The idea
Students rarely underperform because they lack knowledge. They underperform because they cannot turn knowledge into judgement. So we teach paragraphs before essays, and every paragraph is built on one structure.
AO1 knowledge AO2 analysis AO3 judgement
The seven-step paragraph
- Point state the argument and the side you are taking
- Evidence one precise, named piece of knowledge
- Analysis what the evidence shows about the question
- Counterpoint the strongest opposing argument
- Evidence one precise piece of counter-evidence
- Analysis what the counter-evidence shows
- Judgement decide which side is stronger, and why
The resources
Exercise Bank – UK & US
Twenty exercises, one per screen, with a contents page and Previous / Next. Teacher answers stay hidden until you reveal them.
Open the bank ›Exercise Bank – Global Politics
The same twenty exercises, with the Paper 3 examples set in global politics: the UN Security Council, the ICC and international law.
Open the bank ›Global Politics Example Bank
Twenty reusable examples for Paper 3B, each covering several topics, with labelled analytical points. Learn one a week and apply it to questions you have never seen.
View the bank ›Exercise Pack
Every exercise with student sheets and colour-coded teacher answers, one exercise per page. Ready to print and hand out.
View the pack › or download as WordTeaching Approach
The CPD deck: why A-level Politics is hard to teach, the seven-step paragraph, live writing and worked model paragraphs.
View the slides ›