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

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. 

If you have any questions about the course please get in touch, email - AskHumanities@sparsholt.ac.uk

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

Meet your lecturer!

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 our lecturer Kayleigh has put together a collection of resources for you to look at and engage with. 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? 
•  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.

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 Andover College? Please take a look at these additional resources and activities.

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: 

• Electoral Reform Campaigns - here. 
• Latest Analysis from LSE - here. 

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

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. 

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 also have at the college Romeo our therapy dog! Romeo is part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to wellbeing provision for students. Romeo is based on campus with his owner 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.