“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Our mission of Humanities at Fearnhill School is to ensure that the students understand that the world we study is their world and that they are a part of it. We want to teach the students that they are not sitting on the side-lines of the world, but they are part of the world and if they want to see change then they can be that change and make that change.
Humanities at Fearnhill School is divided into three separate subjects: Geography, History and Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE)
Key Stage Three Humanities students study three lessons of Geography and History every two weeks and two lessons of PRE.
Our mission at Key Stage Three is to provide the students the knowledge and understanding platform of all the Key Stage Four topics allowing them to then build on from this during their GCSEs. All Key Stage Four (GCSE) topics are covered in Key Stage Three.
YEAR 7
Geography Topics
Where are we? Maps.
How can we feed 8 billion people? Farming and Food.
Why do the British talk about the weather? Weather and Climate.
Where do we live? Settlement.
What’s Great about Britain? UK Geography.
Can we ever stop crime? Geography and Crime.
History Topics
Why was 1066 important? The Battle of Hastings.
How did castles develop and change? Conquests and Castles.
How religious and healthy were people? Health and Religion.
What was it like to live in the middle ages? Life in England.
Why was it difficult to rule? Power – Who Rules?
What was it like to go to war and fight in the crusades? The Crusades.
Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) Topics
The big questions.
The BIG 6.
Respect.
Christianity part one.
Christianity part two.
Sikhism.
YEAR 8
Geography Topics
Why is there inequality in the world? Development.
What makes the world go around? Trade.
Are floods natural or manmade? Rivers and Flooding.
What is the Holocene? Ecosystems and TRF.
What is Energy? Consuming Energy?
What’s my carbon footprint? Energy Sustainability.
History Topics
Why was religion such a big deal in the 1500s?
Why did we kill a king?
Why was the Industrial Revolution so important?
Why was slavery abolished?
Was the British Empire a good thing?
What was life like in 1900?
Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) Topics
Hinduism.
Introduction to philosophy.
Buddhism.
What is a moral issue?
Martin Luther King.
Judaism.
YEAR 9
Geography Topics
How many people can our world manage? Population.
Which is better prediction or preparation? Plate Tectonics.
Why are coasts so important to people? Coasts.
Is tourism good or bad? Tourism.
Are all rocks hard? Rocks and The Rock Cycle.
History Topics
Why did peace fail? World War One.
Who was to blame for World War Two?
What was it like to live in a dictatorship?
World War Two, The Total War.
What was the Cold War?
Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) Topics
Islam.
Extremism.
Issues of life and death part one.
Issues of life and death part two.
Community cohesion.
Start of your GCSE PRE course.
KEY STAGE 4 – YEARS 10 & 11
GCSE Geography: Specification Edexcel Geography B.
The Specification covers 9 topics and includes 3 exam papers.
Content overview
Topic 1: Hazardous earth.
Topic 2: Development dynamics
Topic 3: Challenges of an urbanising world.
Topic 4: The UK’s evolving physical landscape – including sub-topics: Coastal change and conflict and river processes and pressures.
Topic 5: The UK’s evolving human landscape – including a case study: London.
Topic 6: Geographical investigations – including one physical fieldwork investigation: coastal conflict at Walton on Naze and one human fieldwork investigation: regeneration success in Stevenage.
Topic 7: People and the biosphere.
Topic 8: Forests under threat.
Topic 9: Consuming energy resources.
GCSE History: Specification AQA
Content overview
The GCSE History content comprises the following elements:
Paper 1: Understanding the modern world. Written exam: 2 hours, 50% of GCSE.
One period study: Germany, 1890–1945: democracy and dictatorship.
One thematic study: Conflict and tension: The inter-war years, 1918–1939
Paper 2: Shaping the nation. Written exam: 2 hours, 50% of GCSE.
One wider world depth study: Britain: health and the people: c1000 to the present day.
One British depth study including the historic environment: Elizabethan England, c1568–1603.
GCSE PRE: Specification AQA A
Content overview
Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices: Christianity and Islam.
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes.
50% of GCSE.
Component 2: Thematic studies.
Theme A: Relationships and families.
Theme B: Religion and life.
Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment.
Theme F: Religion, human rights and social justice.
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
50% of GCSE.
YEARS 12 & 13
History
Students study 2 modules which are a depth study on the Tudors 1529-1570 and a breadth study on Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964. Students also have to complete a non exam assessed unit on a historical topic of their choice.
Geography
Edexcel: Unit 1 – Dynamic Landscapes (Tectonic Processes and Hazards and Coastal Landscapes and Change), Unit 2 – Dynamic Places (Globalisation and regenerating Places).
Edexcel: Unit 3 – Physical Systems and Sustainability (The water cycle and water security and the carbon cycle and energy security). Unit 4 – Human systems and Geopolitics (Superpowers and Migration, Identity and Sovereignty).
ASSESSMENT
More details can be found below.
EXAM BOARD LINKS
Links to exam board information for GCSE, BTEC & A Levels for each exam covered by faculty
- GCSE History – The exam board that we follow is AQA History (8145)
- A Level History – The exam board that we follow is AQA History (7042)
- A Level/ GCSE Geography https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/geography.html
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
The Humanities faculty organises a number of visits which promote the enjoyment of the subject for students. These include visits to Norfolk and our own local area. Students have the opportunity to visit the battlefields of the First World War, Krakow and Auschwitz, Berlin and Prague.
USEFUL WEBSITES
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please note, parents and carers have the right to withdraw their children from any/all RE (PRE) lessons. If this is the case, please email admin@fearnhill.herts.sch.uk