Head of Department – Miss H Lally, B.A

The relatively recent formation of the new Social Sciences Department is an exciting fresh development within The Heathland School. Made up of the Sociology and Psychology departments, Social Sciences is the formal recognition that the rising popularity, growth and interest in these subjects has necessitated a more prescribed and structured development of these valuable social sciences.

Sociology provides students with insight into the workings and structuring of the societal framework that is all around them, not only in local and national contexts, but in an international global setting also. They will start to understand and debate the relevant sociological debates of ethnic, gender and class differentiation, and learn the theory and studies of famous academics such as Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim. Contemporary issues have a strong emphasis as well, and controversial aspects of current social debate such as religious fundamentalism and immigration are also the focus of study and application. Students also experience a range of interesting and topical speakers in the yearly Student Crime & Deviance Conference in central London which the school strives to attend every year.

Psychology is a diverse and comprehensive science that looks to explain why people behave and act the way they do. This means not only explaining why people may forget certain memories, or get angry when something specific triggers them, but whether this is the same for different people across the whole world. Topics in Psychology stretch from cognitive and physiological, right through to explaining relationships and how to bring about social change. The course also gives students an opportunity to put their research methods knowledge into practise with the chance to conduct and present their own research projects. There are regular trips to London Zoo and an opportunity to engage in Student Conferences.