A Note to Teachers
Having taught A-level Politics at a Sixth Form College for many years now, I know students sometimes find the subject a little challenging so full explanations and definitions of terms and processes are given throughout the book. I’ve also worked hard to make the text as easy to follow and engaging as possible, with photos, diagrams and a range of questions and activities to bring the subject to life.
I have prepared this book with a very keen eye on the new AS specifications. It covers in depth the revised syllabi for AQA, Edexcel and OCR without any overt bias and without ‘dumbing down’. Teaching a new specification is always a bit of a challenge but I hope the book will help to reduce some of the stress by making the requirements clear and easy-to-follow. As well as making sure the book is up-to-date with the various new style exams, I’ve also worked really hard to make sure it’s in tune with the latest political debates and research. Each chapter of this book is designed to be more or less self-contained and to cover the knowledge and skills required to achieve success at AS-level Politics. All students should read chapter 1 as it lays out some important introductory ideas which are developed and referred to in later chapters.
The political landscape has been changing rapidly in Britain in the last few months and these developments are fully incorporated into the text. In addition to coverage of the most recent parliamentary, national and
European elections, there is also an assessment of the Brown premiership. Each chapter opens with an introductory section making connections with other chapters. As a teacher, I have always found that the most successful students are those who are able to link together the various aspects of our subject and grasp the ‘big picture’. There are exercises at convenient intervals, based on typical exam questions, as well as end of chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading and handy weblinks.
When writing the book and the website materials, I had in mind the teachers and students that are going to be using them in schools and colleges. It’s important to me that the new edition of my AS book and this website help students to get the highest grades at AS level. However, I certainly don’t claim to have a monopoly of wisdom in terms of the contents of the book or website, nor how to use them in teaching. I am in absolutely no doubt that many teachers will develop their own resources, lesson plans, worksheets and exercises to use with the book to help their students to learn, to develop their skills and gain good examination results.
Many thanks for using both this website and the textbook. The book has grown out of my interest in politics and my direct experience as a teacher. I very much hope you and your students will enjoy it and find it useful!
Good luck with teaching.
Peter Holmes
