Radyr Sixth Form
Humanities
Welcome to the Humanities Faculty Homepage. We offer the following courses, Geography, History, Politics. Psychology, Criminology Economics and Business.
Geography
Geography is a subject that involves the study of the dynamic world in which we live. It develops knowledge of physical and human environments as well as an understanding of the processes that have formed them. It focuses on the present day world and the issues involved in its development. It encourages students to formulate views about the dynamic changes that are taking place at a local and global scale. Fieldwork is a crucial aspect of this course.
As a result of the breadth of knowledge and skills acquired the subject is highly regarded for careers in such areas as law, management, business, planning, medicine, engineering, journalism and the environment.
History
If you are interested in making sense of today’s world you should study History. The skills remain with you for life: the ability to explain; to research independently; to think critically. These can be applied in other areas, not just obvious career options such as law, politics or journalism. Most importantly, you gain an ability to make sense of events in an ever-changing world.
History is a valued qualification for an infinite number of courses. It is often valued by universities for students studying seemingly unrelated subjects, such as medicine, the sciences or engineering, as it demonstrates a wider interest and useful skills that perhaps not all candidates will possess. Courses with an obvious link include: History, Welsh History, Politics, Law, Education, Archaeology, Heritage and Tourism.
Politics
If you are interested in developing a broad knowledge and understanding of the political system of the UK then you should study politics. The skills remain with you for life: the ability to explain; to research independently; to think critically. These can be applied in other areas, not just obvious career options such as Law, Politics or Journalism. Most importantly, you gain an ability to make sense of events in an ever-changing world.
You will study Political participation and voting behaviour, electoral systems, political parties and pressure groups/protest movements and the process of government, looking at parliamentary structures, core executives and multi-level governance in both Wales and the UK as a whole.
Psychology
This course provides a comprehensive appreciation of the nature of Psychology and psychological enquiry by exploring the historical and current psychological approaches and classic and contemporary research. In addition, there are opportunities to explore psychological controversies and debates. As research methods is an essential component of Psychology, this course introduces the various methods used by psychologists and provides the opportunity for psychological investigations to take place, taking into consideration ethical issues and implications of psychological endeavours. This course provides both breadth and depth to the study of Psychology that is easily accessible and stimulating.
Students wishing to pursue a career in Business, Education, Health Service, Police, Research, Counselling, Social Services, Childcare and Criminology may find Psychology of particular relevance.
Applied Criminology
This programme of study is designed for students who aspire for a career within the criminal justice sector, social and probation work and sociology and psychology. An understanding of crime is central to any of these careers and this course includes elements of law, psychology and sociology, thus it compliments studies in humanities. It is an Applied General qualification. This means it is designed primarily to support learners progressing to university through applied learning, i.e. through the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in purposeful contexts linked to the criminal justice system. The qualification would support learners’ progression from any study at Level 2, particularly GCSEs in Sociology, Law, Psychology, History and Humanities.
Business
A business is any activity that provides goods or services, whether that is to make a profit or not. The common thread in business is that owners and employees are striving to satisfy customers. Nowadays, customers are more informed and have more options in terms of what they buy and who they buy from, so a successful business is one that successfully balances satisfying their customers and selling products or providing services.
This course is designed to both support learner's progressing to university, and to provide learners with the requisite skills and knowledge to enter the world of work. The qualification can be used to support access to degree courses such as: Marketing, Management, Finance, International Business, and Retail Management.
Economics
Economics A Level is a popular choice at Radyr, largely due to the fact that it is a relevant and useful subject to study. During the course many topical issues are covered such as Unemployment, Inflation, the Single European Currency and the National Minimum Wage, and many questions will be considered such as ‘Why do footballers earn so much more than nurses?’ ‘How can the problems of underdeveloped countries be solved?’
Career Opportunities
Economics can lead to a number of career paths such as Banking and Finance, Law, Accountancy, the Civil Service, Business and Management, and it is part of the training in several of these careers, many of which are well paid.