justified conclusions.
• Make reasoned judgements based on psychological evidence.
• Synthesise knowledge from across the GCSE Psychology course when explaining behaviour.