Psychology
Psychology at Huxlow Academy promotes a love of learning and a developing respect for others. We aim to provide students with an understanding of reasons behind abnormal behaviour as well as ways in which your nature (biology) and how you have been nurtured (upbringing) can affect your own behaviour. Students will appreciate the need to understand people around them to allow them to move forward in life successfully.
As of September 2025 psychology will only be taught at A Level (KS5) but there are many transferable skills students learn in English, maths and science in KS3 and KS4 that can complement their learning of psychology. These include extended writing, statistical analysis and the use of scientific processes. Students are equipped during the course to apply the fundamental skills that underpin psychological study: developing critical analysis, independent thinking and research skills. Through their psychology lessons, students are challenged to think critically to consider different perspectives of the same behaviour as well as to analyse the effectiveness of different methods of research. Once confident in such methods of research students build practical skills by carrying out their own investigations, for example creating and collecting data from a questionnaire or observing and analysing behaviour of students at lunch time. Throughout their studies at Huxlow, students will consider overarching theories of cognitive psychology, biological psychology, debates within psychology and many more which link diverse and popular topics together. These topics include how we are influenced by others, how we form attachments and the explanation and treatment of mental health illnesses.
The challenging nature of the A Level prepares students for psychology at university, where they will refine their knowledge even further, until students eventually choose their desired area of psychology to work in. It is also worth noting that as the subject is broad in nature due to the skills developed and knowledge learnt, studying psychology at A Level opens a wide range of opportunities for further study and careers.
Department Staff
Mrs K Isaksen - Deputy Headteacher, Psychology Lead
Miss M Hayes - Psychology Teacher
Mrs J Watson - Psychology Teacher