Humanities at Our School

At our school, Humanities helps children understand the world around them, both past and present. Through our carefully planned History and Geography curriculum, pupils learn about important people, places, events and changes over time. We want children to develop curiosity, ask thoughtful questions and understand how the world has been shaped.

We use the Grammarsaurus scheme to support our planning and teaching. This helps us make sure learning is well sequenced, builds on prior knowledge and is ambitious for all pupils.

History

In History, children learn about the past and how it has influenced life today. They study significant events, people and time periods, helping them develop a secure understanding of chronology, cause and effect, change and continuity.

Our History topics include:

• Year 1 – Toys, explorers and the school grounds
• Year 2 - Local history, the Great Fire of London, kings, queens and castles
• Year 3 - Ancient Egypt, Stone Age to Iron Age and the UK
• Year 4 – Ancient Greece
• Year 5 - The Maya civilisation and Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
• Year 6 – World War II and crime and punishment through time

Through History, children learn to:

• compare life in different periods
• use evidence to find out about the past
• understand why important events happened
• recognise how history has shaped our lives today

Geography

In Geography, children learn about places, people, environments and the ways in which the world changes. They develop their knowledge of the local area, the UK and the wider world, while also learning about climate, physical features, settlements and environmental issues.

Our Geography topics include:

• Year 1 – Our school grounds, the local park and the world around my school
• Year 2 – Weather and climate and my local area, including Tulum, Mexico
• Year 3 – The UK
• Year 4 – My region and the South Aegean, weather and climate and coastal erosion
• Year 5 – Biomes and rivers
• Year 6 – Sustainability and the economic activity of the UK

Through Geography, children learn to:

• read and use maps
• understand different environments and climates
• investigate how places are similar and different
• think about how we can care for the planet

Why Humanities Matters

Humanities helps children to become:

• informed
• curious
• respectful of different cultures and viewpoints
• confident in asking questions and sharing ideas
• responsible citizens of the future

We aim to give every child a rich understanding of the world and the confidence to explore it with interest and respect.

 

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1		Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Year 1	Our school Grounds 3 lessons	Changes in Toys 6 lessons	The Local Park 3 lessons	The World and my School 6 lessons		Famous Explorers 6 lessons
Year 2	Local History – Dudley Castle 4 lessons	Weather and Climate 6 lessons	The Great Fire of London 6 lessons	Kings, Queens and Castles 7 lessons		My local Area and Tulum, Mexico 10 lessons
Year 3	Ancient Egypt 10 lessons		The UK 10 lessons			Stone Age to Iron Age 11 lessons
Year 4	My region and the South Aegean (Greece) 11 lessons		Ancient Greece 9 lessons			Weather and Climate 5 lessons	Coastal Erosion 4 lessons
Year 5	Maya Civilisation 9 weeks		Anglo-Saxons and Vikings 9 lessons			Biomes 5 lessons	Rivers 4 lessons
Year 6	World War II 9 lessons		Sustainability 4 lessons	SATs		Crime and Punishment* 9 lessons	Economic Activity of The UK * 9 lessons