Geography
The study of Geography will allow students to investigate a mixture of real places, real issues and use relevant skills to help them make sense of the world in the 21st Century. Students will learn about and explore key issues facing our world, whether they are issues affecting our local community or problems on a global scale.
Students will develop independent enquiry skills and will be encouraged to use these to explore and investigate a number of key issues that affect the modern world through examining a mixture of Human and physical geography. They will develop ICT skills, data handling skills, debating and thinking skills along with decision making.
Year 7
In year 7 students will study a range of enquiry based topics that range from developing their basic geographical skills in map-reading and atlas skills to a study on tectonics, tourism, a focus on a specific world continent – Africa, and finally, an investigation into UK landscapes.
Year 8
In year 8 students begin their studies with an investigation into the weather and climate of the UK, which is followed by a study of Japan. Then students examine tropical rainforests, coastlines, sustainability and finally settlements.
Year 9
In year 9 students engage in a study of rivers that build on the previous study of coasts, this is followed by an investigation into why certain countries are considered to be more developed than others. Then students return to an aspect of physical geography looking at tectonic and then weather hazards, ending their key stage 3 studies with an examination of the reasons for and impact of climate change. Students then end year 9 by beginning their study of the prescribed GCSE content, through a focus on urban worlds.
Year 10 and 11
You can find further details on the KS4 curriculum below:
Sixth form
Find out more about courses available in sixth form (KS5) here.
History
Through the study of History, students develop some important skills, such as literacy, analysing sources of information, researching and forming an argument. These vital life and academic skills may open many doors to further and higher education and beyond. It is our desire that students will engage with the subject, asking challenging questions and taking a full and active role in exploring the past in order to enrich their learning.
Year 7
In year 7 students will study a range of enquiry-based topics that begin with an investigation into life in Roman Britain. This is then followed by an in-depth look at the Norman Conquest of the British Isles. Students then examine a prolonged timeline of Plantagenet dynasty from 1086 to 1307. Students then embark upon an enquiry into the Black Death and the subsequent Peasants Revolt. This examination of English Medieval history is further assessed through an investigation into social and economic aspects of life for the commoners. Finally, students study an aspect of world history, with an investigation into the lives of Native American Indians. Through year 7 students will be introduced to the basic concepts of source analysis and historical investigation as well as chronological understanding.
Year 8
In year 8 students study early modern British History from the reign of the Tudor dynasty to that of the Stuarts. This begins with an examination of the Reformation and its impact on England under the reign of the Tudors. This end with an in-depth investigation into the life and times of Elizabethan I and the impact of her reign on her subjects. Students then move on to the Stuart dynasty which includes a local study of the Pilgrim Fathers. Students then investigate the causes and impact of the English Civil War on society, before moving onto an investigation into the rule of Oliver Cromwell and a review of his actions in Ireland. Students then return to the Stuart Dynasty with a study of the Great Plague and Fire of London. This is followed by an investigation into the causes, course and impact of the Industrial Revolution on British society.
Year 9
In year 9 students move on to a study of British history in the modern period beginning with a study of Black History which focuses on two specific areas, that of the slave trade and Britain’s role in this, as well as examining the life of slavery in the American colonies. This then moves onto a study of the civil rights movement from the 1930s into the late 1960s in the United States. Students then return to a study of British history in the early Twentieth Century by investigating the motives and actions of including Liberal Government in introducing welfare reforms into Britain, as well as the actions and events surrounding the women’s suffrage movement. Students then complete an analysis of the causes and course of the First World War and end their Key Stage 3 studies with an investigation into the impact of the Holocaust. The final part of the year 9 program of study concludes with the beginning of the GCSE course that has a focus on British history from 1919 to 1990.
Year 10 and 11
You can find further details on the KS4 curriculum below:
Sixth form
Find out more about courses available in sixth form (KS5) here.
Religious studies
Religious studies is all about developing an understanding of the role religion plays in a global society. Students will examine how religion is at the heart of many of the issues that the UK and wider world face today. They will discover how religion is at the centre of global issues and cultural conflicts. They will investigate why religion continues to thrive and the reasons for this despite the threat to religious understanding from new technologies and scientific explanations of the world. They will develop their comprehension of how religious traditions are adaptable and why contemporary religion has room for scepticism, science, and the secular, which allows it to keep going in our rapidly changing world.
Year 7
In year 7 students begin their studies with an introduction to religious education, which provides a grounding on all the major world religions. Students then examine what worship is and the act of worship from the perspectives of differing world religions. They then embark on an enquiry into the Bible and examine some of its main stories and themes, before examining acts of justice through the eyes of Christianity and finally ending their year 7 studies with an investigation into Judaism.
Year 8
In year 8 students begin with an examination into the concepts of good and evil and its implications into the concept of human suffering. They then examine the relationships between religious arguments associated with animal rights and the debate over religious explanations of the natural world against those offered by the scientific community. Students then undergo an in-depth enquiry into three distinct world religions, these being Islam, Sikhism and Judaism which allows for the investigation into various religious festivals of faith.
Year 9
In year 9 students move on to a study of British history in the modern period beginning with a study of Black History which focuses on two specific areas, that of the slave trade and Britain’s role in this, as well as examining the life of slavery in the American colonies. This then moves onto a study of the civil rights movement from the 1930s into the late 1960s in the United States. Students then return to a study of British history in the early Twentieth Century by investigating the motives and actions of including Liberal Government in introducing welfare reforms into Britain, as well as the actions and events surrounding the women’s suffrage movement. Students then complete an analysis of the causes and course of the First World War and end their Key Stage 3 studies with an investigation into the impact of the Holocaust. The final part of the year 9 program of study concludes with the beginning of the GCSE course that has a focus on British history from 1919 to 1990.
Year 10 and 11
You can find further details on the KS4 curriculum below:
Sixth form
Find out more about courses available in sixth form (KS5) here.
