Stephenson AcademyHUMANITIES
Making sense of the world we live in!
Humanities fires student’s curiosity to ask questions and know more about their place in their own communities, nation and the wider world.
At Stephenson Academy, students are encouraged initially to develop their basic understanding and skills in three major subjects (Geography, History and Relgious Studies) within the Humanities curriculum. As students then progress further into Years 8 and 9, and then into Years 10 and 11 if they so choose, the aim is for them to have acquired the subject specific knowledge and skills that enables them to makes sense of our past, the present and how the world may change in the future. They will also develop a better understanding and awareness of the world around them from a local, national and global scale.
The Humanities curriculum is designed around some major themes in Years 7, 8 and 9 (‘The foundations of our world’, ‘A changing world’ and ‘A dangerous world’) which provide the basis for a chronological structure in History while also linking into the same themes with Geography and Religious Studies topics.
This means that students will study major events that have both affected their own country and world in the past and which continue to have a profound effect on the modern world.
In addition to developing subject knowledge a big emphasis is also placed upon developing basic literacy and communication skills. Students will also learn how to critically analyse sources in order to develop an enquiring mind that can use the critical thinking skills that will provide the basis for success in History GCSE in Years 10 and 11 and which are so valued in today’s modern workplace.
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Throughout their time at Stephenson Academy students are assessed on their ability to develop their level of understanding of the topics studied along with their literacy and communication skills. These teacher based assessments take place at various points throughout the academic year and progress is recorded on a half-termly basis in the form of a ‘Working at Grade’ (WAG) point score.
At the end of Year 9 students are able to make their GCSE option choices and may be able to choose to continue their Humanities studies by studying for either a History GCSE or History Entry Level qualification depending on their ability in this subject area.
Whatever options are chosen at Year 10, it is hoped that by studying Humanities all students will leave the academy with the ability to make sense of the world in which they live.