Department Staffing:
Amy Houghton-Moody – Head of Faculty
Brian Kirtley – Head of History
Scott Parker – Head of History/Head of Year
Chris Harbron – Assistant Head Teacher
Jessica Arthur – History
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:
To develop an understanding of the past that illuminates the world we live in today
At Key Stage three pupils are prepared for the GCSE course through work which focuses on the assessment objectives which are seen at Key Stage four. These include:
- AO1: Knowledge and Understanding – this reflects students’ ability to recall and apply their current learning and previous learning to a variety of question types.
- AO2: Explaining and Analysing – this skill requires pupils to use the second order concepts in History. These include change, continuity, causation, consequence, similarity, difference and significance.
- AO3: Primary Source Work – this involves pupils analysing and evaluating sources through the discussion of provenance, inferences, accuracy, purpose, audience, reliability and usefulness.
- AO4: Interpretations – this skill involves applying knowledge to support or reject how people in later times have reconstructed and presented the past.
- Within the History department aim to engage young minds and develop a love of learning about the past. Our curriculum is therefore structured in a way which develops students without just focusing on exam questions. We encourage creativity alongside academic rigour in order to support the development of students at Key Stage three. The content covered at Key Stage three includes:Year Seven: The Norman Conquest, medieval medicine, the Tudors.
Year Eight: The English Civil Rights, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the First World War.
Year Nine: 1920s America, the Holocaust, GCSE course.
GCSE History
At GCSE we follow the AQA specification which consists of two equally weighted exams at the end of year eleven. The course is 100% exam based and is split into four modules.
- Paper 1 – Section A: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality
- Paper 1 – Section B: Conflict and tension, 1918–1939
- Paper 2 – Section A: Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day
- Paper 2 – Section B: Norman England, c1066–c1100
- Further information about the AQA GCSE History course can be found at: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/gcse/history-8145
Homework:
The faculty aims to set homework for all year groups approximately once per fortnight. This will include a range of tasks designed to suit different student needs. The faculty will sometimes set extended pieces of homework (projects) to be completed over a number of weeks. At Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11) students will be given more homework in the run up to assessments. This will normally be in the form of exam questions to be completed at home to assess knowledge and understanding, and promote effective revision. As a rule, homework will not be set by the faculty to be completed for the next day as this does not allow students the opportunity to seek help and support from their teacher. It is the students’ responsibility to seek help from the teacher if they cannot finish a task set for homework. Students who are absent from a lesson should speak with their teacher to complete the work missed including any homework set. Parents will be informed if homework becomes an issue and your support will be welcomed.
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.
Faculty Advice:
The History department values the support and cooperation of parents in ensuring pupils attend school on time and ready to learn, complete classwork and homework to the highest possible standard and in meeting the standards required in the school behaviour policy.
Parents should encourage pupils by encouraging them to read widely, watch documentaries and visit historical sites and museums. This will solidify their grasp of History, culture and chronology.
At GCSE level, all pupils will be offered the opportunity to purchase an AQA approved revision guide and work booklet. We would fully suggest these as they offer pupils the chance to further their revision outside of the timetabled curriculum lessons. After school catch-up and revision classes are available throughout the academic year to ensure all pupils have the opportunity to reach and exceed their target grades. We would welcome the support of parents/carers in encouraging your son/daughter to attend these sessions.
At GCSE level, students are provided with a comprehensive revision guide that can be taken home to help with revision for the final exams. In addition, faculty staff have uploaded a range of resources to the department’s Google Classroom, which all students have access to.
Faculty Contact:
Amy Houghton-Moody – a.houghton-moody@seahamhighschool.com
Scott Parker – S.parker@seahamhighschool.com
Joanne Malone – j.malone@seahamhighschool.com
Barry Dunn – b.dunn@seahamhighschool.com