Intent:

Humanities teaching at CSPA aims to inspire children’s curiosity and engagement with the world around them and a deeper understanding of how the past has shaped the lives we lead now. 

In geography, pupils will be equipped with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, and gain a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world will help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. 

In history, pupils will gain a deep knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. 

Children’s curiosity will be nurtured. Teaching will equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Through humanities, teachers will help pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Implementation:

Topics are taught in discrete blocks to ensure coverage and progression in all skills relating to history. 

Teachers develop cross-curricular links.

Teaching and learning are monitored by subject leaders and teachers are supported and resourced to provide high quality lessons and outcomes.

History

There is a focus on chronological knowledge to allow children to reference the previous events in time and to refer to this prior learning regularly.

The progression of skills is set out in order to build and develop the following:

• Chronological understanding
• Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
• Connection and historical links
• Interpretations of history
• Historical enquiry and a critical approach to historical sources

Geography

Geography teaching focuses on enabling children to think as geographers.

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. 

The progression of skills is set out in order to build and develop the following:

• fieldwork skills
• locational and place knowledge 
• an understanding of human and physical geography
• collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data 
• communicate and interpret geographical information, including digital sources 

Impact:

Children will leave CSPA with a firm foundation on which to build in further studies. 

They will be confident geographers and historians and be able to clearly discuss their learning from past and current topics. 

Pupils will become increasingly critical and analytical within their thinking. They will be able to make informed and balanced judgements  based on their knowledge of the past.

Children will become increasingly aware of how historical events have shaped the world that they currently live in. 

They will have an understanding of their place in the world and how they can impact and interact with their environment, society and the wider world.  

They will develop enquiry skills to pursue their own interests within a topic and further questioning. 

Teachers will feel equipped and confident to teach a well-balanced and inspiring humanities curriculum.