A LEVEL
Politics
Politics is the study of power, representation, and the decisions that shape society.
Studying Politics at A Level helps you make sense of these questions and form your own reasoned, confident voice in the debates that matter.
You’ll explore the systems, ideas and individuals that drive both UK and US politics, from Parliament to the Presidency, and from democracy to feminism.
You arrive as you are, and you’re celebrated for it. You leave ready to take on the world.
— Sixth Form student
Why Choose Politics at St Paul’s?
- Engage with real issues. You’ll connect what you learn to current events and debates that shape daily life.
- Think critically and independently. Learn to analyse arguments, evaluate evidence and communicate with clarity and confidence.
- Supportive, discussion-led learning. Small classes and passionate teachers make space for lively debate and shared ideas.
- A community that values every perspective. We’ll challenge you to think deeply, respect differences, and express yourself with conviction.
- Skills that open doors. Politics develops reasoning, analysis and communication, skills valued in law, journalism, business and public service.
Where Politics Can Take You
A Level Politics is highly respected by universities and employers. It’s a great foundation for further study or careers in:
- Politics, Law and International Relations
- Journalism, Media and Communications
- Economics and Business
- Education and the Civil Service
- Charities, Campaigning and Public Policy
I thought about leaving, but I realised no one else would care about me the way St Paul’s does. Here, I’m not starting over, I’m moving forward.
— Student Name
What You’ll Study
UK Politics and Core Political Ideas
- Democracy and participation
- Political parties
- Electoral systems
- Voting behaviour and the media
- Core political ideologies: Socialism, Liberalism and Conservatism
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UK Government and Non-Core Political Ideas
- The Constitution
- Parliament and the Prime Minister
- Relationships between institutions
- Feminism as a key political ideology shaping British and global society
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US and Comparative Politics
- The US Constitution, Congress, Presidency and Supreme Court
- The relationship between the branches of government
- Comparison of UK and US democracies using Rational, Cultural and Structural theories
Full details of the course can be found in the exam board’s official Edexcel specification.
You arrive as you are, and you’re celebrated for it. You leave ready to take on the world.
— Sixth Form student
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Politics Exam Results
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PASS RATE
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achieved
A* to C
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achieved
A* to B
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achieved
A* to A
Entry Requirements
In addition to our standard entry requirements, a number of our courses have specific entry requirements to ensure you are ready to thrive in the subject. For Mathematics, you’ll need:
- Grade 6+ in Maths (Higher paper)
These requirements are in place to help set you up for success and make sure you have the right foundation to enjoy the challenge of Sixth Form study.
I thought about leaving, but I realised no one else would care about me the way St Paul’s does. Here, I’m not starting over, I’m moving forward.
— Student Name
Hear From Our Students
I’ve really enjoyed broadening my knowledge of UK and US politics and developing my understanding of the world around me.
Given the current political climate in the United Kingdom and abroad, choosing Politics at A-Level was the best decision I could have made.
Politics A Level is crucial for understanding the evolving world around us. It has taught me a multitude of lessons that have helped me to become more in touch with society and others.
Studying Politics has been very eye-opening, helping me to gain an understanding of current affairs and an understanding of how our country and the world around us functions.
Mr M Donald
SUBJECT LEADER FOR POLITICS
Thank you for your interest in A Level Politics. It’s a fascinating and fast-moving subject that helps you understand the forces shaping our world today.
Our team is passionate about discussion and debate. We want you to think deeply, express yourself clearly and enjoy exploring how power, people and ideas interact.
Send me a message
We’d love to hear from you, whether you want to talk about subject choices, entry requirements, or your future career ideas.
Are you ready to question power, challenge assumptions and understand how democracy really works?
Start your Politics journey at St Paul’s.
Whatever course you choose, you’ll be joining a community where every student is known and loved. Our mission is not just to help you succeed academically, but to help you grow as a person, supported and celebrated every step of the way.
PoliticsCourse Content
Government & Politics is a broad and complex subject, see how we break down these topics and subjects and how we assess them.
| UNIT 1UK Politics and Core Political Ideas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WEIGHT |
33.3% |
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LENGTH |
2 Hours |
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The course analyses both the theoretical and practical aspects of politics throughout the UK by the studying four key modules
- Democracy and participation
- Political parties
- Electoral systems
- Voting behaviour and the media
Within these, key issues surrounding politics are evaluated and analysed to discover how we, the public, can participate in politics and have our views represented in numerous ways. We also study the impact and ideologies of the main political parties in the UK while considering how these ideologies work in practice to provide representation. We also analyse the different electoral systems used throughout the UK and formulate political theories concerning the reasons for why people vote for specific representatives.
This unit also focuses on 3 key political ideologies that have shaped, and continue to shape, British and global societies.
- Socialism
- Liberalism
- Conservatism
Within the study of each ideology, we study the origins of the ideologies as well as how these ideologies are presented in modern society.
| UNIT 2UK Government and Non-core Political Ideas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WEIGHT |
33.3% |
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LENGTH |
2 Hours |
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The course analyses the institutions and key personnel involved in the running of the UK, It comprises four modules:
- Constitution
- Parliament
- Prime Minister
- Relationship between institutions
The course has a focus on keeping up to date with current developments in UK government and understanding how the institutions of UK government impact on the day-to-day running of the country. The course involves lots of discussion and debate surrounding the theory and realities of government in the UK and students are required to analyse and evaluate key information regarding the various elements of UK government.
This unit also focuses on Feminism, a key political ideology that has shaped, and continues to shape, British and global societies.
Within the study of this Feminism, we study the origins as well as how this ideology is presented in modern society.
| UNIT 3US and Comparative Politics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WEIGHT |
33.3% |
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LENGTH |
2 Hours |
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The course analyses how the political system of the US operates and functions by looking a the powers given to the three pillars of American federal government, the President, Congress and the Supreme Court. The focus of the course is split between political theory and practical politics to analyse current affairs and issues within US politics.
Additionally, we compare and contrast the democracies of the UK and US to analyse similarities and differences in the political systems. This is done through the direct comparison of the institutions, ideologies, voting behaviour, functions of governmental departments and constitutions using three comparative theories; Rational, Cultural and Structural.Â
