Humanities at Selwyn
The aim of the Humanities curriculum is to provide all children with a balance of skills, concepts and knowledge within a geographical & historical context by building on children’s knowledge from the Early Years to Year 6.
Geography
Curriculum intent
At Selwyn, our intent when teaching geography, is to motivate in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and the people within it. Providing essential knowledge about our world allows children to be educated citizens in order to make informed choices.
Curriculum implementation
In our school, Geography is taught and evidenced in Y1-Y6 once every term and on a weekly basis, alternating each half-term with History. In the Early Years, Geography learning is interwoven through different topics and Planned, Purposeful Play. Our Geography curriculum links closely with our History curriculum; we teach key knowledge and skills through topics, creating opportunities, where possible, for links between topic learning to be made to strengthen and support understanding. The key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic have been identified in each topic overview and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. Within topics, we have identified a group of key substantive concepts or ‘golden threads’, that children will continually revisit in order to encourage in-depth learning to ‘stick’.
Our golden threads for Geography are: contrasting locations, human processes, physical processes, responsibility and climate and landscape. These concepts have been carefully woven into our curriculum, however each topic will not always include every ‘thread’. Over the year, children will revisit concepts more than once with opportunities for new meanings to be gained when applied in different contexts.
History
Curriculum intent
At Selwyn, our intent when teaching history, is to provide children with a context for their own personal sense of identity, as well as a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. By finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, children understand how the past impacts the present. Children will learn about a variety of cultures and historical perspectives in order to become tolerant, respectful and empathetic learners.
Curriculum implementation
In our school, History is taught and evidenced once every term and on a weekly basis, alternating each half-term with Geography. In the Early Years, Geography learning is interwoven through different topics and Planned, Purposeful Play.Our History curriculum links closely with our Geography curriculum; we teach key knowledge and skills through topics, creating opportunities, where possible, for links between topic learning to be made to strengthen and support understanding. The key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic have been identified in each topic overview and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. Within topics, we have identified a group of key substantive concepts or ‘golden threads’, that children will continually revisit in order to encourage in-depth learning to ‘stick’.
Our golden threads for History are: settlement, migration, religion, invention, empire, conflict and power and leadership. These concepts have been carefully woven into our curriculum, however each topic will not always include every ‘thread’. Over the year, children will revisit concepts more than once with opportunities for new meanings to be gained when applied in different contexts.
