Humanities

History at The Peak Academy aims to inspire our pupils to become inquisitive, analytical and enquiring. History is a subject which allows our pupils to create informed and reasoned opinions based on evidence. This will allow our pupils to create reasoned arguments for and against which can be used in other subjects such as English. Each topic is tailored to meet the needs of the class and the students in it in order for them to become historians.

Prior learning required to access Key Stage 2:

• Identify changes within living memory.
• Recall events beyond living memory which are significant nationally and globally.
• Recall lives of significant individuals who have contributed to national and international achievements.
• Recognise significant historical events, people and places locally.

Key Stage 2 Summary:

• Identify changes in Britain from Stone Age to Iron Age.
• Understands Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots.
• Understand the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England.
• Complete a local history study.
• Complete a study of an aspect or theme in British history.
• Identify and understand a non-European society and compare with British history.

Key Stage 3 Summary:

The Key Stage 3 History curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world 
• Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind 
• Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’ 
• Understand 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 and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses 
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed History – key stage 3 2  gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

The intent of this Geography curriculum is to inspire the pupils to become curious and fascinated about the world and its people around them. Pupils should have knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments. Each topic is tailored to meet the needs of the class and the students in it in order for them to become geographers.

Prior learning required to access Key Stage 2:

• To be able to locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans and name, locate and identify the characteristics of the countries of the United Kingdom.
• To understand geographical similarities and differences.
• Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns.
• Understand and use compass directions and identify countries using a map, atlases and globes.

Key Stage 2 Summary:

• Locate countries of the world.
• Locate and name counties and cities of the United Kingdom.
• Understand the position and significance of the Equator, latitude and longitude and the  Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
• Understand similarities and differences between the United Kingdom and different areas of the world.
• Describe aspects of physical geography and human geography.
• Use maps, atlases, globes and computer mapping to locate countries.
• Use the eight-points of the compass.
• Use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present physical and human geography.

Key Stage 3 Summary:

• The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils: 
• Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time 
• Are competent in the geographical skills needed to: 
• Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes 
• Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) 

Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

The Religious Education curriculum intends for pupils to explore what people believe and what difference it makes to how they live. Pupils will gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living. This will allow pupils to have a greater empathy for others.

Prior learning required to access Key Stage 2:

• Identify the core beliefs and concepts studied and give a simple description of what they mean.
• Give examples of how stories show what people believe
• Give clear, simple accounts of what stories and other texts mean to believers.
• Give examples of how people use stories, texts and teachings to guide their beliefs and actions.
• Give examples of ways in which believers put their beliefs into action.
• Think, talk and ask questions about whether the ideas they have been studying have something to say to them.
• Give a good reason for the views they have and the connections they make.

Key Stage 2 Summary:

• Identify and explain the core beliefs and concepts studied, using examples from sources of authority in religions.
• Describe examples of ways in which people use texts/sources of authority to make sense of core beliefs and concepts.
• Give meanings for texts/sources of authority studied, comparing these ideas with ways in which believers interpret texts/sources of authority.
• Make clear connections between what people believe and how they live, individually and in communities.
• Using evidence and examples, show how and why people put their beliefs into action in different ways.
• Make connections between the beliefs and practices studied, evaluating and explaining their importance to different people.
• Reflect on and articulate lessons people might gain from the beliefs/practices studied, including their own responses, recognising that others may think differently.
• Consider and weigh up how ideas studied relate to their own experiences and experiences of the world today, developing insights of their own and giving good reasons for their views they have and the connections they make.

Key Stage 3 Summary:

The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

Pupils will be taught to:

• Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs.
• Understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs.
• Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied.

Please see our Humanities Curriculum Progress Map in the attachment below or by clicking here