Advanced Level Foundation: Government and Politics at Kings by Kings Education

COURSE FACTSHEET

Advanced Level Foundation — Government and Politics module Who is this course for?

Recognised by widest choice of quality universities

The Kings Advanced Level Foundation is based on A-level syllabuses, taught by A-level teachers, assessed against A-levels and moderated by an independent Advisory Board of external examiners. As such, it is one of the most highly academic and successful pathways to leading UK universities.

Kings does not work with a narrow range of university partners. This is because our Advanced Level Foundation is based on, and linked to, A-levels. It is therefore automatically recognised and accepted by the widest choice of universities. Out of the Top 25 universities listed in the Times and Sunday Times 2019 rankings, 20 have accepted Kings Foundation students.

Pearson assured

Benchmarking against A-Level grades

Key Facts

The Kings Advanced Level Foundation has Pearson assured status, awarded after an annual Pearson audit of quality assurance.

Typical top 30 university offers to students following the Programme are based on their normal A-level offers. The Programme is benchmarked against A-level grades as follows:

Start dates: 7 January, 8 April*, 1 July*, 9 September 2019; 6 January, 6 April*, 29 June*, 7 September 2020 (*Extended version) Locations offered: Oxford

London

Bournemouth Brighton

Level: Minimum IELTS 5.5 (standard version); IELTS 4.0 (extended version). Completed 11 – 12 years of schooling. Minimum age: 17 Length: 1 Academic Year (3 terms). Or Extended Advanced Level Foundation of 4 – 7 terms (including 3-term Advanced Level Foundation) Lessons: Average 21 hours per week (plus homework and private study) Class size: 8 – 12 Learning outcomes: à Raise academic qualifications to UK university entrance level à Raise English to university level à Develop learning and self study skills for degree level

Advisory Panel Standards for the Programme are set by an external and independent Advisory Board which meets three times each year to ensure best practice, moderate marks where required and hear appeals.

Assessment Paper

Weighting

Term 1 Assessment

30%

Term 2 Assessment

35%

Term 3 Assessment

35%

Typical A-level offer

Typical Kings Foundation offer

A*A*A*

80%

AAA

75%

AAB

70%

ABB

65%

BBB

60%

CCC

50%

Extended option Students with lower language levels can join an extended programme of 4 – 7 terms (including the 3-term Advanced Level Foundation), from IELTS 4.0. It offers practical content designed to provide a bridge into UK academic life. The main focus is developing suitable language proficiency for the Advanced level Foundation with concentrated IELTS lessons, but as the course is made up of English language classes and some 1:1 or small group study, it has the flexibility to also provide bespoke academic study skills and subject enrichment. The course can also include a Maths GCSE if required.

Advanced Level Foundation

Sept

Jun

Apr

Jan

Sept

Jun

Apr

Jan

Sept

Jun

Pathways

Vacation

Advanced Level Foundation IELTS 4.0

Extended Foundation IELTS 5.0 IELTS 4.5

Extended Foundation Extended Foundation

Top 20 university Top 20 university

Vacation

Advanced Level Foundation

Vacation

Top 20 university

Vacation

Advanced Level Foundation

Vacation

Top 20 university

Advanced Level Foundation

Vacation

Top 20 university

COURSE FACTSHEET

Course structure and content The programme is highly flexible, and able to adapt to the needs and academic aspirations of each student. It does this through a combination of core modules and a series of elective modules which can be combined in different ways to create main subject streams: Main subject streams à Business à Engineering à Life Sciences and Pharmacy à A rchitecture à Media and Communications à Humanities and Social Sciences à Mathematics, Computing and Science

Core modules are: à Communication and Study Skills à Data Handling and Information Technology Elective modules are: à A rt and Design à Biology à Business Studies à Chemistry

à Economics à History à Human Geography à Law à Mathematics à Media à Physics à Psychology à Politics and Government

2018 – 19 Sample academic timeline September

October

November

December

January

February

September starters

10 Sept: term starts Student induction

20 – 28 Oct: half term

University fairs/visits

14 Dec: term ends CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams

7 Jan: term starts

14 – 17 Feb: half term CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation) University fairs/visits

January starters

—

7 Jan: term starts Student induction

14 – 17 Feb: half term University fairs/visits

March

April

May

June

July

August

September starters

22 Mar: term ends Assignments* End of term exams

8 April: term starts Assignments*

Assignments*

14 June: term ends CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)

—

January starters

22 Mar: term ends Assignments* CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams

8 April: term starts Assignments*

Assignments*

17 – 18 June: 2 day break CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation)

CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)

2 Aug: term ends

*students spend two weeks on each assignment and do three in total — one for each of their ‘elective’ modules. Please note that specific dates are subject to change.

Government and Politics module structure and content

Term 1 UK Politics à Democracy and Participation: direct and representative democracy; liberal democracy; criticising democracy; political participation and evaluating participation in the UK

à The UK Constitution: sources of the UK’s uncodified constitution, parliamentary sovereignty; the Constitution’s strengths and weaknesses à Elections: General Elections using data; simple plurality system; evaluating the voting system for UK General Elections à Parliament: functions; legislative process; composition; devolved assemblies – case study on Scotland; parliamentary reform – in particular the House of Lords à UK political parties: functions of parties; major and emerging parties and how they interact in the UK political system à UK Executive: powers and roles of the prime minister; executive scrutiny; theories of executive power

Term 2 US Politics à The US Constitution: structure of the Constitution; Bill of Rights; Amendments; Amendment process à Congress: introduction and composition; legislative process; a study of Senators and Congressmen à Elections: The Electoral College; Congressional elections — case study of the 2014 mid-terms and 2016 Congressional election à The Presidency: roles and powers of the President; theories of presidential power; case studies of modern presidents à Supreme Court: constitutional role; judicial review; case studies of landmark decisions on controversial issues

Continued overleaf æ

1233 07/15

Learning outcomes On successful completion of the course, students should be able to à Understand the framework of political institutions in the UK and US à Explain and analyse political and governmental processes and outcomes à Use political concepts and specialist vocabulary with confidence à A nalyse and evaluate arguments à Write clearly structured essays which develop a line of argument

COURSE FACTSHEET

Term 3 Political Ideologies à U K and US Political Ideology Core Ideologies: Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism and Nationalism