We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College in September! 

We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Politics at Andover College is like. Scroll down to learn about UK Parliament structures and answer the research questions. 

We would love to see your ideas and results so please send them back to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Politics' as the email heading!  

Be sure to look into the additional help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams. 

Welcome to the Course!

As a Politics student at Andover College you will study the various processes and institutions that act as central government both within the UK and internationally, comparing the differences and examining history.  This will involve analysing the democratic systems currently in place (and potential alternatives), and in depth studies of electoral systems, political ideas and individual politicians.

To get you started your lecturer Kayleigh has put together a collection of resources to keep you interested until you start in September! Be sure to look through all the articles and videos linked below and try your hand at the research activities. 

Included in the playlist; An Introduction to UK Parliament, What is the House of Commons?, What is the House of Lords?, Does politics make us irrational? 

Once you have watched these videos take a look at the following links and remember to stay engaged with politics across the UK during these unprecedented times. 

Prime Ministers Questions - here. 

Thatcher: A very British Revolution - here. 

And for a bit more of a lighthearted take try Horrible Histories: Putrid Politics - here.

Research Activities

• What is better? Direct or Representative Democracy? Students to research the arguments in favour/against the different types of democracy.
• Votes for 16! What are the arguments in favour of letting 16 years olds vote? Use the website to look at the arguments given and what counter arguments could be? - Link. 
•  The Political Spectrum - Research the qualities of the ‘left wing’ and the ‘right-wing’
• Political Compass Quiz - here. 

Additional Activities; if you would like to continue learning more about these topics have a go at the questions below and be sure to check back in on this page regularly for further resources that will be added! 

Qu: What makes a ‘good’ politician?

• Focus will be on looking at UK political leaders
• Analysing different leaders: Thatcher, Blair, May and Johnson
• Consider personal qualities, and methods of campaign etc
• Who is the best? What made them ‘good’?

Additional Resources 

Interested in learning more about the various topics you will study at college in September? Take a look at these additional resources and activities and make sure you let us know how you get on! 

Video catalogue/recommendations: 

• Watch Crash Course Politics - this will introduce you to the American political system that will be studied further in your second year - here. 

Reading recommendations: 

• Young people’s votes are changing the political landscape - this election proves it - here. 
• Electoral Reform Campaigns - here. 
• Latest Analysis from LSE - here. 

Before September you should:

What is better – Direct or Representative democracy? Research and list the arguments in favour/against each of them. Which do you think is better and why?

Votes for 16! What are the arguments in favour of letting 16 year olds vote? Use the website above to consider the arguments given and what the counter arguments could be. Make a poster campaigning for the side of the argument you agree with!

The Political Spectrum – Research and list the qualities of the ‘left-wing’ and ‘right-wing’.

Complete the Political Compass quiz – is your result what you expected?

What makes a good politician? Write a list of what you think makes a good Prime Minister. Research different leaders of the UK – how many of them have the qualities you have listed? Make a poster or a PowerPoint to show what makes a good (or bad!) politician.

In addition, there are a variety of web pages which are offering free online courses to keep your mind and skills sharp over the summer. 

The Open University has a variety of free online courses available in an array of different subjects. Take a look at the catalogue to choose your course! Here. 

You could also investigate the courses offered at the EtonX web page; please note these are paid for programmes that your current school may have access to so please check with them and back here regularly for updates.

Student wellbeing and support 

At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible. 

We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including; 

• Counselling 
• Carer support 
• Childcare support 
• Confidential one-to-one services 

We have also recently introduced two new members to the wellbeing team ... Arlo and Romeo the Therapy Dogs!

Arlo and Romeo are part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to provisions for students. They are based on campus with their owners throughout term.

Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present. What good boys!