Humanities

Intent Statement

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". George Santayana

History at St Ambrose Barlow is an academic subject rich in powerful knowledge of global, national and local events which have shaped the social and cultural world around us. The pursuit of History broadens our student’s understandings of the complexity of people’s lives, the ways in which attitudes and actions have of changed over time and the development of society today including its diversity and the relationships between different groups to build their cultural capital. History allows pupils to connect the challenges of the present with those of the past and in doing learn from the mistakes so they can avoid repeating them.

Powerful knowledge of History ensures students are given the opportunity to become more confident, creative, resilient and critical thinkers. Through the critical evaluation of contemporary sources and historians' interpretations, students are given powerful over their knowledge. Students will have the confidence to undertake self-directed learning and pose their own questions, and to formulate their own opinions.

Geography explores the past, present and future of our world. The power of Geography is to satisfy the connection with and curiosity about the world experienced by every human being.

Geography is relevant, is important and is intrinsically linked to most careers. The true nature of Geography often remains hidden from the public, shared more commonly as trivia; the longest river, tallest mountain capital cities . . . We aim to make our students more conscious of the important role of geographic knowledge. We aim to make them aware of current global issues. We aim to make them responsible, global citizens.

“It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it.” Isaiah 45:12

Humanities Department Staff

Mr B Cassidy - Subject Leader (Humanities

)Mr A Noone - Subject Leader (History)

Mrs S Pereria

Mr J Stephenson

Mrs C McClave - Subject Leader (geography)

Miss L Frost

Key Stage 3

GEOGRAPHY

YEAR 7

Autumn 1: Where in the world?
Autumn 2: How dangerous is our world?
Spring 1: Why do we use maps?
Spring 2: Why aren't all countries wealthy?
Summer 1: How can we make the world a better place?
Summer 2: Local Fieldwork Enquiry

YEAR 8

Autumn 1: Who is responsible for the world's rainforests?
Autumn 2: Can we stop climate change?
Spring 1: How sustainable is our school?
Spring 2: How deadly are tropical storms?
Summer 1: How many people is too many?
Summer 2: How diverse is South America?

YEAR 9:

Autumn 1: The Geography of Conflict
Autumn 2: Rivers and Coasts
Spring 1: How diverse is Asia?
Spring 2: How diverse is Europe?
Summer 1: Urbanisation and Resources
Summer 2: Current World Issues

History Key Stage 3

The History curriculum is designed to follow a broadly chronological framework in order to ensure that pupils have a true sense of where events are placed in History from the Romans through to the 21^st Century.

The past is studied through two key themes ‘Power and Conflict’ and Everyday Lives. Through power and conflict pupils will assess events from a bigger picture perspective as to their national or international significance. In everyday lives pupils will examine the daily realities of the lives of those living through the periods studied.

The curriculum is designed to work as a spiral curriculum whereby both knowledge and skills will be developed over the five years at St Ambrose Barlow. As pupils progress through the course the knowledge and skills taught become progressively more challenging. The knowledge and skills are frequently revisited to reinforce the prior learning before adding new content with greater challenge to deepen that learning so that on each successive occasion the learning is both further embedded and deepened leading to mastery.

The History curriculum incorporates overview, thematic and depth studies in order to help pupils to develop a sense of each period in time as well as an overview of changes over time;

Year 7

Autumn 1: How far was individual genius the most important factor in the development of medicine since c1000 A.D.?

Autumn 2: How far were Roman tactics the most important factor is the success of the Roman army?

Spring 1: How far was luck the most important factor in the victory of William at the Battle of Hastings?

Spring 2: How far was terror the most important method of control in England after 1066?

Summer 1: How far were religious changes the most important reason for the English reformation?

Summer 2: How far were religious factors the most important reason for the attack of the Spanish Armada?

Year 8

Autumn 1: How far has reform always been the most important factor in punishing criminals?

Autumn 2: How far was the selfish nature of Charles I the most important cause of the English Civil War?

Spring 1: How far did Britain change between 1750 and 1900? How far did the British Empire have a positive effect on the people it controlled?

Spring 2: How far was one bullet responsible for the deaths of over 10 million people in World War One?

Summer 1: How far is it fair to say that the British soldiers were 'Lions led by Donkeys' in World War One?

Summer 2: How far can life in the USA in the 1920's be described as the Roaring Twenties?

Year 9

Autumn 1: How far had black people achieved equality in the USA by the end of the 1960's?

Autumn 2: How far did the suffragettes do more harm than good in the fight for the vote?

Spring 1: How far was terror the most important method of control in Nazi Germany?

Spring 2: How far was the Treaty of Versailles the most important cause of World War Two?

Summer 1: How far is it fair to say that the retreat from Dunkirk was a victory?

Summer 2: How far is it fair to say that the evacuees suffered the most on the home front? How far is it fair to say that the Holocaust was a Nazi plan from the beginning?

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Maps

Key Stage 3 Knowledge Organisers

Geography

History

Key Stage 4

Geography

We do the AQA specification and study a range of case studies. For Paper 1 Section B we choose to study cold environments rather than hot deserts and for Section C we study River and Glacial Landscapes but do not do Coastal Landscapes. For Paper 2 Section C we focus on Energy and in particular fracking and sustainable energy production and consumption.

History Key Stage 4

At GCSE pupils will follow the AQA GCSE specification where they examine:

Year 10: Paper 1 – Understanding the modern world

Section A - America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality - this period study focuses on the development of the USA when some Americans lived the 'American Dream' whilst others grappled with the nightmare of poverty, discrimination and prejudice. Pupils will look at the USA in the 1920’s including the actions of the Ku Klux Klan and gangsters such as Al Capone through to the civil rights movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Section B - Conflict and tension, 1918–1939 - this wider world depth study enables students to understand the complex and diverse interests of different individuals and states including the Great Powers. It looks at concepts such as national self-determination, ideas of internationalism and the challenges of revising the peace settlement. It focuses on the causes of the Second World War and seeks to show how and why conflict occurred. Pupils will look at the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations and the actions of Adolf Hitler and their contribution to the causes of World War Two.

Year 11: Paper 2 – Shaping the Nation

Section A – Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day - This thematic study will enable students to gain an understanding of how medicine and public health developed in Britain over a long period of time. It considers the causes, scale, nature and consequences of short and long term developments and their impact on British society. Pupils will look at events such as the Black Death and developments such as the creation of the vaccine.
Section B - Norman England, c1066–c1100 - This option allows students to study in depth the arrival of the Normans and the establishment of their rule. The depth study will focus on major aspects of Norman rule, considered from economic, religious, political, social and cultural standpoints of this period. Pupils will look at the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror’s brutal repression of the people and life in Norman England.

The GCSE units have been chosen to work as part of a five year spiral curriculum whereby both knowledge and skills will be developed over the five years at St Ambrose Barlow. As pupils progress through the course the knowledge and skills taught become progressively more challenging. The knowledge and skills are frequently revisited to reinforce the prior learning before adding new content with greater challenge to deepen that learning so that on each successive occasion the learning is both further embedded and deepened leading to mastery.