The Crypt School Psychology Department POS 2026-27 A Level Psychology (AQA) – Subject to change dependent on number of teachers
YEAR 12 PSYCHOLOGY
Paper 1 Topic of Study & Content
Paper 2 Topic of Study & Content
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Memory (models, types, forgetting, eyewitness testimonies, cognitive interviews)
Social Influence (conformity, obedience, minority influence and social resistance )
Attachment (theories, studies, cultural variation,) deprivation, privation, institutionalisation, adult relationships)
The Cognitive Approach (Schema, models, cognitive neuroscience)
Research Methods (Experiments, validity, reliability, Case Studies)
The Behaviourist Approach (Classical & Operant Conditioning,)
Research Methods (Observations)
The Behaviourist Approach (Social Learning Theory)
Research Methods (Self-Reports)
Psychology as a Science (paradigms, objectivity, reliability, hypothesis testing, falsification)
Term 4
Term 5
Clinical Psychology (defining abnormality, phobias, depression, OCD)
Term 6
Exam practice
End Point To be able to: ● describe ● evaluate … all research evidence (70+) and theory from the 4 topics in Paper 1.
Biopsychology (the nervous system, neurons, the endocrine system)
The Biological Approach (genetic basis for behaviour, genotype, + phenotype, evolution and natural selection)
Paper 3 Topic of Study & Content
Issues & Debates The Nomothetic vs Idiographic debate Gender Bias
Issues & Debates Ethics & Social Sensitivity Culture Bias
Issues & Debates Nature v Nurture debate
Assessment
2 homework or inclass assessment
2 homework or inclass assessment
In class JANUARY ASSESSMENTS 1 hour paper (30 mins on paper 1, 30 mins on Paper 2)
Issues & Debates Determinism v Freewill Reductionism / Holism
To be able to: ● describe ● evaluate ● apply …behaviourist, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to research and theory.
The Humanistic Approach (Congruence, SelfActualisation, ClientCentred Therapy)
The Psychodynamic Approach (Personality, Ego defence mechanisms, Consciousness, Psychosexual Stages)
Research Methods (Correlational analysis, statistical testing)
To be able to: ● describe the biopsychological processes of neuronal communication, the nervous system, the endocrine system and the fight / flight response To be able to: ● identify ● describe ● evaluate research methods and techniques that psychologists use to investigate behaviour. To be able to: ● apply
Exam practice
Exam practice
APRIL/MAY MOCKS. Full Paper 1 exam, partial Paper 2 exam.
1 homework or inclass assessment
… these debates when evaluating research and theory in Paper 1 exam questions
The Crypt School Psychology Department POS 2026-27
A Level Psychology (AQA) – Subject to change dependent on number of teachers Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
Term 5
Term 6
End Point To be able to describe, evaluate and apply psychological approaches to research and theory.
YEAR 13 PSYCHOLOGY
Paper 2 Topic of Study & Content
Paper 3 Topic of Study & Content
Assessment
Research Methods (Correlational analysis, statistical testing, validity and reliability)
Research Methods (Content Analysis, Writing a Report)
To be able to describe and evaluate the biopsychological processes of biological rhythms, brain function, plasticity and brain investigation techniques
Approaches (Comparing approaches) Study Leave
To be able to describe and evaluate content analysis, thematic analysis, case studies.
Biopsychology (the brain)
Cognitive Development (Piaget stages and theory, Vygotsky, Baillargeon, Selman, ToM, mirror neurons)
Schizophrenia (diagnosis and classification, biological and psycho-social explanations, treatments)
Forensic Psychology (psychological explanations, dealing with offender behaviour)
Forensic Psychology (psychological explanations, dealing with offender behaviour)
Issues & Debates Gender Bias Reductionism / Holism
1 homework / in- class assessment NOVEMBER assessments. Partial Paper 1 & Full paper 2 exam.
MARCH MOCKS. Full Paper 2 and 3 exams
Issues & Debates Nature v Nurture, Socially Sensitive Research, Determinism v Freewill, Gender Bias, Culture Bias, Idiographic v Nomothetic approaches, Reductionism / Holism
1 homework or in- class assessment assignment
To be able to choose (and justify choice of) statistical tests, judge the statistical significance of research findings and understand and explain the limitations of statistical testing To be able to apply debates when evaluating research and theory in Paper 1 and Paper 3 topic exam questions. To be able to describe and evaluate all research evidence (70+) and theory from the 3 topics in Paper 3 (Cognitive Development, Forensic Psychology, Schizophrenia)
Study Leave
A Level Examinations