Oakham is delighted to be introducing Psychology as a new subject choice from September 2021. This popular and rewarding subject will be offered for the first time in our Upper School. Pupils will now be able to choose to study Psychology at A-level, or as part of their IB Diploma.
“This is an excellent addition to our already diverse curriculum offering,” says Dr Leo Dudin, Oakham’s Academic Deputy Head. “Psychology is a popular subject as it is a fascinating study of the various causes of human behaviour, both individually and collectively in society.”
As with many of the subjects we offer in both A-level and the IB Diploma, the curricular pathways are different in the areas they cover. Similarities remain, with pupils studying both the theories and applications of Psychology in both pathways. One of the main differences is that IB Diploma students will be able to take a more ‘hands-on’ approach through planning and running their own experiments, whilst A-level pupils will focus on learning the theory of research and data analysis which will prepare them for future research at university level.
Many of the skills that will be learnt by all pupils who choose to study Psychology from September onwards are those that are already considered to be of vital importance at Oakham – namely critical analysis, independent thinking and research skills. “Psychology is a great fit for Oakham,” adds Dr Dudin, “as the subject is centred on the asking of questions and the evaluation of answers via scientific research. We are already renowned, via FOSIL, for developing pupils’ inquiry skills – to be able to ask the right questions and to access knowledge to find the answers for themselves.”
Pupils in Form 5, who are currently making their choices of what to study in the Upper School, along with students who plan to join Oakham for the Sixth Form years, will all be able to learn more about studying Psychology in the School’s choices booklet which maps out the broad range of subject choices available.
Dr Dudin concludes, “We are hoping that by introducing this new subject, we will be igniting a long-lasting curiosity about human behaviours, thoughts and emotions at three different, but connected, levels: biological, cognitive and social. This interest and knowledge will either set pupils off onto a career path to study Psychology when they leave Oakham, or it will sit incredibly nicely alongside their other subject choices or career paths at university or beyond.”
