History and Geography

History and Geography

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At St John the Baptist we aim to give our children a humanities curriculum which enables them to become confident, creative and independent learners who can explore the use of different knowledge and skills throughout topical learning.

‘The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future’
– Theodore Roosevelt, previous American President, author, explorer, soldier and naturalist.

‘Geography is the study of earth as the home of people’
– Yi-Fu Tuan, Chinese-US geographer

Vision

At St John the Baptist we aim to give our children a humanities curriculum which enables them to become confident, creative and independent learners who can explore the use of different knowledge and skills throughout topical learning. We seek to broaden children’s real-life experiences both inside and outside of school through trips, experimentation, exploration and discovery. Within lessons and clubs our children acquire a range of knowledge and skills in both history and geography which they can then apply to other subjects and in a variety of situations.

Furthermore, it is our aim that through historical and geographical learning, children will become accountable citizens, understanding their role in protecting our world and environment and knowing how they can cause positive change and development as they grow.

Curriculum

Curriculum

Our community is diverse. We have developed a curriculum that allows all our children to see themselves reflected in the books we read, in stories we tell of history, in the people we celebrate. We want children who love learning as they see themselves mirrored in what they learn. We want a curriculum driven by identity.

 

Our Rise up! Curriculum has key aims:

  • A curriculum about identity, society and aspiration
  • A curriculum that instils in our children a sense of identity, their place in time and the world
  • A curriculum which explores the structural inequities they are rising above through education
  • A curriculum which engages our children because it reflects them, inspires them because it asks the big questions and allows them to imagine futures beyond
  • A curriculum that invites our children to dream bigger, fight harder and reach higher

 

Rise Up! is the story of our children’s world. From the local to the global, from the marginalised to the celebrated, from the ancient to the modern, through struggle, toward futures not yet told, it is the story of who our children are, where they have come from and where they are going. It is the story of our children’s identity, their society and their aspirations for the future.

 

EYFS

In the foundation stage our children explore the big concepts that underpin our curriculum: Identity through their sense of self; society through people, places and stories; and aspiration through play and preparation for life in school.

 

Key Stage 1

Key stage one sees our children place themselves in the world. In year 1, we weave a tale of the immediate world our children inhabit, the food they eat, the places they go, their sense of self – My World. Our year 2 children are propelled into a shared story of our local farming past, football around the world, and a world changed by the lives and actions of people like them – Our World.

 

Key Stage 2

In key stage 2, children explore a rich, wide world story of change, diversity and connections. Year 3 celebrate a Changing World, taking a view of history from our early British origins, through the great kingdoms of Africa and on into the future of cities. A Diverse World is the tale for year 4 as they explore the lives of female journalists, black world changers and the eclectic roots of our civilisation. Year 5 is about connections as children investigate the people who have made Britain their home and journeys beyond our shores – Connected World. Our year 6 children take their voyage with a question – Is this a Fair World? – by considering protest, slavery and the sharing of world resources.

 

Across the course of a year, each year group studies a variety of humanities topics. These are a mixture of history and geography and are linked to writing and other subjects where possible. Links between subjects give children a broad base of knowledge, facts, vocabulary, real-life experience and contexts to use for learning. Some key topics are re-visited throughout children’s school-life in varying forms in order that they may deepen their skills, knowledge and understanding.

Useful Links

Geography

History