Our Humanities curriculum aims to inspire a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Lessons equip pupils with the skills to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence and develop a rounded perspective and judgement.
History
Our goal for History education is that children gain an increasingly mature and informed historical perspective on their world, by developing:
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strong understanding of chronology and historical terms;
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historical enquiry skills and understanding of the importance of historical sources as evidence; and
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knowledge of the characteristics of and developments during different time periods.
Our history curriculum differs in content from the National Curriculum. We believe that the understanding of chronology is essential for developing a secure knowledge base for history. Therefore, this is the main focus in the Early Years and Year 1 where children learn how to know something is in the past, through stories, including biographies, and their own and other historical timelines, such as inventions.
History periods are then taught sequentially, from the Romans in Year 2 to the end of World War 2 in Year 6, through the lens of these key historical concepts: cause; consequence; change and continuity; similarity and difference; and significance. These areas of learning form a sound base for further history study in secondary school and beyond. Children develop their disciplinary knowledge through sources, interpretations and evidence, such as artefacts.
Diversity is integrated throughout the periods and includes study of the suffragettes, Black History, different socio-economic and religious backgrounds, and The Slave Trade. Our curriculum reflects the fact that Black people and people of colour lived in Britain since ancient times; dispels the notion that there were no significant women in the past; and celebrates achievements of people from ethnic minorities, not portraying them as always oppressed. Through this approach, children learn to understand the diverse present in terms of the diverse past.
Learning is enhanced through visits to museums and galleries, such as: Museum of London, the Tower of London, Sutton House, the National Portrait Gallery, Hampton Court Palace, the Ragged School Museum, Florence Nightingale Museum, the William Morris Gallery, Charles Dickens Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Jewish Museum, Islington Museum and the Churchill War Rooms.
Our history study is also linked to other areas of the curriculum such as art, geography, religious education, music, and our assemblies curriculum, where all children learn about key events and historical figures on days such as Remembrance Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. High quality texts underpin many aspects of each unit.
Geography
Our goal for Geography education is that children develop knowledge and curiosity about the physical and human characteristics of the world, by developing:
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knowledge of diverse places, people, resources, spaces and environments;
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understanding of the processes that cause and change the human and physical features of the world; and
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geographical enquiry skills.
To understand the world they live in, children learn about their locality in the first instance and, as they progress through school, gain an increasingly global perspective. Developing their enquiry skills, they learn to appreciate diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments. Children also develop a deep understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and the resultant change over time. Other geographical skills such as fieldwork and the use of maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital maps enhance their learning and develop their disciplinary knowledge.
In the Early Years children investigate similarities and differences within the context of the natural world and this country and others. This includes learning about processes and change, such as the seasons and caring for the environment. They also begin to understand maps, developing their positional and directional language.
In years 1 - 6 these concepts and skills are further developed, looking at places such as Sydney, Australia, and Paris, France, and comparing them with London. Biomes, such as the Amazon rainforest are explored through the focus on South America. In Year 4, we also explore Africa, which is additional to the national curriculum requirements. Mapping (including digital mapping) and fieldwork skills become a greater part of children’s study, developing their disciplinary understanding of geography.
A focus on the Global Goals contributes to whole school initiatives, such as Fairtrade Fortnight, Wonderful World Week, Flag Bees and Capital City Bees. Meaningful links are made between geography, and other subjects, such as maths, music and science, ensuring a cross-curricular approach to children’s learning.
RE
Our goal for RE education is for children to gain an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the basis and impact of the world’s major religions, beliefs and worldviews, by:
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Engaging with the questions that religions and worldviews address;
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Appreciating and appraising what different people believe; and
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Developing their own ideas and responses, based on a strong sense of morality and an understanding of human rights.
Our school follows the local Islington Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
Children in the Early Years encounter religions and worldviews through special people, stories, celebrations, and an appreciation of the world in which they live. Children are introduced to subject specific words and use all their senses to explore beliefs, practices and forms of expression. They ask questions and reflect on their own feelings and experiences.
Children in Years 1 - 6 progressively develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts, using subject specific vocabulary. We encourage children to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life.
By the end of Year 6, children are able to express their own ideas in response to the knowledge and experiences they gain, giving reasons to support their ideas and views and making direct links and connections to British Values and the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child.
Assemblies, visiting religious speakers and trips to a range of places of worship, enhance and afford deeper understanding of children’s knowledge. Our reflective approach to learning encourages open and honest enquiry, an awareness of prejudice alongside a growing self-awareness, and an increasing understanding and respect for the rights of others to hold different beliefs.
For questions about the provision of Humanities at William Tyndale, please contact the subject leaders, Emily Morgan (History and Geography), Alana Doyle (Relgious Education), via parentmessages@williamtyndale.islington.sch.uk