LAW
Through the study of law in the UK, students will gain powerful knowledge across a range of legal topics, gaining insight into the role of law in today’s society. Through this knowledge students develop tolerance, empathy and respect for the differences between individuals, which will allow them to interact with those around them with kindness, compassion and without judgement of background, social status, belief, sex, race or ability. The skills students begin to develop through this curriculum lay solid foundations for students applying for the Criminology Diploma on offer in Post-16 at IGS and are highly sought after by higher education and prospective employers.
They will gain this powerful knowledge through:
- A clear teaching structure where key knowledge is revisited regularly, both within a teaching cycle and across the course, to build retrieval skills and to encourage retention of key information in the long-term memory.
- The explicit teaching of subject specific vocabulary, including the Latin definitions and meanings of legal doctrines.
- Development of an awareness of the rights and responsibilities of individuals, including the importance of taking personal responsibility and pride in the choices they make in school and in their lives beyond IGS and the possible consequences of their actions in a legal context.
- Development of an understanding of the concepts of law through justice, fault, law and morals and the balancing of conflicting interests.
- Gaining an in-depth understanding of how law impacts every aspect of their lives and the civic duties that underpin the development of law to fit the democratic society in which they live.
- Developing an understanding of how the criminal justice system, and their roles within in, functions so that they can influence and change how the law operates within the UK with the aim of improving their own lives and the lives of others.
- Development of sophisticated skills such as the identification of key facts from which legal issues arise, the selection of key legal precedent, analysis, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, evaluation and re-evaluation of arguments.
- Developing curiosity and an enquiring mind whereby they can question the motivations behind criminality, how the criminal justice system treats individuals and the purpose of punishment with the aim of evaluating whether the law works and to offer alternatives as to how it could work.
- Formulation of persuasive legal hypothesis, using the principles of statutory interpretation through the doctrine of precedent, and encouragement to construct clear, concise and logical arguments which are substantiated by legal authority, using appropriate legal terminology.
- Discussions of current and sometimes emotive topics (such as euthanasia and abortion) to enable students to develop their verbal communication skills and their ability to communicate on controversial areas with sensitivity. These discussions will allow them the time and space to think about what their beliefs are and how they fit in the world around them and to have the courage to express them. Student’s arguments will be challenged in order for them to develop resilience in debating, that they may re-examine their position and expand it further.
- Making explicit links throughout different areas of the curriculum to ambitious endpoints in future careers in Law, including the wider criminal justice system, notably their introduction to the Post-16 Criminology BTEC.
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