Sociology

Curriculum Intent

The sociology department is ambitious for excellence in all we do. Through our curriculum we ensure that our students understand what it means to be a sociologist, and teach them to see how the actions and experiences of people in their everyday lives can be observed from a wide range of perspectives. This intent is reflected in our ambitious and diverse knowledge rich curriculum, which is carefully sequenced in a way that encourages students to make links across the topics of family, education, crime & deviance, and social stratification.

The key approaches such as Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, and Interactionism are introduced early and embedded throughout the course. Our vision is that students will acquire the knowledge that ensures they have a secure understanding of these sociological theories and how research methods are applied in context. Alongside this, students will develop the ability to make connections between their studies and contemporary issues (both local and global) and the confidence to critically evaluate each perspective using their knowledge of real world examples.

Our teachers are passionate about continually developing their own knowledge, and inspiring students to engage in stimulating debate and discussion. This enables students to further their enthusiasm for sociology by understanding how it connects people to the institutions and social structures they will interact with beyond Beacon.