Humanities is a relatively new subject to the school but now encompasses from KS1 to KS4 where it is taught at G.C.S.E Level. The subject is taught using innovative and creative methods and spans a broad cross-curricular. Trips are considered a vital part of the curriculum and provide a hands on learning.
Secondary
Mrs Sarah Parker- Lead of Humanities
Primary
Year 3 Helen Stewart
Year 4 Katherine Clarke
Year 5 Henry Groome
Year 6 Laura Hayward Harris
A high-quality history and geography education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and geography of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments,
and develop perspective and judgement.
The humanities help pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of
change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
It helps to explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
Academic Year 2022-23
History and Geography
- Priority Objective 1: To Increase the proportion of children who make at least good progress in History and Geography.
- Priority Objective 2: To raise standards in writing so all pupils are meeting age expectations in their work.
- Priority Objective 3: Mapping the skills developed across humanities subjects at KS3/KS4 to show progression throughout the key stages.
- Priority Objective 4: Lessons to be conducted with creativity and freedom, with structure and rigour, to enable Mastery of History and Geography.
Humanities Subject: History
The Key Stage 1 Curriculum aims to develop an awareness of the past, using common words and
phrases relating to the passing of time. They should know where the people and events they study
fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in
different periods. They should use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They should ask
and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know
and understand key features of events. They should understand some of the ways in which we find
out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.
The Key Stage 1 Programme encompasses planning to ensure the progression described above
through teaching about the people, events and to historical periods that they will study more fully at
key stages 2 and 3. Pupils will be taught changes within living memory and events beyond living
memory that are significant nationally or globally. They will look at the lives of significant individuals
in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some aspects can be
used to compare aspects of life in different periods and look at significant historical events, people
and places in their own locality.
The Key Stage 2 Curriculum Pupils should extend their knowledge chronologically to secure
understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the
periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the
appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically
valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should
construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant
historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a
range of sources
The Key Stage 2 Programme is designed to ensure the progression and teachers should combine
overview and depth studies to help pupils understand both the long arc of development and the
complexity of specific aspects of the content. Pupils will be taught about the late Neolithic hunter-
gatherers and early farmers, Bronze Age religion, technology and travel, the Roman Empire and its
impact on Britain and the settlement by Anglo-Saxons and the Roman withdrawal from Britain in c.
AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire. Students will also study the Saxon invasions,
settlements and kingdoms, the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the
time of Edward the Confessor and a local history study depth study linked to one of the British areas
of study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality in
order to strengthen chronological knowledge.
The Key stage 3 Curriculum Pupils will extend and deepen their chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of British, local and world history, so that it provides a well-informed context for
wider learning. Pupils should identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts, and
analyse trends within periods and over long arcs of time. They should use historical terms and
concepts in increasingly sophisticated ways. They should pursue historically valid enquiries including
some they have framed themselves, and create relevant, structured and evidentially supported
accounts in response. They should understand how different types of historical sources are used
rigorously to make historical claims and discern how and why contrasting arguments and
interpretations of the past have been constructed.
The KS3 Programme encompasses the strategic points of the National Curriculum, including
planning to ensure the progression through teaching the British, local and world history. This should
combine overview and depth studies to help pupils understand both the long arc of development
and the complexity of specific aspects of the content. Pupils will study: the development of Church,
state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-150 looking at society, economy and culture such as
feudalism, religion in daily life (parishes, monasteries, abbeys), art, architecture and literature, the
Black Death and its social and economic impact. They will then study the development of Church,
state and society in Britain 1509-1745 including Renaissance and Reformation in Europe, the English
Reformation and Counter Reformation. Then ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain,
1745-190, Darwin’s ‘On The Origin of Species’, challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world
1901 to the present day In addition to studying the Holocaust, the First World War and the Peace
Settlement and a local study of an aspect or site in local history dating from a period before 1066,
Telford and Ironbridge.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum having completed the full KS3 National Curriculum by the end of Year 9,
students commence GCSE courses in Year 10 completing their course in Year 11 with an external
examination. The G.C.S.E course that the students are studying is the AQA Board.
In Year 10 students will study: Shaping the Nation looking at Health and People C1000 to the present
day. They will look at progression of medicine through the ages from Medieval to present day.
Students will then study Norman England then a local historic environment of Medieval England-
Shrewsbury Castle. The Summer Term will be devoted to revising previous knowledge and skills for
G.C.S.E Mocks (Yr 10) and Examinations (Yr 11).
In Year 11 students will study America, 1840 – 1895: Expansion and Consolidation. This will
encompass from the Manifest Destiny to the American Civil War and the impact on Native
Americans. Students will then study the Triple Alliance and the Conflict and Tension that led to the
First World War, 1894 – 1918. The Summer Term will be devoted to revising previous knowledge and
skills for G.C.S.E Mocks (Yr 10) and Examinations (Yr 11).
Humanities Subject: Geography
The Key Stage 1 Curriculum aims to develop students’ knowledge about the world, the United
Kingdom and their locality. Students are given a basic understanding of subject-specific vocabulary
relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand
observation, to enhance their locational awareness.
The Key Stage 1 Programme encompasses knowledge of the seven continents and five oceans, the
four countries and capital cities that make up the United Kingdom. A grounded knowledge of the
seasonal weather along with basic compass directions. Students are also expected to contrast the
physical and Human geography of a non- European country.
The Key Stage 2 Curriculum Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the
local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the
location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features.
They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their
locational and place knowledge.
The Key Stage 2 Programme involves progress on previous skills and understanding whilst
developing knowledge on countries the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including
the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions,
key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities. Studies will include
understanding of the United Kingdom and regions and their identifying human and physical
characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-
use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time. Students will be
taught key vocabulary and will discover the key aspects of regions in the UK, Europe, and America.
The use of the eight points of a compass alongside map reading will also encourage fieldwork to
observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a
range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies
The Key Stage 3 Curriculum aims to provide a foundation of geographical skill, such as map skills,
and to help the students understand and embrace the potential of the subject, especially given its
delivery through project work in the main at primary school. It also seeks to establish a balance
between physical, human, and environmental geography, by alternating between topic areas, thus
equipping the students with a broad and balanced experience.
The KS3 Programme encompasses the strategic points of the National Curriculum, including in-
depth regional studies on Russia, China and the Middle East. Other relevant issues such as climate
change and human issues develop students’ knowledge, skills, and awareness of current affairs. We
want to inspire, enrich, and support our students, helping them to grow in confidence to ask
questions, appreciate the wonder of the world around them and help to see ways through the issues
and problems facing the planet in the 21st century.
Curriculum Sequencing Rationale & Implementation
The order in which topic areas and themes are taught is designed to create a “building blocks”
approach to the knowledge, skills, theories and case studies that students need to develop their
understanding of the subject. KS3: Due to the tendency for geography to be delivered through
projects in primary schools, from the outset of KS3 study we seek to establish the subject as a
distinct subject. We establish the ground rules of geography, that is the skills of map reading and
interpretation straight away but as part of the study of tectonic hazards, which gives the skills a very
grounded context. This evolves into the study of population, which affords great opportunity to
enhance numerical skills through the study, and creation of graphs and keys.
- Other pages in this section:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- PSHE / RSE / RHSE
- Computing
- Phonics
- Music
- Design & Technology
- PE & Outdoor Education
- MFL
- Art
- Citizenship
- Reading
- Religious Education (RE)