Our humanities curriculum in Key Stages One and Two brings together our teaching in geography and history. It is structured in termly units that run across phases on a two-year rolling cycle. Most units contain either history or geography, but there is some overlap. In EYFS, history and geography are taught as part of a topic-based approach that links to writing. As children progress throughout their primary years, relevant factual and conceptual links are made between themes. Please see our curriculum map and individual subject policies for further information. 

Please find here the primary national curriculum for History: 

 Please find here the primary national curriculum for Geography: 

 Underpinning each creative theme or unit of work is a core body of knowledge that is systematically taught, revised and revisited at distance to ensure that learning is committed to long-term memory. This knowledge empowers children: it gives them a sense of ‘being knowledgeable’, allows them to mediate social and cultural references, builds on their understanding of the world and provides valuable content for writing and reading across the curriculum. The curriculum also plans in opportunities for children to master processes and undertake activities relevant to their discipline. As historians, for example, they will gain knowledge of the key events and the people and places that have shaped our world today. They will also use this knowledge to analyse sources or explain cause and effect. 

Reception Foundation Subject Long Term Plan

Meeting the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1

Meeting the National Curriculum at Key Stage 2

We send home knowledge organisers at the beginning of each unit of work so that parents understand the work that is going on in school and so that children can discuss their learning at home. They include key vocabulary and facts. Each unit of work includes an exciting trip or visitor to engage children, bring learning to life and give children the opportunity to explore the relevance of their learning in real life.  

Example History Plan

Example Geography Plan

We begin each history or geography unit with diagnostic assessment to check children’s retention of key information. This helps us to reshape our initial planning. Formative assessment (quizzes and retrieval practice) gives children the opportunity to revisit knowledge from the earlier in the unit and aids retention. Summative assessment, in the form of short essays or essay plans, allows children to demonstrate multiple strands of learning from across the unit.  

 For further information about our humanities curriculum, please speak to Mr Mackintosh and Mr Asquith. 

 Our governor with responsibility for humanities is Victoria Pearson.