Law: Key Stage 5

About the subject

A Level Law attracts students of many different kinds. Many students study Law because they want to go on to study the subject at university and pursue a career as a solicitor or barrister. The subject also provides a background for occupations such as the police, social work, civil service or business. Whatever your vision, a GCE in Law is a valuable first step in achieving your ambition.

Assessment

The Law Department teaches the AQA specification for which there is no coursework element and no previous knowledge of the subject is required. This qualification is linear which means that students will sit all their exams at the end of Year 13. There are three papers, the subject content of which is set out below:

How it’s assessed:

• Written exam: 2 hours per paper

• 100 marks each

• 33% of A-Level

Questions:

A combination of multiple choice, short answers and extended writing questions.

Testimonials

“Studying A Level Law is not just about learning rules, it is about understanding our current legal system which affects millions of people in the UK every year. Taking law as one of my A Levels has helped me develop my essay writing skills as well as inspiring my interest in debating legal principles which are applied to real life cases.

For the first year, your attention will be drawn into the criminal and tort sides of the law. Ranging from familiar laws of murder in criminal law and Negligence in tort, to more niche topics such as Automatism (a criminal capacity defence) and Economic Loss. This will be followed up with a greater understanding of the key concepts of the current English Legal System, in the following year.

Whether you’re curious about how the UK’s legal system works or aiming for a career in law, politics and any profession that values critical thinking and clear communication, taking Law at A Level is a must!”  Vasco Almeida, Year 12.