Department Staffing:
Amy Houghton Moody – Head of Faculty
Chris Harbron – Assistant Head Teacher
Brian Kirtley – Head of History
Kate Murray – Head of Geography
Joanne Malone – Head of Leisure and Tourism
Barry Dunn – Head of Beliefs and Values
Jessica Arthur – History
Lisa Evans – Beliefs and Values
James Henderson – Geography / Deputy Head Teacher
Gary Wilkinson – Geography and PE
Faculty Mission Statement/ Aims:
The Humanities faculty aims to develop students’ skills, knowledge and understanding of the world we live in. Through the study of major events (both natural and human), world religions and important life skills the faculty aim to produce an effective citizen for the ever-changing world we inhabit.
The Humanities faculty have a focus on developing teaching and learning so that students are motivated and enthusiastic about coming to their Humanities lessons. This focus aims to equip the students with the skills to become lifelong learners.
Curriculum Details:
Intent:
A curriculum that will engage all pupils and raise their curiosity and fascination of the world around them and their local area. Therefore allowing students to appreciate their own sense of place in the world.
Year 7
My Geography
My Geography is an introduction to Geography focusing on the local area and the UK. Students will develop a range of geographical skills and knowledge through investigating types of Geography in Seaham, using the OS map, producing geographical field sketching of the local area, using map work for locating places and conducting an enquiry into shopping.
Fantastic Places
Fantastic Places enables students to develop their knowledge and understanding of a variety of locations around the World from the Arctic, to the Desert onto the remote coastline on Tasmania. They will focus on 4 key fantastic places with contrasting environments, considering their human and physical features and what it is that makes them ‘fantastic’, building on their place and location skills. Students will then investigate and present a place that is fantastic to them.
Human Hazards
Human Hazards looks at the issue of health when taking into consideration a country’s wealth. Students will investigate issues that affect our health including domestic hazards, water and disease. A focus will be placed on the recent Ebola epidemic in Africa and why it became a global issue.
Extreme Weather
Extreme weather focusses on weather events on a global scale. Students will consider what makes weather extreme, then focusing on specific events and their cause and effect. Survival in extreme environments such as the Sahara Desert and the Arctic will be considered with case study specific examples investigated.
Year 8
Beautiful Biomes
Beautiful Biomes develops place and location understanding of some of the Earth’s major biomes. Students will focus on a variety of biomes; locations include the Aral Sea, The Amazon Rainforest, The Great Barrier Reef and the Savannah Africa, considering their environmental features as well as the impact of human activity on these biomes.
Sustainable Cities
Sustainable Cities focuses on the issue of sustainability. Students will consider the human and physical requirements of being a sustainable city. Through case study examples including Dubai and Las Vegas they will consider issues with sustainability.
Billionaire
Studying global wealth students will find out where the World’s billionaires live and how they make their money. Looking at the levels of development on global scale students will also investigate wealth within the UK, Africa, The Middle East and China, considering industry, issues surrounding development and if in fact wealth makes you happy.
Physical Hazards
Physical Hazards is a clear favourite with students, and involves looking into the world’s tectonic plates, the processes of earthquakes, volcanic Eruptions and Tsunamis. Students will also have the opportunity to build their own volcano and see how successfully they can make it erupt. A number of case studies will be used to develop understanding of the global effects of these natural events.
Year 9
River Landscapes
River Landscapes introduces students to the drainage basin system, river characteristics and geographical formations as the river flows from source to mouth. Through set UK-based case studies students explore the cause and effect of river flooding, also considering warning systems and management strategies.
Changing China
Changing China is a topic that enables students to explore one of the World’s leading countries. Considering the location and physical characteristics of China students will then consider its population, policies aimed to control population levels, development and potential sustainability issues faced by China.
Tourism
Reviewing scope of the tourism industry, students reflect on personal experiences and develop their knowledge of key tourism destinations and attractions both in the UK and on a global scale. They will assess the impacts tourism has on host environments and communities and investigates how destinations could be developed in a manner that is more sustainable, considering ecotourism. Students will also conduct an enquiry into the impacts of tourism on the city of York.
Global Challenges
Global Challenges looks into the issues surrounding global warming and climate change. Students will consider the causes and effects and responses from a personal level through to Global strategies.
GCSE Geography
YEAR 11
GCSE Geography with Edexcel A. Delivered over 2 years the GCSE is currently made up of 4 units, three external exams and one controlled assessment based unit:
- Unit 1: Geographical Skills and Challenges – Cartographic skills, graphical skills, and geographical enquiry, and ICT and GIS skills.
- Unit 2: The Natural World – Coasts, Rivers, Tectonics and a Wasteful World
- Unit 3: The Human World – Economic Change, Settlement, Population and a Tourist’s World
- Unit 4: Investigating Geography – controlled assessment
GCSE geography students have the opportunity to take part in various fieldwork based activities including a day out to the North East coastline and a 5 day residential in the Lake District as part of their geography studies.
YEAR 10
GCSE Geography with AQA A. Delivered over 2 years the GCSE is currently made up of 3 units, two external exams and one controlled assessment based unit.
- Unit 1: Physical Geography – Coasts, rivers and Tectonics.
- Unit 2: Human Geography – Population, Changing Urban Environments, Tourism
- Unit 3: Local Fieldwork Investigation.
GCSE Geography students have the opportunity to take part in various fieldwork based activities including a day out to the North East coastline and a 5 day residential in the Lake District as part of their Geography studies
Homework:
The faculty aims to set homework for all year groups at the beginning of each topic. At KS3 homework is in the form of challenge tasks for which students choose which tasks they want to complete, collecting points for each. Each topic challenge will include a range of tasks to suite different student abilities and needs as well as offering challenge. Student review homework completed with scores recorded and awards given for outstanding effort.
At GCSE student’s homework is focussed around exam questions and revision. At the beginning of each unit topic students are issued with a set of exam questions which are completed and reviewed and they work through the topic. Responses are reviewed, score recorded and results used to plan revision.
Faculty Expectations:
Students will arrive to Humanities lessons ready to learn. This means that they will be fully equipped, ready to contribute, prepared to listen to others and respect each other’s point of view even if they are different to their own, follow instructions and guidance given by the teacher, get involved in the lesson and enjoy it.