BAA Criminology Curriculum Intent Statement
As a Church of England Academy, we want all students in our Bluecoat Aspley family to come to understand and value the centrality of faith in our world. It is our hope that through the study of Criminology, all students can better placed to play a big part in keeping people safe in society.
Our intent is to provide a fluid and dynamic knowledge rich curriculum, which gives learners, access and progress to universities or the world of work.
Students will embark on a journey through crime studying the different types of crime, the theories behind why people commit crime to collating evidence and finally our justice system. Students will understand the criminal justice system, which influences their own behaviour and conduct in UK society. It also requires them to consider how the use and application of their learning affects themselves, other individuals, employers, society, and the environment. Ultimately, students will develop a critical and focused criminological mind.
The applied nature of the course allows students to learn in such a way that they develop skills required for independent learning and development. A range of generic and transferable skills such as critical thinking, and report writing and time management, the ability to solve problems, the skills of project-based research, development and presentation and the ability to work alongside others and the ability to apply learning in vocational contexts.
Through gaining this knowledge, we are able to promote respect and understanding for those members of society who may be at risk of falling into, or being affected by criminality, whilst also allowing students to understand how their own beliefs may shape their worldviews.
This insight will enable students to make informed decisions about potential future career routes. Criminology students have numerous different career options readily available. Exciting roles include in immigration, education, law enforcement, people protection, community planning, advocacy, policing, consulting, public administration, and international development.
Key Stage 5
At KS5 in criminology, students have 5 hours a week. We follow the EDUQAS Specification
Criminology is the study of crime. The course is split into four units, we study what different types of crime are, what the causes are and what it takes to decide if something is criminal or deviant or both. We look into the causes of crime, and assess the impact of policies designed to reduce crime. We also look in detail at the personnel involved in bringing a case to justice, how a crime scene is processed, as well as the whole criminal justice system. This course is an applied general qualification, which means that practical application of case studies to learning is key. Studying criminology will allow many key transferable skills to be developed, including the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data effectively. Successful students need to work independently and have the ability to construct well-informed and reasoned arguments substantiated by relevant evidence. This course is designed to support students into university study and/or careers within the criminal justice sector, for example the police force, or support roles within it, forensics or the probation service.