Curriculum Structure (Overview)
This course has 4 units, 2 are controlled assessment and 2 are external exams. This allows our students to be able to assess themselves actively and accurately, and be self-motived learners, to enable them to shape their own success. The course requires the students to have contact with a range of external professionals which support our curriculum. Students are given the opportunity to consider a vast range of careers within the field of criminology and this supports the schools desire to increase the life chances of our students.
Year 12
In Year 12 we look at the research behind criminology and what makes someone a criminal, both from a sociological and psychological perspective.
Unit 1 covers the changing awareness of crime in our society, looking at case studies and recent crimes. It looks at media campaigns which have influenced changes in the law. This mandatory unit will enable the learner to demonstrate understanding of different types of crime, influences on perceptions of crime and why some crimes are unreported. This is assessed internally by a controlled assessment.
Unit 2 looks at criminological theories of criminality and its causes, the influence on policy change and why some changes were necessary. This mandatory unit will allow learners to gain an understanding of why people commit crime, drawing on what they have learned in Unit 1. This unit is assessed by an external exam.
Year 13
In year 13, we look at how criminal justice is carried out in the UK.
Unit 3 covers the investigative processes and practices of personnel involved in criminal investigations. This mandatory unit will provide an understanding of the criminal justice system from the moment a crime has been identified to the verdict. Learners will develop the understanding and skills needed to examine information in order to review the justice of verdicts in criminal cases. This is assessed internally by a controlled assessment.
Unit 4 covers the criminal justice system in England and Wales. In this final mandatory unit, learners will apply their understanding of the awareness of criminality, criminological theories and the process of bringing an accused to court in order to evaluate the effectiveness of social control to deliver criminal justice policy.
