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Psychology
Psychology aims to explain human behaviour. It is about asking questions. Why do we do what we do?
Is it due to our environment and the situation we find ourselves in or is it due to our biology and predisposed causes? Psychology carefully and effectively bridges the gap between the sciences and humanities.
The Psychology Department’s key aims are to ignite a long-lasting curiosity about the human condition and then provide pupils with the academic tools to find answers to the questions they ask.
Why study psychology at Haileybury?
Studying psychology at Haileybury provides pupils with a wealth of opportunities to understand this popular subject in depth, with experienced and dynamic teachers from varying backgrounds including; business management, sport, and criminology.
Our psychology speaker programme is hugely popular and in recent years we have heard from everyone from ex-bank robbers to practising clinical psychologists. Our examination results continue to be outstanding and demonstrate that pupils get an excellent experience both within and beyond the classroom.
Psychology is a gateway subject. Reading psychology at University opens many doors and closes relatively few, if any. Pupils at Haileybury have read psychology at a variety of world-class universities and gone on to have careers in business, education, marketing, medicine and sports, to name but a few destinations. The department is experienced in supporting pupils to choose the right university course that best suits their needs and future plans.
Academic pathways
Psychology is offered at A Level and IB, however, Haileybury runs a popular psychology pathway course for Removes (Year 9) pupils. This Pathway course covers an introduction to psychology; with pupils answering wide-ranging questions about human behaviour; from why we obey, how our memory works and what factors contribute towards mental illness.
Beyond the curriculum
The Psychology Department firmly believes that pupils should not be limited to the syllabus and there is much to be explored beyond the curriculum. With that in mind, we offer the Junior Psychology Society to Removes, Middles and Fifths (run by Upper Sixth pupils and the Head of Department) allowing younger year-groups to experience psychology.
The department also regularly invites experts to speak to the pupils; previous speakers have included ex-banker robbers, Professors of Criminology and police detectives.
Each year pupils attend a psychology conference in London where they hear from a diverse range of experts in their chosen field of psychology. The department also has its own library and pupils are encouraged to read in their free time, with recommendations from their teachers.