At Kenwood Academy it is our belief that Humanities is central to an understanding of the local community and wider world. The subject area of incorporates both History and Geography. In years seven to nine Humanities is taught as a topic with History & Geography alternating each half term. History is also offered at GCSE. A spiral approach is used to ensure that knowledge is reinforced and revisited regularly. This allows for students with gaps in knowledge to “catch up” in a gradual way.

Geography is the study of places, the human and physical processes, which shape them and the people who live in them. Skills developed through geography help pupils to make sense of their surroundings and the wider world. The study of Geography allows pupils to explore, experience and develop an understanding of areas such as their local environment, e.g. their school, local shops, the weather, jobs, water, maps, directions and exploring the differences between the country and the town. Pupils also learn about different cultures and thus develop tolerance and understanding of difference and diversity.   Geography is taught in a thematic, immersive way with an emphasis on “experiencing” through a wide variety of field trips. It allows pupils to experience the wider world and draw comparisons between this and their own locality.

In our Geography lessons, we ensure that both our pupils’ substantive and disciplinary knowledge is built upon year on year.

Substantive Knowledge– Is knowledge and ‘substance’ of our curriculum e.g. locations of places, names of continents or features of something

Disciplinary Knowledge-Is skills our children develop to make sense of their world– how do we know what we know? E.g. how to read maps or carrying out fieldwork investigations. 

Our geography lessons are underpinned by Geography’s ‘big ideas’. These include;

• Contextual world knowledge of locations, places and geographical features.
• Understanding of the conditions, processes and interactions that explain features, distribution patterns, and changes over time and space.
• Competence in geographical enquiry, and the application of skills in observing, collecting, analysing, evaluating and communicating geographical information.
• This apprach ensures that all students at KS3 can become competent Geographers and in many cases can move on to study Geography at KS4 and KS5.

Geography lessons incorporate the following 7 strands:

1. The UK and local area
2. The World and Continents
3. Physical Themes
4. Human Themes
5. Understanding Places and Connections
6. Map and Atlas Work
7. Fieldwork and Investigations

The study of History provides opportunities for the pupils to experience and develop an understanding of events and people of different times and places. It enriches the curriculum by offering the pupils the opportunity to be actively involved in exploring the world around them. Geography is taught in a thematic, immersive way with an emphasis on “experiencing” through a wide variety of field trips. It allows pupils to experience the wider world and draw comparisons between this and their own locality. Learning about the past- how it has influenced and shaped our lives, beliefs, and customs, can help pupils to make sense of the world in which they live. Through the teaching of history, we can expand our pupils' knowledge and understanding of the past and encourage their investigation of it. The study of History provides opportunities for the pupils to experience and develop an understanding of events and people of different times and places. It enriches the curriculum by offering pupils the opportunity to be actively involved in exploring the world around them, this approach ensures the local community and the local area along with trips to sites of Historical significance further afield to be a focus of study.

In our History lessons, we ensure that both our pupils’ substantive and disciplinary knowledge is built upon year on year.

Substantive Knowledge– Is knowledge and ‘substance’ of our curriculum e.g. people, dates, features of something

Disciplinary Knowledge-Is skills our children develop how interpret the past – how do we know what we know? E.g. changes, continuation, causes, sources. 

So that our pupils are able to learn more and know more, we believe it is vital that our history curriculum develops both categories. Students become historians who can confidently attain knowledge regardless of the subject or topic and go on to study the subject at kS4 & KS5. In order to do this, seven main skills are taught. These skills ensure that students are able to unpick historical knowledge throughout their life.

The seven skills are:

1. Constructing the Past
2. Sequencing the Past
3. Continuity and Change
4. Cause and Effect
5. Significance and Interpretation
6. Planning and Carrying Out Historical Enquiries
7. Using Sources as Evidence