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Why choose Psychology at Carmel?If you study Psychology at Carmel you can expect to be taught by well-qualified, enthusiasticand very experienced staff. You will be challenged to realise your potential in a variety ofexciting and innovative ways. Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and is primarilyconcerned with investigating what people do and why.

The department has a history of high achievement well above national average and if youlisten to the guidance offered by your tutors, you too could be a Psychologist of the future!.

AS/A2 Psychology

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

In your L6th year you will study topics suchas memory and forgetting.

This will have practical applications for youin terms of showing you how to organiseyour notes more effectively and how tomake sure you don’t forget key informationin your exam.

You can also study topics such asobsessive compulsive disorders andphobias. In addition you can look at thereasons why people obey or not, where hasPsychology come from, who has influencedit and why it continues to be a reallyvaluable subject to study whatever yourfuture career plans are. The subject alsogives you the opportunity to developresearch skills and understand “howscience works”.

In your U6th year straight after your summerholidays we explore topics such as mooddisorders and schizophrenia, stress andstress management, substance abuse,forensic psychology and cognitivedevelopment, which is particularly useful forany students thinking of a career inteaching.

Many of our students who have progressedon to careers in medicine have found thestudy of abnormal behaviour invaluable.

As Psychology is classified as a science,there is also a significant amount of Biologyin the course and therefore you should havea strong science background.

AASS//AA22 PsychologyEXAM BOARD: AQA SPECIFICATION B

What support will I receive?A range of support is available to you within the department. You can have one-to-onetutorials with any member of the department whenever you need them, as many as youlike. There are group tutorials prior to an exam. We have AQA examiners teaching in thedepartment who can guide and support you on any of the papers. You will experience avariety of teaching and learning styles and receive high quality resources, which aretailored to the needs of all students.

You will be assessed regularly against the exam criteria and offered constructive feedbackidentifying what you are doing well and areas where you could still improve. You will haveregular meetings with your tutors to discuss your progress and action plan for continuousimprovement.

meet thestudentsmeet thestudents

meet the tutorsmeet the tutorsCAROLE WILLIAMSHead of Psychology & Head ofExtended Projects

JOHN KINGPsychology Tutor

KEN BUCKLEYPsychology Tutor

SARAH TOWEY

St Augustine of Canterbury

Studying: Psychology, History, ICT,Philosophy, Critical Thinking

Psychology introduces ideas andconcepts I had never beforeappreciated and I find it fascinating. Itis surprising how Psychologyinfluences all aspects of everyday lifeand at the same time offersexplanations about the more bizarreways of life. My tutor has introducedPsychology to me in a very interestingand stimulating way. Her enthusiasmand friendliness makes attending herclasses a pleasure. Carmel providesa friendly and welcoming atmospherewhich has helped me settle into mystudies and there are manyopportunities for students. I hope togo to university when I leave andwould love to study Psychology andHistory.

The Psychology Team

meet thestudentsmeet thestudents

What is the Psychology Department like?The department has over 300 students and four full time members of staff. FromSeptember 2009, Psychology students have been studying in the newly built teachingblock which provides a modern and spacious, state-of-the-art learning environment. Ourdepartment’s facilities include a suite of well resourced teaching bases equipped withinteractive white boards, multi-media projectors and wireless internet connection. We usethese resources to maximum effect to support your learning. Students also have accessto a computer suite and study areas within the new building.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

In your L6th year you will have one writtenpaper in January and a second writtenpaper in June, both worth 50% of the AS.

In U6th again you have a written paper inJanuary and your final written paper in June.

Questions on the written papers arestructured and follow a similar pattern. Youwill be given lots of opportunities to practiseyour technique.

WHERE DOES THIS COURSELEAD?

An A Level in Psychology can take youanywhere. It is one of the most transferablesubjects you can study providing you with avariety of skills. Over a quarter of ourstudents progress on to Psychologydegrees with the intention of becomingpsychologists. We also have students whohave progressed on to careers in medicine,vet science and a range of healthprofessions, dentistry, law, teaching,business, sport and the media to name buta few.

WHAT ELSE WILL I DO?

You will benefit from guest speakers andpractitioners visiting the college such asclinical psychologists who will leadworkshops and lectures. We also attendspecialist lectures organised by the examboard. You will also be given the opportunityto visit the Freud Museum in London and in

addition we organise a joint trip with theHistory department to Berlin.

As part of the Enrichment Programme, thePsychology department now offers studentstwo 8 week courses; one is an Introductionto Forensic Psychology. The other is aParapsychology course which includesvisits from guest lecturers such as Dr MattSmith from Liverpool Hope University who isalso a regular on TV’s “Most Haunted”.

LAURA PHILLIPS

Haydock Sports College

Studying: Psychology, Biology,English Literature, History

Psychology is such a fascinatingsubject to study. The topic of‘phobias’ was one of the mostinteresting because you have to tryto get into the mind of a phobic. Ireally enjoy the lessons becausethey are varied and it’s not all abouttaking notes. Some lessons weprepare in groups and deliver to therest of the class, and other lessonsare very practical. Psychology isnot an easy option and you need tobe motivated but the staff are veryapproachable and provide supportto students through group orindividual tutorials if you need help.I am thinking of applying to EdgeHill or Liverpool Hope to do aCombined Psychology and EnglishLiterature degree and eventuallywant to go into teaching.

meet the tutorsmeet the tutorsKAREN SHERIDANPsychology Tutor

ARWA MOHAMEDBHAIPsychology Tutor

SARAH DON-DUNCANPsychology Tutor

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

Students in front of the Berlin Wall

Frequently Asked QuestionsDo I need to have studied Psychology before I start my course atCarmel?

No, we assume that our students have never studied the subject before and start withthe basics.

Why do I need a grade B in Maths and English Language?

The subject is academically rigorous and requires a high level of written, oral andnumerical skills. It is not about reading people’s minds.

What can I do with an A Level in Psychology?

Psychology is an excellent subject, which will provide you with many transferable skills,which will give you numerous career options.

HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE CARMEL’S PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS?

Achievement is typically well above nationalaverages.

2010 saw a 99% pass rate at A2 level with58% at grades A*- B.

One of our students, Michael Case,achieved a grade A overall in Psychologyand scored 300 out of 300 at AS Level!

Laura Knill, another grade A Psychologystudent, went on to read for a degree inMedicine at Leeds.

Both of these students received a personalletter from the AQA exam board forachieving one of the top five marks in thecountry!

FORMER CARMEL STUDENT, DR SHELLY MORRIS-KING...

Shelly came to Carmel from St Hilda’s HighSchool and studied A Level Psychology asone of her four subjects. She left Carmel in1997 to read for a Psychology degree atYork University. After graduating she choseto do a Masters Degree in Health Evaluationat Liverpool John Moores Universityfollowed by a Doctorate in ClinicalPsychology at Leeds University.

Shelly now works as a Chartered ClinicalPsychologist at a high security hospital inthe North West.

“I work predominantly with patients with ahistory of violence and aggression, andsupervise a group therapy programme. Ialso do the odd psychology lecture atdifferent universities and have especiallyenjoyed returning to Carmel recently toteach psychology students.

It’s great to see how much Carmel hasdeveloped over the last 10 years. Going to

Carmel was an amazing experience for me,and I’m sure that I wouldn’t be where I amnow without the support andencouragement I was given by the tutorsthere. I didn’t just get my A Levels atCarmel; I really grew up there, learnt a lotabout myself, made some great friends andreally decided what it was I wanted to dowith my life.”

Dr Shelly Morris-King

meet thestudentsmeet thestudentsJADE SHERIDAN

Fairfield

Studying: Psychology, Maths,Biology

I find Psychology a very interestingsubject to study and I like applyingit to everyday life andunderstanding the behaviour ofpeople around me. Carmel hasgood facilities for students; theSilent Study Area in the Library isparticularly useful around examtime. The teachers areapproachable too and alwaysavailable to help you. During mytime at Carmel I have developed alove of Psychology, enough to wantto pursue a career in it. I hope tostudy Psychology at LiverpoolUniversity and might even stay onfor a further 3-4 years to eventuallybecome and Clinical Psychologist.

moreinformationmoreinformationFor general information visit theBritish Psychological Society:www.bps.org.uk

For specific information from theexam board go to:

www.aqa.org.uk

For a glance at the kind of thingsyou are likely to study:

www.s-cool.co.uk