Politics

Politics at Dulwich is a rigorous and debate-focused course that interrogates the most pressing issues of the modern world.

The study of Politics focuses on power: how it is distributed and exercised, for better or worse, and why. It is also concerned with people: how they interact, make decisions and settle disputes. In today’s turbulent world it is vital to understand these matters.

What we teach

Politics is available at A Level. We welcome pupils regardless of what GCSEs they have studied, though many find that History GCSE provides useful background.

The Edexcel Politics course covers the following:

• Government and Politics of the UK
  Pupils gain a developed understanding of how the British political system operates and what factors affect it. They gain this through studying a wide range of topics ranging from political parties, pressure groups and participation to the constitution and the relationship between the different branches of the state.
• Government and Politics of the USA
  The tremendous power of the USA, and the drama of its elections and current political landscape, make it not  only fascinating to study but also crucially important. The US section of our course follows a similar structure to the British content, encouraging direct comparison between the UK and USA.
• Political ideas
  Pupils trace the evolution, key thinkers and impact of some of history’s most important ideologies – conservatism, liberalism, socialism and feminism – to understand their profound impact on the modern world.

Enrichment

Politics students gain access to a rich range of supra-curricular opportunities:

• Trips
  In Year 12, all students visit Parliament, gaining a valuable understanding of how it operates. Every year we attend the A Level Politics conference at Westminster Methodist Hall - featuring Q&As with high-profile politicians from every major party. On occasion we offer a trip to Washington DC to visit Congress and other political sites and museums.
• Politics Society
  Politics students are encouraged to attend the weekly Politics Society. This involves debating the week’s domestic and international political developments in a vibrant seminar format; researching and making presentations; and listening to a roster of impressive visiting speakers ranging from political activists, civil servants and journalists to senior judges and politicians
• Model United Nations
  The Politics Department runs a popular Model UN programme, allowing pupils to participate in a wide range of prestigious conferences. This provides an excellent complement to the US/UK focus of the A Level course, as delegates gain a more global perspective by representing a wide range of nations across multiple UN committees.

Destinations

• Universities
  Many of our pupils go on to study Politics-related courses such as Politics, International Relations and a wide array of joint-honours combinations (including PPE and HSPS) at Oxford and Cambridge, the Russell Group and the USA.
• Careers
  politics graduates are well placed to work in law, journalism, finance, the Civil Service, diplomacy, think tanks, political risk consultancy, intelligence, NGOs/charities, or even go into politics themselves.
• Transferable skills
  students will gain skills that are highly valuable in whatever course or career they go on to pursue: knowledge of current affairs, and the ability to synthesise and analyse complex information and build a persuasive argument.