(History, Geography, Religious Studies, Citizenship, Psychology and Sociology)
Head of Faculty: Miss Z Correa
The Team: Mr F Asare, Miss M Rowland, Mr S Taylor, Mrs L Sparkes, Mr M Murove, Miss L Walmsley
Head of Geography - Mr A Litchfield
Head of History – Mrs E Bainbridge
Ethos
The Humanities department aims to promote an enjoyment of learning, where pupils are encouraged to become independent, multi-skilled learners. By studying the different humanities subjects students can better appreciate the world in which we live, how the past has shaped our future and the multi-cultural society in which we now all live. We aim to help all pupils to reach their potential and to foster a life long interest in these subjects.
News
We are starting to prepare for the upcoming exam season. Please start revising early – it can make a massive difference to your final result. Coursework deadlines must be met, failure to complete coursework could result in you not being entered for the exam. Please see your teacher well before the deadline if there is a problem. History, Geography, RS & Citizenship are all running revision classes after school in the build up to exams. See the posters in the department or ask your teacher for details. Remember to ask if you are stuck or need help on something in particular. Watch this space for news of forthcoming trips for the summer term.
Key developments: Celebrate Success
A variety of rewards are given to pupils who work to the best of their ability, behave appropriately and make progress. Most recently we have introduced ‘Student of the Month’ where individuals are selected from each year group and subject to receive a special award, certificate and letter home to celebrate their success. Student of the month will only be awarded to pupils to consistently work to the best of their ability, are well behaved and show progress. To continue interactive learning: The department is now equipped with Interactive Whiteboards in classrooms. These are in regular use in lessons and allow pupils to be far more engaged in their learning. To offer student voice: Students have the opportunity to give their opinions on the topics they have studied in order to inform for future planning. To help students reach their potential: Our department offers a range of exam preparation classes to different year groups. This usually starts with ‘coursework groups’ after school and moves on to revision and exam skills closer to the exam period. To regularly review the curriculum our department offers. New units are being written to replace less popular topics in KS3 and from September 2007 Citizenship will be taught as an independent subject through the Humanities department. Students will be expected to sit a GCSE in this at the end of KS4, thus increasing the number of GCSE’s they can potentially gain. The range of GCSE’s & A-Levels that we currently offer are being reviewed ready for September 2007.
Curriculum Summary KS3
In years 7 to 9 students study History, Geography and RS. They study a number of different units outlined below. The Locally Agreed Syllabus is followed for KS3, across the Key Stage pupils will study the different world religions.
Y7 Geography
The first unit focuses on map skills to help form a more solid foundation for future units. The second unit is called ‘Exploring England’, followed by ‘Rivers and flooding’ and finally ‘Weather and climate’.
Y7 History
There are two large units of work. The first is ‘Mediaeval Realms’ where pupils learn about the Battle of Hastings, castles and life in medieval Britain. The second unit for Y7 is a new unit called ‘European figures’. Students will be encouraged to learn about a range of key European figures from the past and their impact.
Y7 Religious Studies
There are 3 units of study. The first is a school designed unit called ‘Role Models’. This looks at the life’s of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and Gandhi. The second unit ‘Christian beliefs about God’ focuses on the concept of Trinity and the role of Jesus in Christianity, looking at stories about His birth, work and the Resurrection. The final Y7 unit is ‘Hinduism as a Living Religion.’
Y7 Citizenship
In Year 7 Citizenship follows the non-statutory guidelines for Key Stage 3 from the National Curriculum. Students follow 6 units from these guidelines as well as 3 PSHE units. The 6 Citizenship units are: What is Citizenship? Leisure and Sport in the Community, Human Rights – My rights, Crime, Crime and safety awareness, Local Democracy. The 3 PSHE units include: Healthy Living, Puberty, Drugs Education – tobacco, caffeine, alcohol.
Y8 Geography
In Y8 students cover 3 units of work. The first unit focuses on ‘Coasts’. Looking at processes that affect the coastline around the UK. The second unit is called ‘Football and Fashion’ and the final unit compares development in ‘China and Japan’.
Y8 History
There are two major units, the first of which is broken down in to 2 larger areas. The first topic studied looks at the Tudors, the Reformation and the Armada. The Second part of this focuses on the English Civil War. The final unit for Y8 is called ‘Native Americans’.
Y8 Religious Studies
There are 3 units of study. The first is called ‘Judaism as a Living Religion.’ This begins by looking at the Holocaust with a particular focus on the story of Anne Frank. It goes on to look at Jewish festivals and life as a modern Jew. The second unit is called ‘Christian Ways of Life’ and the final unit is called an ‘Introduction to Islam’.
Y8 Citizenship
In Year 8 Citizenship follows the non-statutory guidelines for Key Stage 3 from the National Curriculum. Students follow 5 units from these guidelines as well as 3 PSHE units. The 5 Citizenship units are: Britain – a diverse society, Crime 2, National Government and Voting, Citizenship and History – Women and the vote, The significance of media in society. The 3 PSHE units include: Prejudice and Discrimination, Relationships, Drugs Education.
Y9 Geography
There are 4 units of study. The first of which looks at Development with a particular focus on Brazil. The second unit is a study of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. The third unit looks at how patterns in shopping and crime has changed and what might happen in the future. The final unit focuses on how humans impact on the environment.
Y9 History
There are two major units of study, the first looks at the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and involves a depth study on Slavery. The second unit is based on the 20th Century World and includes looking at the causes and consequences of both World Wars.
Y9 Religious Studies
Students study 2 units. The first unit is called Origins, Purpose and Destiny. This is based on Christianity but students are encouraged to make comparisons with the beliefs of other religions and to consider issues like how the world began for themselves. The final Y9 unit is called Buddhism as a Living Religion.
Year 9 Citizenship
In Year 9 Citizenship follow the non-statutory guidelines for Key Stage 3 from the National Curriculum. Students follow 5 units from these guidelines as well as 2 PSHE units. The 5 Citizenship units are: Citizenship and RE – How do we deal with conflict? Citizenship and History – Why is it so difficult to keep peace in the world? Citizenship and Geography – debating a global issue, Human rights, How the Law protects animals – a local to Global issue. The 2 PSHE units include: Careers, Sex Education.
KS4GCSE RS ‘Philosophy and Ethics’
(OCR) – All students follow a short course GCSE with a single exam at the end of it. Fives units are studied for the exam, these are: The Nature of Belief, Human Relationships, Poverty and Wealth, Medical Ethics and Equality. There is no coursework. Students are encouraged to consider how religion influences some people’s actions and to consider their own views in relation to the topics studied.
GCSE History
History is optional at GCSE. Students who select to study it follow the AQA Modern World History, Syllabus B. For the exam part of the course pupils study the causes and consequences of WW1, the Home Front, warfare and significant battles. They will also look at Germany between the wars, the development of the Nazi Party, and Hitler’s foreign and domestic policies. There is a further unit which looks at America in the same interwar period, both of which are linked with the causes of WW2. There is a coursework element which is worth 25%. The areas of study for this are Evacuation in WW2 and American involvement in the Vietnam war.