As we look ahead to the opening of our new Sixth Form in September 2027, we are delighted to welcome our new Head of Psychology, Mrs Kelly Mead, who will be leading the development of this exciting subject.
With a background spanning education and mental health services, she brings a wealth of experience and a real passion for understanding human behaviour. We caught up with her to find out more about her journey into Psychology, what pupils can expect from the A-Level course and why the subject is so fascinating.
Why Psychology? What sparked your interest?
Can you tell us about your career so far?
My career has spanned both education and mental health services, including working directly with young people and families experiencing a range of mental health challenges. This experience has provided valuable real-world insight that they bring into the classroom, helping pupils connect psychological theories and research with the world around them.
For the past six years, I have specialised in teaching A-Level Psychology at a Sixth Form college, supporting pupils as they prepare for university, apprenticeships and future careers.
What can pupils expect from A-Level Psychology?
Combining science with the study of human behaviour, Psychology offers pupils the opportunity to explore some fascinating questions about the world around them.
Throughout the course, pupils will investigate topics including memory, social influence, biopsychology, psychopathology and forensic psychology. They will learn to question assumptions, evaluate evidence and consider how psychological research helps us understand everyday experiences.
Learning will extend beyond the classroom, too. Pupils will have opportunities to design, conduct and analyse their own research, gaining first-hand experience of how psychological knowledge is developed.
The aim is for pupils to leave the course with much more than subject knowledge. They will develop independent thinking, analytical skills and the confidence to communicate complex ideas clearly.
What are you most looking forward to about joining Crosfields?
I am really looking forward to welcoming the first cohort of Psychology pupils to Crosfields Sixth Form and building a department where curiosity, critical thinking and a genuine enthusiasm for learning are at the heart of the experience.
I am particularly passionate about helping young people develop confidence in their own ideas, engage critically with research and discover how Psychology can deepen their understanding of themselves and others.
Can you give us a fun fact about Psychology or something you don’t think most people would know?
That’s a great question! Did you know your memories might not be as reliable as you think? One of the most fascinating aspects of Psychology is how much it can challenge what we think we know about ourselves. We often imagine our memories work like video recordings, capturing events exactly as they happened. In reality, psychological research has shown that memory is reconstructive. When we recall an event, we piece it together using our original experience, emotions, expectations and information we have encountered since.
In one well-known study, researchers Loftus and Pickrell (1995) demonstrated just how vulnerable memory can be to suggestion. By introducing a fabricated childhood story about getting lost in a shopping centre alongside genuine memories supplied by participants’ families, they found that some participants came to believe the false event had really happened.
This research completely changed the way I think about memory. Now, whenever a friend or family member remembers an event differently to me, I find myself wondering, whose memory has been reconstructed?
Embrace what’s next
If you are someone who is always asking “why?” whether about people or the world around you, Psychology could be the perfect subject for you.
To find out more about the curriculum for Psychology, and all the subjects on offer in our new Sixth Form, join us at our Options Evening from 17:30 – 19:30 on Thursday 12 November.
To book visit crosfields.com/visit
