Sixth Form News

Sociology Trip to Warwick University 

Our A-Level Sociology students recently attended an 'Education in Action' conference, where they had the opportunity to hear from leading experts sharing their research. Kalwant Bhopal from the University of Birmingham discussed the impact of Black Lives Matter on racism in education, while Tom Shakespeare CBE from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explored the sociological perspectives on disability. Danny Dorling from the University of Oxford presented on "Seven Typical British Children Today – Injustice and Hope," and Marian Duggan from the University of Kent tackled the pressing issue of gender-based violence. Renowned sociologist and writer Ann Oakley concluded the day with a fascinating talk on feminism, gender, and society. Having studied Ann Oakley’s work since GCSE, our students were thrilled to meet her in person, with Y13 student Molly said: 

'The trip on Friday to the University of Warwick was extremely interesting, being able to physically see sociologists we have studied over the course. The environment was very engaging with many other students asking thought provoking questions. In my opinion, Ann Oakley was the best speaker- her ideas on the topic of Sex and Gender were relevant to every aspect of sociology'

Visit from the Crime Analysis Unit

Our Criminology students recently enjoyed a talk from guest speaker, Thomas Nicholas, an Economic Advisor in the Crime Analysis Unit for the Home Office. The event was also attended by Sociology, Politics, and Economics students, making it a fantastic cross-disciplinary experience.

Tom began by introducing students to the Civil Service, highlighting opportunities many were unaware of. He then delved into his role in the Crime Analysis Unit, focusing on crime data, geo-spatial analysis, hotspot policing, problem-oriented policing, and evaluation. Students had the chance to step into the role of an Economic Advisor, working through the stages of scanning (identifying the problem), analysis (understanding contributing factors), and response (developing solutions) as they examined crime in Coventry. Kyle a Y13 student said: 

'The speech was a fascinating insight into the processes used by civil servants when looking at crime and the potential factors of how to reduce it. The introduction ideas like baskets of crime and risk factors for crime were particularly interesting. . In addition to this, the speech added another layer to the information we learn in Criminology considering data surrounding crime and how its gathered as it was presented by a member of the crime analysis unit of the Home Office. Specifically, the details of how the Home Office uses the CSEW and Police recorded crime to gather and analyse data before its interpretated felt particularly rewarding to see in a real-world application as the process of recording crime was a big part of our Unit 2 assessment. The speech was an excellent summary of the ideas we are introduced to throughout the Criminology spec and provided an example of how the ideas we learn can be used and applied in a role within government.'

Impressed by our students’ engagement, Tom has kindly offered his support to help Coundon Court Sixth Form students apply for degree apprenticeships within the Civil Service.

Challenging Debates

Challenging Debate: 'The government should have no say in what people wear.'

This week it was Year 12s' turn for the challenging debate. They debated whether the government should have a say in what people wear. Across the week they looked at case studies from around the world and legislation where governments have dictated what types of clothing can be worn and symbols displayed. Ms Roberts also delivered an assembly on this issue from a religious perspective, especially focussing on the various stances towards religious dress, including in countries such as France, the UK and Afghanistan. This was an especially difficult debate, with students grappling with not just clothing, but also the issues around free speech and the threat of divisive ideology such as the far-right. After extensive debate, the results were as follows:

A whopping 92% agreed that the government should have no say in what people wear.

8% disagreed that the government should have no say in what people wear.

Champion debaters were: Ameer, Madeleine, Felicity and Diyan - a special well done to them!

Next debate titles students will be engaging in are: 'Veganism should have the same protected status as religion of other philosophical beliefs.' (Year 13) and 'Multiculturalism has failed.' (Year 12)

Additionally, to our 'Challenging Debate' through tutor time, our students run a by-weekly debate on a topic that interests them on Tuesday lunchtimes.