Tom Genillard, Sociology and Criminology Subject Advisor, and India Loveland, Deputy Faculty Leader at East Norfolk Sixth Form College

With numbers of students taking A Level Sociology declining, how can we promote the subject and encourage more take up of this dynamic and relevant subject?

In this blog we’ll explain some of the issues the subject faces and share some practical suggestions on ways to promote sociology within our schools and communities. We’ll also highlight valuable skills students can learn through studying the subject.

Declining numbers and gender imbalance

In 2017, Sociology A Level ranked as the fourth most popular subject among students. Fast forward to the 2024-25 academic year, and the picture looks very different. According to FFT Education Datalab, entries have dropped by 6,000 overall, with a striking 25,000 fewer male students choosing the subject. Even more concerning, boys earned 10,000 fewer A grades, while E grades remained similar across genders. Interestingly, in the same period psychology saw a rise of 10,000 male entries.

These figures present an urgent question: why are fewer boys choosing sociology at a time when its insights are arguably most needed?

A recent Girlguiding survey revealed that 1 in 10 girls aged 11 to 16 missed school in the past year to avoid sexual harassment. Sociology offers a vital lens for understanding and addressing such issues. Its emphasis on diverse theories, evidence-based debate, and critical thinking equips students to navigate complex social realities, especially around behaviour, respect, and the influence of social media.

Of course, subject choice alone doesn’t determine future conduct. But understanding themes like misogyny, social policy and media literacy can empower young people – particularly boys – to think critically and act responsibly.

While this year has seen a slight rise in sociology entries and grades, numbers remain far below the level needed to truly impact youth behaviour.

Teacher retention and recruitment

Another issue is the growing trend for non-subject specialists delivering sociology.

Louise Quinn, Senior Lecturer for the Social Science PGCE at Manchester Metropolitan University, shared some interesting insight:

• In the last academic year, only 10 separate providers were offering a PGCE in social science initial teacher training.
• For school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT), there were approximately 40 providers offering social science teacher training.

This is far less than other subjects seen as more ‘core’ subjects by the DfE despite sociology being the fifth most popular subject chosen. Clearly the teacher recruitment crisis within the social sciences subjects has an effect.

The government is under pressure to deliver on its flagship promise to recruit 6,500 more teachers. There is no lack of people wanting to be social science teachers, but the need for more opportunities is evident.

Promoting sociology in your centre

We know centres are in a very competitive situation when it comes to the number of students enrolling in subjects. There’s never a single solution to putting sociology more on the radar at open and parents’ evenings, but here are some suggestions to try that India has found successful in her college!

Open events

India helps to organise open events that emphasise the link between sociology and other subjects that are more male dominated, such as history, politics, economics and criminology.

This has resulted in more of an overlap of male students from across these subjects also picking sociology as one of their A Levels. A team approach with other subject teachers drawing comparisons with their subjects can really encourage students to also consider sociology as one of their options.

East Norfolk Sixth Form College also holds several criminology open events each year, including an open day on a Saturday, evening sessions and a taster day where students can experience a criminology class. At these events students and their parents can talk to criminology teachers and join in interesting activities such as finger printing.

Signposting societal issues in an accessible way

Cambridge OCR Sociology now has a dedicated library of past BBC digital clips and full documentaries via the Educational Recording Agency. Each programme signposts specifically to our specification and is a great way to hook in students to the connection between the real world and sociology. India at East Norfolk has a ‘Soc-Flix’ watchlist that helps students link programmes they could watch in their own time, to their studies.

Community activities

At East Norfolk, social sciences students are actively encouraged to engage in projects that benefit both the college and the wider community. Over the past six years, the college has partnered with Soroptimist International Great Yarmouth to run a student-led club focused on creating posters, campaigns, and displays that support college initiatives. 

Students have also helped local causes through a collaboration with the Papillon Project, including supporting food banks, women’s refuges and the college allotment.

Connecting with further education and research

We know sociologists are keen to get into the classroom: they have much to learn from young people, can share their experiences and can help students with their research. Cambridge OCR would love to help arrange a guest presenter from your local university to come along to a class or an open day: just email sociology@ocr.org.uk for more information. See example below of Les Back meeting the sociology team at Nelson & Colne College.

Quick wins to engage students

Here are some suggestions for thought-provoking activities for open days:

• “What would you do?” scenarios. Present moral dilemmas or social situations and ask visitors how they’d respond. Link their answers to sociological theories.
• Sociology in the news. Highlight topical news stories, such as protests, inequality, online influences on teenage boys or teenage mental health, and discuss how sociology can help us understand them.
• Photo booth with props. Set up a booth with props representing different social roles (such as a judge’s wig, a baby bottle, a graduation cap) and signs like “I am a product of society.”
• Timeline of social change. Show how society has evolved over time, in terms of rights movements, family structures, education, and so on.
• “Guess the social norm game”. Present scenarios and ask visitors to guess the social norm being broken. This can be something a bit different and gets you attention (be careful of the norm choice!)
• Mini experiments. Recreate classic sociology experiments (ethically and safely) like the “broken escalator” or “conformity line test” using videos or role-play.

Modernising careers advice

Careers advice for sociology students often focuses on public sector roles such as teaching, government research or social policy. But sociology can open doors in the private sector too. Many professionals in mergers and acquisitions, pensions, financial advising, sales, marketing, economics, and business consultancy began their careers with social science degrees and have impressive CVs to show for it.

Sociology equips students with valuable interpersonal skills, such as teamwork, leadership, empathy, relationship-building, and negotiation. These are assets in any workplace.

At East Norfolk, signposting to a range of different careers opportunities is critically important. The teachers organise a social science student ‘Festival of Mind’ event, which included a lecture from David James from the University of Suffolk who delivered a talk to students on AI consciousness, linking to globalisation and the impact of technology. India has also been trialling the use of virtual reality in the classroom to keep students engaged.

For further inspiration, the Academy of Social Sciences offers a brilliant series called I’m a Social Scientist. It showcases people from diverse fields sharing their career journeys, what drives them, and why social science is so important.

For more on this topic, please listen to Tom’s recent Teachers Talk podcast.

In conclusion: making sociology attractive

We believe sociology is much more than a dry academic subject: it’s a gateway to understanding the world and shaping it for the better. At a time when young people face complex social challenges, studying sociology can offer the tools to think critically and be an agent for change.

If we can present sociology as a dynamic discipline that connects to real life and diverse careers, we have the opportunity to show teachers and students that sociology matters: now more than ever.

Stay connected

If you have any questions, you can email us at sociology@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998, connect with Tom on LinkedIn or follow us on X.

Check out our previous blogs on promoting the subject, open evenings and reimagined career pathways. You can also sign up to subject updates to keep up-to-date with the latest news, updates and resources. 

If you are considering teaching any of our qualifications, use our online form to let us know, so that we can help you with more information.

About the authors

At Cambridge OCR Tom oversees AS and A Level Sociology as well as the exciting Policing and Criminal Justice AAQ development. Previously, he was a teacher for 11 years which included various roles in teaching and middle management leading to his last role, as Head of Social Sciences. He has also become a trustee for the Sociological Review Foundation which is keen to engage, support and work with A Level teachers and students. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sport, watching crime documentaries and playing with his two sons. 

India teaches A Level Sociology at East Norfolk Sixth Form College where she’s delivered the Cambridge OCR course for 8 years. She is also Deputy Faculty Leader for the Social Sciences department at the college which covers sociology, psychology, criminology and religious studies. As well as teaching, India has volunteered as a Special Sergeant with the Norfolk Constabulary, and for the women’s organisation Soroptimist International.