Curriculum Overview 

Humanities at Abbeyfield school is focused on creating globally aware and informed citizens of the world, who posses the fundamental knowledge and skills to understand modern issues. We aim to inspire curiosity with the world in all we do, as well as raising healthy critical minds who can question assumptions without bias. We hope to create lifelong learners who will continue to use the lessons they have learned in our classrooms for years to come. 

Key Stage Three 

Humanities students at Key stage 3 will benefit from studying History, Geography and Religious studies. Each curriculum is designed with challenge in mind as in History we follow themes of authority, beliefs and attitudes, migration, economy and revolution from year 7 to year 9. These help students embed core knowledge and learn new information more easily by drawing connective links between the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights and Civil rights movements of the 1960s.  

In Geography, students will analyse the physical and human worlds to gain an understanding of the forces that shape the way we live our lives. It is a course that links in hard sciences as well as sociological factors to explain such complex and controversial topics as the development of conflict in the Middle East.  

In Religious studies, students will answer theological questions through the lens of major world religions and faiths. Learning empathy and solid philosophical thought processes to help deconstruct questions about the universe to modern and local questions about rights and responsibilities.  

Key Stage Four 

In their GCSE years, students of Humanities will get to extend their learning of History and Geography to the next level, and build on the foundations laid out in Key Stage 3. 

For History, students will study the Edexcel board topics of Cold war, Weimar and Nazi Germany, a 1000 year depth study into Crime and Punishment in England and the influence of the Normans on Anglo Saxon England.  

For Geography students will take on the AQA exam board scheme of study and will be focusing on the Living and physical environment, Challenges in the human environment and Geographical applications, which will involve elements of field work to study rivers and analyse towns. 

Key Stage Five 

In Key Stage 5 students of History will progress to looking at the OCR exam board, ending their scholarship by looking at a breadth study of Germany from 1919-1962, the mid Tudor crisis and the emergence of Civil rights in America in the post-civil war era. They will also have a 4000 word NEA project of their own choosing to complete, as a final test of the Historical learning.  

In Geography students will continue with the AQA board of study and will look at Physical geography, from the Water and carbon cycles, to Hot desert systems and landscapes and  Ecosystems under stress. They will also study Human geography, with Global systems and global governance and Contemporary urban environments, ending with field work and an NEA. 

Enrichment 

Humanities teaching at Abbeyfield does not begin and end at the classroom door. Our students are encouraged to look at their local community with field work excursions to local environments, and a newly minted History club looking at the Local History of Northamptonshire. Similarly, we encourage the reading and teaching of highly academic texts in class and the expectation of Hinterland learning to be completed as part of our home learning tasks.