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Criminology
What does a criminal reveal about himself by the way he commits a crime? … As well as material traces, he also leaves psychological traces, tell-tale patterns of behaviour that indicate the sort of person he is
– David Canter (1994)
Criminology is the study of offending behaviour and patterns of crime in our society. The main aim is to explore these areas through a systematic and pragmatic approach.
Staff
Mr A Walton ( Assistant Headteacher)
Ms Morelli ( Subject lead Social Sciences)
Vision
Through studying Criminology students will be able to broaden their understanding of crime in our society. This will allow a deeper insight into the causes of crime provided through a multi-disciplinary approach.
Intent
Key Stage 5: In Criminology, our intent is to allow students to show a core understanding of Criminology which will support them further at university. Our curriculum is based on the WJEC specification, and we follow the content outlined in the specification. Throughout the course students will develop the key skills around evaluation and analysis which will help them to critically view and interpret crime data and information.
In our curriculum, we want students to understand the causes of crime and the criminal justice system in a comprehensive manner. The course allows students to gain insight into a range of disciplines which help to influence policy and create social change in our society.
In year 12 the Criminology Level 3 Certificate gives students the chance to learn two units. Each of these units allows students to see offending behaviour and crime from a unique perspective. In unit 1 it tackles the awareness of crime in society and how campaigns for change influence public policy and understanding. When studying this unit students will learn about different case studies showing awareness in action. In the year students will complete an 8-hour controlled assessment based on the materials covered which will count towards 50% of their grade in Year 12. When moving into Unit 2 students will be given the chance to learn about the theories around crime and deviance. This gives students the opportunity to understand the different perspectives and their application to explain major offences. At the end of year 12 students will sit an external examination based on Unit 2 topics which will account for 50% of their certificate grade.
To complete the year students will complete transition projects which will help prepare them for the demands of their year 13 course. This is complimented by the departmental trip to the Supreme Court in London and a walking tour detailing one of Britain’s most notorious killer, Jack the Ripper. This gives students the opportunity to contextualise the content and reframe it into the context of the real world.
In Year 13 students will begin to study Criminology Level 3 Diploma units which encourage students to learn more about the processes involved in the criminal justice system. Unit 3 will encourage students to learn about the various agencies and organisations that interact when dealing with an offence. Students can begin to understand the evidence, witnesses and organisations that are needed to build a good court case. The students will complete an 8-hour controlled assessment based on this units' materials which will count towards 25% of their grade. When students move on to Unit 4, they will begin to understand the law making and punishment controls in the U.K. This will allow students to see how Parliaments makes and debates laws with the powers that they have. Once students have completed this unit, they will have an external examination which will be worth 25% of their overall grade.
Assessments throughout the course will be spread out across the curriculum. Allowing for a student’s knowledge to be periodically checked to allow for any misconceptions to be addressed. In lessons students will be given guidance on note taking, examination questions and revision to try maximise their success in this subject area. Over the two years the teaching staff will model good working for students and complete regular retrieval practice in lessons to help solidify student knowledge.
What does a criminal reveal about himself by the way he commits a crime? … As well as material traces, he also leaves psychological traces, tell-tale patterns of behaviour that indicate the sort of person he is
– David Canter (1994)
Criminology is the study of offending behaviour and patterns of crime in our society. The main aim is to explore these areas through a systematic and pragmatic approach.
Staff
Mr A Walton ( Assistant Headteacher)
Ms Morelli ( Subject lead Social Sciences)
Vision
Through studying Criminology students will be able to broaden their understanding of crime in our society. This will allow a deeper insight into the causes of crime provided through a multi-disciplinary approach.
Intent
Key Stage 5: In Criminology, our intent is to allow students to show a core understanding of Criminology which will support them further at university. Our curriculum is based on the WJEC specification, and we follow the content outlined in the specification. Throughout the course students will develop the key skills around evaluation and analysis which will help them to critically view and interpret crime data and information.
In our curriculum, we want students to understand the causes of crime and the criminal justice system in a comprehensive manner. The course allows students to gain insight into a range of disciplines which help to influence policy and create social change in our society.
In year 12 the Criminology Level 3 Certificate gives students the chance to learn two units. Each of these units allows students to see offending behaviour and crime from a unique perspective. In unit 1 it tackles the awareness of crime in society and how campaigns for change influence public policy and understanding. When studying this unit students will learn about different case studies showing awareness in action. In the year students will complete an 8-hour controlled assessment based on the materials covered which will count towards 50% of their grade in Year 12. When moving into Unit 2 students will be given the chance to learn about the theories around crime and deviance. This gives students the opportunity to understand the different perspectives and their application to explain major offences. At the end of year 12 students will sit an external examination based on Unit 2 topics which will account for 50% of their certificate grade.
To complete the year students will complete transition projects which will help prepare them for the demands of their year 13 course. This is complimented by the departmental trip to the Supreme Court in London and a walking tour detailing one of Britain’s most notorious killer, Jack the Ripper. This gives students the opportunity to contextualise the content and reframe it into the context of the real world.
In Year 13 students will begin to study Criminology Level 3 Diploma units which encourage students to learn more about the processes involved in the criminal justice system. Unit 3 will encourage students to learn about the various agencies and organisations that interact when dealing with an offence. Students can begin to understand the evidence, witnesses and organisations that are needed to build a good court case. The students will complete an 8-hour controlled assessment based on this units' materials which will count towards 25% of their grade. When students move on to Unit 4, they will begin to understand the law making and punishment controls in the U.K. This will allow students to see how Parliaments makes and debates laws with the powers that they have. Once students have completed this unit, they will have an external examination which will be worth 25% of their overall grade.
Assessments throughout the course will be spread out across the curriculum. Allowing for a student’s knowledge to be periodically checked to allow for any misconceptions to be addressed. In lessons students will be given guidance on note taking, examination questions and revision to try maximise their success in this subject area. Over the two years the teaching staff will model good working for students and complete regular retrieval practice in lessons to help solidify student knowledge.
