Humanities

Across the key stages and over 5 years, students are taught a varied humanities curriculum that cultivates their imagination, curiosity and their understanding about our world. Students at Winterton Community Academy learn about key decisions in History that have shaped how our country is governed, we study world history which helps us to understand some of the problems in today's society. We explore what makes this country unique through geographical concepts and ideas and we learn about physical and human geography across the world. In addition, important social and moral issues are discussed and we try to understand how and why there is division, often with reference to world religions which helps to inform our students about different beliefs and cultures.

The curriculum in the humanities department not only aims to inform pupils' knowledge and understanding of humanities topics, but it also seeks to develop key skills in each of the subjects. The vision across the humanities subjects is to give pupils a broad and rich curriculum that allows them to become critical thinkers.

Curriculum Intent

Our intention is to stimulate interest, enjoyment and a sense of wonder about our world from places and environments to religious interest and cultures and the history that binds it together.

We intend to equip students with essential knowledge that allows pupils to be educated citizens empowering them to make informed choices. In our ever-changing world, pupils need to be equipped with knowledge of modern-day challenges in both a local and global context but also to look back on past achievements, decisions and problems in our history to see how this impacted our world.

Lastly, we intend to develop and encourage questioning and critical thinking across the department, so students become confident thinkers and learners inside and outside of the classroom.

Implementation

To implement the intention of our curriculum, in the humanities department we interpret Ordnance Survey maps in the classroom and the field, including using grid references and scale, topographical and other thematic mapping, and aerial and satellite photographs.
We implement historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions. We also implement religious concepts
such as belief, identify, and interpret them to understand how others view the word.

Key Stage 4

GCSE History and Geography are popular optional choices for pupils. The topics we study in GCSE History and Geography, along with links to exam board specifications are linked below:

AQA History

The Elizabethan Age 1568-1603 – https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/history/AQA-81452BC-SOW-22.PDF
Germany 1890-1945 Democracy and Dictatorship – https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/history/AQA-81451AB-SOW.PDF
Conflict and Tension between East and West 1945-1972 – https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/history/AQA-81451BC-SOW.PDF
Britain, Health and the People C1000 to the Present day – https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/history/AQA-81452AA-SOW.PDF

OCR B Geography
https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/207307-specification-accredited-gcse-geography-b-j384.pdf

Global Hazards
Changing Climate
Distinctive Landscapes
Sustaining Ecosystems
Urban Features
Dynamic Development
UK in the 21st Century
Resource Reliance
Fieldwork
Geographical Skills

Impact

The intended impact of the curriculum will be evident from the following sources:

Assessment scores
GCSE outcomes
Involvement in extra-curricular activities including school trips
Options choice uptake

Finally, we realise the importance of embedding skills for life into our curriculum and at every possible chance we use humanities as a springboard for additional experiences, whether this be during lessons or outside of the classroom. We have staff members in our team who have previously taken students on residential trips to:

Poland to study the life of Eastern European Jews and other minorities during the Nazi occupation during the Second World War
Germany to study the life under both Nazi Rule and in the Cold War era
France and Belgium to explore the Western Front in WW1

In addition to this residential expertise, the humanities team offer day trips to enrich the curriculum, such as field work opportunities and visits to museums and castles.

GCSE Geography