Humanities
Our faculty includes subjects that are closely linked and for which there are many cross-curricular links. Many students at Key Stage 4 study two or even three Humanities subjects.
Subjects include:
- History
- Geography
- French
- Religious Studies
- Citizenship
History
HISTORY CURRICULUM STATEMENT
big ideas final e21c history.pdf
A high-quality History education should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. It should help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
Our History curriculum helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. We aim for students to engage in historical enquiry to develop themselves as independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers. We endeavour for the students to develop the ability to not only interpret and understand the past, but to reflect on how this shapes our world today.
spires ethos: respect, responsibility and resilience
In History we develop respect by:
- Allowing students to develop and extend their knowledge and understanding of specified key events, periods and societies in local, British, and wider world history; and of the wide diversity of human experience
In History we develop responsibility by:
- Developing the ability to ask relevant questions about the past, to investigate issues critically and to make valid historical claims by using a range of sources in their historical context
In History we develop resilience by:
Teaching students to use and understand key skills such as…
- Cause & Consequence: Events do not happen in silos. How does one event effect another, what are the connections?
- Chronology: When did things happen? How does one society in a different century, shape our society?
- Inference/Interpretation/Usefulness: What does the evidence of the past show us? How do we interpret it? Can we use it?
whole school intent: inclusive
- Scaffolding by personalising the learning based on individual student need
- Explicitly teaching Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary to develop students’ literacy and academic confidence.
- Students are given the opportunity to access complex historical texts and sources through scaffolding.
- Students are given the chance to use high level vocabulary in almost every lesson.
- The curriculum is diverse. It ensures that we cover key topics, that have a range of contexts. For instance, looking at female power in the medieval period, to looking at Black American protest in the 1950’s. This ensures representation across the curriculum.
whole school intent: focused
In History we identify powerful knowledge and that having a good understanding of it is a prerequisite for understanding other related content.
By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference.
We share this with students and their families using Knowledge Organisers:
Year 7 History Knowledge Organiser
Year 8 History Knowledge Organiser
Year 9 History Knowledge Organiser
GCSE History (Medicine) Knowledge Organiser
GCSE History (Anglo-Saxons and Normans) Knowledge Organiser
GCSE History (Cold War) Knowledge Organiser
whole school intent: sequenced
In History we sequence our curriculum using spaced practice. This means large areas of knowledge are broken into smaller chunks, with intervals of time between them, to improve pupil learning and recall.
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: coherent
In History we ensure our curriculum is coherent by the use of 5 Big Ideas that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the students at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum.
Our Big Ideas are:
- People and Power – To allow students to understand the link between different forms of power and the people that may have held it. This ranges from Kings & Queens, to Influential Women, To the people who fight for their freedom and rights.
- Humankind and Conflict – To allow students to understand different types of conflict that have happened in the past and how this shapes the world around it, both at the time and after. This ranges from The English Civil War, to WWI, to the Cold war.
- Order and Disorder – To allow students to understand the way that different periods have created different types of change, through different means. This ranges from the Industrial period in Medicine to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s & 60s.
- Belief and Action – To allow students to understand the role that ideology plays in the past. This could be religion or philosophical ideas. This ranges from the control of the Catholic Church on medicine to the ideological differences of the cold war.
- Moving and Making – To allow the students to understand the role that trade, and production have played in various time period. This ranges from the production of books on the first printing press, to the trade of enslaved people, to the mass production of penicillin.
KS4 Qualifications
The GCSE content in History is divided between 3 exam papers:
Paper 1: Thematic study and historic environment
- Written examination: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- 30% of the qualification (52 marks)
Topic: Medicine in Britain, c1250–present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches.
- Section A: historic environment - Students answer a question that assesses knowledge plus a two-part question based on two provided sources.
- Section B: thematic study - Students answer three questions that assess their knowledge and understanding. The first two questions are compulsory. For the third question, students answer one from a choice of two.
Paper 2: Period study and British depth study
- Written examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- 40% of the qualification (64 marks - 32 for the period study and 32 for the British depth study)
Topic: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88
- Assessment overview Booklet P: Period study - Students answer three questions that assess their knowledge and understanding. The first two questions are compulsory. For the third question, students select two out of three parts.
Topic: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91
- Booklet B British depth study - Students answer a single three-part question that assesses their knowledge and understanding. The first two parts are compulsory. For the third part, students select one from a choice of two.
Paper 3: Modern depth study
- Written examination: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- 30% of the qualification (52 marks)
Topic: The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroad.
- Section A - Students answer a question based on a provided source and a question that assesses their knowledge and understanding.
- Section B - Students answer a single four-part question, based on two provided sources and two provided interpretations.
enrichment opportunities
- Trips to Historical sites linked to their curriculum
- External Speakers
- External resources from English Heritage and others
- Teaching of Family History
progression routes
The study of History allows students to get into a multitude of careers, for instance:
- Teaching
- Museums and Galleries
- Historic Houses, Heritage Sites and Organisations
- Record Offices, Archives, Libraries and Universities
- Archaeology and Architecture, Conservation and Horticulture
- National and Local Government, the Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service
- The Media and journalism
- Law
- The Police and Armed Forces
Geography
GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM STATEMENT
big ideas final e21c geography.pdf
We study geography at Spires Academy to encourage a deeper understanding of place, culture and world issues. Students will look to the wider world for education and employment but have the ability to contribute to their own community and economy on a competitive scale. They will be equipped with the transferrable skills employers look for and have the opportunity to be part of the solution to world issues and actively seek challenge and debate. Being an active citizen, they will uphold the idea of British values and have a respect for others and their traditions and culture, readying them for interactions on a social and educational level.
Spires ethos: Respect, responsibility and resilience
In Geography we develop respect by:
- Empathy, sensitivity, understanding and openness to global cultures and traditions
- An understanding of Geography’s role in shaping individuals, culture and communities
In Geography we develop responsibility by:
- A lifelong love of Geography and the world they live in
- A belief that they can implement the change they want to see
In Geography we develop resilience by:
- Resilience to learn and apply knowledge, as well as take feedback and reflect effectively
- Confidence, collaboration and leadership skills
whole school intent: inclusive
In Geography we ensure our curriculum is inclusive by:
- Scaffold by personalising the learning based on individual student need
- Explicitly teaching Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary to develop students’ literacy and academic confidence.
whole school intent: focused
In Geography we identify powerful knowledge and that having a good understanding of it is a prerequisite for understanding other related content.
By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference.
We share this with students and their families using Knowledge Organisers:
Year 7 Geography Knowledge Organiser
Year 8 Geography Knowledge Organiser
Year 9 Geography Knowledge Organiser
Year 10 Geography Knowledge Organiser
Year 11 Geography Knowledge Organiser
Whole school Intent: sequenced
In Geography we sequence our curriculum using spaced practice. This means large areas of knowledge are broken into smaller chunks, with intervals of time between them, to improve pupil learning and recall.
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: coherent
In Geography we ensure our curriculum is coherent by the use of 5 Big Ideas that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the students at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum.
Our Big Ideas are:
- Sustainability – the practice of using natural resources responsibly today, so they are available for future generations tomorrow.
- Location - location is the place where a particular point or object exists. Location is an important term in geography and is usually considered more precise than "place." A locality is a human settlement: city, town, village, or even archaeological site.
- Physical Processes - the study of the earth's interaction with the sun, seasons, the composition of the atmosphere, atmospheric pressure and wind, storms and climatic disturbances, climate zones, microclimates, the hydrologic cycle, soils, rivers and streams, flora and fauna, weathering, erosion, natural hazards, deserts, glaciers and ice sheets, coastal terrain, ecosystems, geologic systems, and so much more.
- Human Processes - the study of the many cultural aspects found throughout the world and how they relate to the spaces and places where they originate and the spaces and places they then travel to, as people continually move across various areas.
- Development and inequalities - the branch of geography which refers to the standard of living and its quality of life of its human inhabitants. In this context, development is a process of change that affects peoples' lives. It may involve an improvement in the quality of life as perceived by the people undergoing change.
KS4 Qualifications
AQA GCSE Geography is split into 3 Papers:
| Paper 1: Living with the physical environment | Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment | Paper 3: Geographical applications |
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What's assessed 3.1.1 The challenge of natural hazards 3.1.2 The living world 3.1.3 Physical landscapes in the UK 3.4 Geographical skills |
What's assessed 3.2.1 Urban issues and challenges 3.2.2 The changing economic world 3.2.3 The challenge of resource management 3.4 Geographical skills |
What's assessed 3.3.1 Issue evaluation 3.3.2 Fieldwork 3.4 Geographical skills |
|
How it's assessed Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes 88 marks (including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology (SPaG)) |
How it's assessed Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes 88 marks (including 3 marks for SPaG) |
How it's assessed Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes 76 marks (including 6 marks for SPaG) Pre-release resources booklet made available 12 weeks before Paper 3 exam |
| 35% of GCSE | 35% of GCSE | 30% of GCSE |
enrichment opportunities
We believe all Geographers need to be able to carry out fieldwork, during which students collect and analyse primary data. Fieldwork is introduced at KS3 when students start to carry out their own sustainability projects. These are developed in KS4, during which students are required to undertake two fieldworks in contrasting environments.
progression routes
Through our carefully sequenced and ambitious curriculum we intend that our varied and diverse geographical education provision will:
Equip all students with the knowledge and skills to ensure students have:
- An understanding of global physical and human processes
- An awareness of local, national and global opportunities and challenges
- An understanding of places through a varied study of different case studies across the curriculum covering all the world’s continents
- An understanding of how socio-economic circumstance impact on quality of life and how these change as countries develop, in an ever-changing world
- An awareness of their place in the role and an understanding of how they can implement change for the good.
According to the Royal Geographical Society, Geography graduates have some of the highest rates of graduate employment.
Geography is great for any kind of career that involves the environment, planning, or collecting and interpreting data. Popular careers for people with geography qualifications include: town or transport planning, surveying, conservation, sustainability, waste and water management, environmental planning, tourism, and weather forecasting.
The army, police, government, research organisations, law and business world also love the practical research skills that geographers develop.
Because geographers learn about human and population development, geography can be useful for jobs in charity and international relations too.
French
FRENCH CURRICULUM STATEMENT
big ideas final e21c french.pdf
At Spires Academy learning a foreign language offers our students the opportunity to communicate with their European neighbours and discover a new culture which for many remains a mystery despite our proximity to France. In a globalised world, linguistic skills are crucial for employment and proficiency in a foreign language enhances career opportunities.
- Through our grammar-focussed curriculum we aim to enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in spontaneous speech and in writing.
- Grammar skills are taught explicitly through every unit of work, and regularly revisited; the emphasis is on equipping students with the linguistic skills to unpick and decode unfamiliar language.
- Through the GCSE course students learn to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read extracts of great literature in the original language.
- The French curriculum maps are designed to ensure that all four skills (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening) are covered in every unit and opportunities to revisit key skills, in different ways, are built in to students’ learning journeys.
spires ethos: respect, responsibility and resilience
In French we develop respect by:
- ensuring that each student is able to speak in French in the classroom where they feel it is a safe, secure environment.
In French we develop responsibility by:
setting weekly learning homework, which the students practice in an engaging and effective way online.
In French we develop resilience by:
- always building on prior learning so that students can build on the skills they have learnt and add new knowledge. By establishing key building blocks students have the resilience to develop their skills to insert increasingly complex and coherent opinions, reasons and ideas into their work.
whole school intent: inclusive
In French we ensure our curriculum is inclusive by:
- Scaffolding by personalising the learning based on individual student need
- Explicitly teaching Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary to develop students’ literacy and academic confidence.
- Language learning at Spires Academy is inclusive because all students, despite their prior attainment or special educational need, are included, expected and welcomed into the world of languages.
Tier 3 Vocabulary
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: focused
In French we identify powerful knowledge and ensure we have a good understanding of it as it is a prerequisite for understanding other related content.
By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference.
We share this with students and their families using Knowledge Organisers:
Year 7 French Knowledge Organiser
Year 8 French Knowledge Organiser
Year 9 French Knowledge Organiser
Year 10 French Knowledge Organiser
Year 11 French Knowledge Organiser
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: sequenced
In French we sequence our curriculum using spaced practice. This means large areas of knowledge are broken into smaller chunks, with intervals of time between them, to improve pupil learning and recall.
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: coherent
In French we ensure our curriculum is coherent by the use of 5 Big Ideas that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the students at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum.
Our Big Ideas are:
- Phonics: Getting key sounds right allows us to be understood.
- Vocabulary: A wide vocabulary allows for deeper and more meaningful communication.
- Gender and agreement: When the grammar is accurate- the language is beautiful.
- Tenses: When referring to different moments in time - the words change.
- Audience and cultural awareness: To appreciate other cultures- we need to understand where they are coming from.
ks4 qualifications
AQA GCSE French (8658)
Paper 1: Listening
- Written exam: 35 minutes (Foundation Tier), 45 minutes (Higher Tier)
- 40 marks (Foundation Tier), 50 marks (Higher Tier)
- 25% of GCSE
Paper 2: Speaking
- Non-exam assessment
- 7–9 minutes (Foundation Tier) + preparation time, 10–12 minutes (Higher Tier) + preparation time
- 60 marks (for each of Foundation Tier and Higher Tier)
- 25% of GCSE
Paper 3: Reading
- Written exam: 45 minutes (Foundation Tier), 1 hour (Higher Tier)
- 60 marks (for each of Foundation Tier and Higher Tier)
- 25% of GCSE
Paper 4: Writing
- Written exam: 1 hour (Foundation Tier), 1 hour 15 minutes (Higher Tier)
- 50 marks at Foundation Tier and 60 marks at Higher Tier
- 25% of GCSE
The biggest help you can give your child is by ensuring they learn their vocabulary weekly by using their Languagenut account.
enrichment opportunities
We offer the opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the French language and culture through day trips to France.
Progression routes
A GCSE in languages helps whichever career route you wish to take as it shows you are able to retain large amounts of information and manipulate your understanding of grammar which you can apply to a second language. We are living in a multicultural world; many companies are opening offices overseas to extend their market. So the need for bilingual candidates is greater than ever. By acquiring a foreign language, you will double the number of available jobs for you and climb the career ladder much faster.
Religious Studies
RELIGIOUS STUDIES CURRICULUM STATEMENT
The study of Religion, Ethics & Philosophy at Spires Academy contributes dynamically to children and by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. Pupils should gain and deploy the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence. They should learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ.
spires ethos: respect, responsibility and resilience
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we develop respect by:
- Allowing students to know and understand a range of religions and worldviews.
- Letting Students express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and world views.
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we develop responsibility by:
- Allowing students to learn to use the concepts of religious study to describe the nature of religion.
- Students will understand how beliefs influence the values and lives of individuals and groups, and how religions and worldviews have an impact on wider current affairs
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we develop resilience by:
- Giving students the chance to gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews.
whole school intent: inclusive
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we ensure our curriculum is inclusive by:
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Scaffold by personalising the learning based on individual student need
-
Explicitly teaching Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary to develop students’ literacy and academic confidence.
-
Students are given the opportunity to learn about a range of religions and issues, which effect the world around them and themselves.
-
The curriculum is diverse. It ensures that we cover key topics, that have a range of contexts, linking in the ideas of religions and their teachings. As well as the context of key philosophical issues, such as Medicine and Cults.
whole school intent: focused
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we identify powerful knowledge that were having a good understanding of it is a prerequisite for understanding other related content.
By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference.
whole school intent: sequenced
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we sequence our curriculum using spaced practice. This means large areas of knowledge are broken into smaller chunks, with intervals of time between them, to improve pupil learning and recall.
REP Curriculum Map
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: coherent
In Religion, Ethics & Philosophy we ensure our curriculum is coherent through the use of 5 Big Ideas that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the students at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum.
Our Big Ideas are:
- Influence, community, culture and power – To understand how the different locality and population of the UK and the wider world effects belief and control.
- A good life – To understand the benefit people take from believing in religion
- Worlds and beyond – To understand the context that religions are set and to understand the beliefs that involve places and people that are beyond our conventional world.
- Continuity, change and diversity – To understand how cultural identity is important for community cohesion in Britain.
- The big picture – To understand how Religion and diversity make up the society we live in.
enrichment opportunities
- Outside speakers
- Local church visits
progression routes
The study of REP allows students to get into a multitude of careers, for instance:
- Government jobs
- Religious leader
- Record Offices, Archives, Libraries and Universities
- National and Local Government, the Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service
- The Media and journalism
- Law
- The Police and Armed Forces
- Charity work and Aid Work
Citizenship
CITIZENSHIP CURRICULUM STATEMENT
At Spires, the GCSE citizenship course enables students to deepen their knowledge of democracy and government, the law, rights and responsibilities and how we live together in society. The course prepares students to think critically, evaluate evidence, debate ideas, make persuasive arguments and justify their conclusions.
Our curriculum aims to enable all young people to become:
- Thoughtful and active citizens who engage intelligently and enthusiastically with public life.
- Knowledgeable of democracy, government and law, and develop the ability to create sustained, well-balanced arguments.
- Good communicators, people who are increasingly sought after by employers
spires ethos: respect, responsibility and resilience
In Citizenship we develop respect by:
- Giving students an insight into the overarching theme of the course which is ‘How citizens can try to make a difference’ – this means in their own lives, in the society of the United Kingdom and in the wider world
In Citizenship we develop responsibility by:
- Ensuring students play a positive role in public and democratic life as informed and active citizens.
In Citizenship we develop resilience by:
- Creating students who are thoughtful and active citizens, that are knowledgeable of their wider context. Ensuring the students become good communicators throughout.
whole school intent: inclusive
In Citizenship we ensure our curriculum is inclusive by:
- Scaffold by personalising the learning based on individual student need
- Explicitly teaching Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary to develop students’ literacy and academic confidence.
- Students are given the opportunity to access news articles, current affairs and complex topics.
- In addition to this, students are given the chance to use high level vocabulary.
- The curriculum is also diverse. It ensures that we cover key topics, that have a range of contexts. For instance, looking at different types of aid, the refugee crisis in Britain, conflict in the Middle East. This is also linked to identity and culture in Britain.
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: focused
In Citizenship we identify powerful knowledge and ensure we have a good understanding of it as a prerequisite for understanding other related content.
By clearly identifying the powerful knowledge in each unit, teachers can ensure that their teaching and assessment is focused on the content that makes the biggest difference.
We share this with students and their families using Knowledge Organisers:
Citizenship (Theme 1) Knowledge Organiser
Citizenship (Theme 2) Knowledge Organiser
Citizenship (Theme 3) Knowledge Organiser
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: sequenced
In Citizenship we sequence our curriculum using spaced practice. This means large areas of knowledge are broken into smaller chunks, with intervals of time between them, to improve pupil learning and recall.
WHOLE SCHOOL INTENT: coherent
In Citizenship we ensure our curriculum is coherent by the use of 4 Big Ideas that underpin all the learning in our subject. Each lesson is linked to a Big Idea, shared with the students at the start of the lesson, so they can call on prior learning and understand where each lesson fits within our curriculum.
Our Big Ideas are:
- Life in Modern Britain – To understand how cultural identity is important for community cohesion in Britain.
- Rights and responsibilities – To understand the protections that people have in Britain and what role people must play in creating a society.
- Politics and participation – To understand how the power in Britain is divided between regions and it’s people. To uncover the systems that create democratic changes in Britain.
- Active Citizenship – To understand how people can create change in their own society, through a range of research methods.
ks4 qualifications
| Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
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What's assessed Section A: Active citizenship Section B: Politics and participation |
What's assessed Section A: Life in modern Britain Section B: Rights and responsibilities |
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How it's assessed
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How it's assessed
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Questions
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Questions
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enrichment opportunities
- Outside specialist speakers
- Trips to local magistrates/parliament
- Pupils will carry out an independent advocacy project
- Pupils will be encouraged to seek opportunities to actively participate at Spires academy and in their local community
progresssion routes
- Government jobs
- Record Offices, Archives, Libraries and Universities
- National and Local Government, the Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service
- The Media and journalism
- Law
- The Police and Armed Forces
- Charity work and Aid Work