Choose a subject

Geography

Inspiring students and creating geographers who admire the awe and wonder of the planet, and who aspire to understand, question and appreciate different landscapes and cultures at a national and global level.
 

History

Developing an enquiring, critical mind, and becoming an articulate communicator and a person who understands why the world is as it is today.
 

Religious Studies

Making moral pioneers to shape society for a fairer future, including themselves and others.
 

Business Studies

Inspiring young entrepreneurs to develop creative ideas and to understand the operations of the modern business world.

 

KS3 Curriculum overview:

  • Year 7 and Year 8 – Two Humanities lessons per week.
  • Year 9 – One lesson each of History and Geography per week.
  • Years 7-9 – One lesson of Social and Religious Studies per week.KS4 – Three lessons per week, plus additional revision sessions.

Geography and History are taught as ‘Humanities’ in Year 7 and 8. Students study each subject in alternating half-terms and are taught by the same teacher. Topics covered include Global Development, Geographical Skills, Romans and Anglo-Saxons and The Tudors, allowing students to build on the knowledge, content and skills already developed and prepare them for future learning. In Year 9, Geography and History are taught as discreet subjects, allowing pupils to further develop their understanding and skills.

Social and Religious Studies are taught in Years 7-9 and the subject covers a wide variety of topics. Students learn about different religions and are taught to form objective opinions on both this and a range of social issues.

 

KS4 Curriculum overview:

  • GCSE History (Edexcel)
  • GCSE Geography (AQA)
  • GCSE Religious Studies (Edexcel)
  • GCSE Business Studies AQA

GCSE History is a linear qualification, meaning that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course. There is no coursework or controlled assessment unit. GCSE History students must take assessments in three of the following papers in the same series:

  • Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000-present; Whitechapel, c1870-c1900: crime, policing and the inner city.
  • Superpower relations and the Cold War 1941-91; Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88.
  • Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39.

GCSE Geography is taught using the AQA Geography specification. The course allows us to deliver a range of diverse topics covering both human and physical geography. Students are also able to develop their geographical, mathematical and literacy skills.

  • Students will take three papers:
  • Paper 1 – Living with the physical environment (1 hr 30) 35%The challenge of natural hazards
  • The living world
  • Physical landscapes in the UK
  • Paper 2 – Challenges in the human environment (1 hr 30) 35%Urban issues and challenges
  • The changing economic world
  • The challenge of resource management
  • Paper 3 – Geographical Applications (1 hr 15) 30%
  • Pupils will develop skills to interpret maps and graphs using statistics, fieldwork and issue evaluation.

GCSE Religious Studies involves students focusing on the core beliefs and practice of Christianity and Islam. Students then use their knowledge to understand and evaluate religious teachings on marriage and the family, philosophy and ethics, peace and conflict, and crime and punishment. The key skills students are assessed on will be explaining and evaluating religious attitudes, beliefs and practice. Students are taught to reach informed and objective opinions on matters of faith which they can then express using specialist language and excellent English. The subject is assessed by two exams, which are taken at the end of the two year course.

In the AQA GCSE Business studies course you will study how a range of businesses including, Partnerships, Limited companies (LTDs) and Public Limited Companies (PLCs) such as Nissan, Toyota, Samsung, Apple, Google and Tesco make strategic decisions across different departments of businesses and in different functional areas. In addition, you will study the basics of business finance and accounting. There are two exams at the end of year 11. Exam paper 1 is one hour 45 minutes and covers: Influences of operations and human resources management on business activity; business in the real world; influences on business; business operations; human resources. Exam Paper 2 is one hour 45 minutes and covers: Influence of marketing; finance and accounts. Both papers are worth 50% of the overall marks. In Year 10 you will study the topics for paper 1. In year 11 you will study marketing and finance for paper 2, completing this by February half term, after which you will revise key skills for the exam including business maths and analysing case studies to answer 12-mark synoptic questions.

The Humanities Faculty

  • Ms M. Wiener – Head of Humanities
  • Mr D. Barnes – Head of Religious Studies
  • Ms J. Dootson - Head of History
  • Mr M. Aspinall – Head of Careers / History Teacher
  • Mr S. Shropshire – Teacher in Charge of Business Studies / Religious Studies Teacher
  • Mr C. Robertson – Geography Teacher 
  • Mr J. Hylton – Geography Teacher