Humanities Curriculum
Geography & History
Geography Curriculum (Secondary)
Subject Leader: Jon Parrett Email: jon.parrett@northstar-academy.co.uk
At North Star 180, our Geography curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils. Learning is carefully planned to be inclusive, accessible, and meaningful, supporting pupils to develop knowledge, skills, and
understanding that are relevant to their lives. Through a well-sequenced and personalised approach, pupils are supported to make progress from their individual starting points, building confidence, independence, and readiness for future learning and adulthood.
Intent
The intent of the Geography curriculum in secondary is to:
· provide all pupils with access to a high quality and adaptive geography curriculum, which inspires curiosity of the world around them.
· We aim to give pupils a knowledge of places, people and environments from locally to internationally.
· Provide an understanding of the Earth’s human and physical processes, pupils can gain the knowledge that builds the world’s fascination.
· Identify and bridge gaps in pupils’knowledge.
· Allow pupils to develop and progress knowledge in all areas of geography.
· Appreciate the different cultures and situations people live in from around the world.
· Pupils to stay up to date with geographicalchanges.
· Develop all pupils’ key aspects of cultural capital- Personal development: self-esteem, self-confidence, growth mindset, employability skills. Social development: part of a wider community, citizenship skills, and knowledge.
· Promote a variety of literacy and numeracy skills in lessons.
Implementation
The Geography curriculum in secondary is implemented through:
· pupils following a broad curriculum that follows the national curriculum for Geography
and builds on previous learning.
· In key stage 3 there is a thematic approach that allows for progression throughout the key stage: Year 7 is the foundation year to ensure pupils have the fundamental geographical knowledge and skills to access year 8 and 9. Topics and areas have been carefully chosen to engage and interest in all our pupils.
Throughout the key stage, pupils can work and develop literacy, numeracy, and communication skills.
· The North Star 180 geography curriculum is focused on bridging gaps in the knowledge of our pupils and developing the learning as pupils go through the year groups.
· The focus in year 7, is for pupils to gain the fundamental skills and knowledge on a local scale that sets a foundation for progression and development moving forward. As we move through the year groups, pupils use these fundamental skills to look at Geographical knowledge globally.
· School trips to geographical places of interestare based on the curriculum topics year groups are studying so to provide pupils with the opportunity to widen and solidify their understanding.
· We are constantly planning and reviewing teaching methods to ensure that all pupils have access to the materials being taught. All lessons are adaptive and differentiated to the individual pupils to support and aid development. Opportunities for assessment are carefully planned into the curriculum to ensure that we are keeping up to date with individual progress.
Staff use a range of strategies and resources to ensure learning is engaging, accessible, and personalised.
Impact
The impact of the Geography curriculum is demonstrated by:
· all pupils to develop key ‘geographical skills’ throughout the curriculum. From map reading skills to asking geographical questions, skills are crucial for all pupils to gain as it will help them develop their knowledge.
· allows an ability to expand their understanding of people, places, and environments on a more global scale.
· Assessment is carried out at the start of each topic (Cold Task) to provide a basis for understanding pupils prior-learning, and again at the end of each topic (Hot task) to provide a basis for understanding and measuring progress.
History Curriculum (Secondary)
Subject Leader: Jon Parrett Email: jon.parrett@northstar-academy.co.uk
At North Star 180, our history curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils. Learning is carefully planned to be inclusive, accessible, and meaningful, supporting pupils to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding that are relevant to their lives. Through a well-sequenced and personalised approach, pupils are supported to make progress from their individual starting points, building confidence, independence, and readiness for future learning and adulthood.
History Curriculum Statement
Intent
The intent of the History curriculum in secondary is to:
• Promote a wonder of our world in pupils.
• Develop cultural capital in pupils.
• provide a coherent knowledge of Britain’s past and the wider world, fostering curiosity and critical thinking.
• for our pupils to gain an appreciation of the link between the past and their own lives now.
• compare how lives were and to look at the journey to where we are today. We believe this is crucial for developing students’ understanding of who they are today.
• improve pupils’ understanding of their own heritage and the world around them. by taking their individual backgrounds and abilities into consideration
• encourage all pupils to appreciate the role of a diverse set of characters and cultures to gain a deeper understanding and respect for the diverse nature of our British culture and how things have changed and developed to the modern country we are today.
• equip pupils to analyse evidence, understand change, diversity, and complexity, while developing personal perspective and an understanding of their place in the world.
• This contributes to promoting a positive and inclusive school, aligned with British Values and equips children with the confidence to share their opinions.
The curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, ensuring all pupils can achieve and succeed regardless of need.
Implementation
The History curriculum for secondary is implemented through:
• a chronological approach through the year groups, focusing on how Britain has developed within and how it has linked to the wider world. This allows for a curriculum that is more relevant to our pupils and creates more interest in the subject. Each term follows from the previous periods of time to allow for a clear understanding of how things have changed. This also allows pupils to make comparisons with the changes throughout history. This approach is supported and is based on the national curriculum for history.
• In Year 7 we follow a Project Based teaching and learning approach, whereas at Year 8 and 9 we use a more traditional independent lesson approach to prepare for exam teaching at Key Stage 4.
• Resources are produced for all pupils based on individual ability and learning styles with a strong emphasis on adaptation within lessons to provide pupils with the opportunity to challenge themselves. Differentiated Core and Challenge working task sheets are provided as a starting point.
• School trips to historical places of interest are based on the curriculum topics year groups are studying so to provide pupils with the opportunity to widen and solidify their understanding.
• Assessment is carried out at the start of each topic (Cold Task) to provide a basis for understanding pupils prior-learning, and again at the end of each topic (Hot task) to provide a basis for understanding and measuring progress.
• Staff use a range of strategies and resources to ensure learning is engaging, accessible, and personalised.
Impact
The impact of the History curriculum is demonstrated by:
• The results of the Assessment structure before and after teaching of topics
• The increased ability of pupils to use critical thinking when interpretating sources of information to make judgements of what periods of time were like for them to compare. Seeking the truth is a key historical skill for pupils to grasp as they go through the curriculum.
• We hope that an increased knowledge and skills will improve independence, confidence which will support them to achieve at Key Stage 4.
• An opportunity for pupils to work on and develop literacy skills. Whether it is sentence comprehension or debating skills. All pupils can work on and improve literacy throughout lessons.
RE Curriculum (Secondary)
Subject Leader: Jon Parrett Email: jon.parrett.northstar-academy.co.uk
At North Star 180, our Religious Education curriculum is designed to foster understanding, respect, and appreciation of diverse beliefs, values, and worldviews. Learning is carefully planned to support pupils with SEMH needs to explore questions about identity, morality, community, and faith in a safe and inclusive environment. Through engaging discussions, critical thinking, and reflection, pupils develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to navigate an increasingly diverse society while building confidence, empathy, and emotional resilience.
Intent
The intent of the Religious Education curriculum in secondary is to:
Promote personal growth by encouraging pupils to explore their own identities, values, and beliefs while developing an understanding of the beliefs and practices of others.
Develop critical thinking skills through the exploration of philosophical, theological, ethical, and social issues that encourage respectful debate and reflection.
Foster inclusivity, empathy, and respect by examining a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews.
Build community cohesion by helping pupils understand the role religion and belief play within local, national, and global communities.
Support emotional wellbeing through reflection, discussion, and exploration of ethical and moral questions that help pupils understand themselves and others.
Prepare pupils for life in modern Britain by promoting tolerance, understanding, mutual respect, and appreciation of diversity.
The curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, enabling pupils to engage with complex ideas and challenging questions regardless of their starting points. Through the study of world religions, philosophy, ethics, social justice, and contemporary issues, pupils develop the knowledge and understanding needed to become informed, reflective, and respectful members of society.
Implementation
The Religious Education curriculum in secondary is implemented through:
A carefully sequenced curriculum that explores theology, philosophy, ethics, social sciences, and social justice themes across Key Stage 3.
Topics that build knowledge progressively, allowing pupils to deepen their understanding of major world religions, belief systems, ethical issues, and contemporary challenges.
Interactive learning approaches including discussion, debate, role play, enquiry, case studies, and collaborative activities.
Visual, practical, and kinaesthetic learning opportunities that support engagement and accessibility for pupils with SEND and SEMH needs.
Personalised learning pathways, scaffolding, and adaptive teaching to meet individual learning needs and ensure success for all pupils.
The integration of social and emotional learning through reflection activities, discussion, and opportunities for pupils to express and evaluate their own views safely and respectfully.
Opportunities to engage with the wider community through visits, visitors, and experiences that bring learning to life and promote understanding of different faiths and cultures.
Ongoing formative and summative assessment that monitors knowledge, understanding, critical thinking, and personal development.
Staff create safe and supportive learning environments where pupils feel confident discussing sensitive topics, exploring different viewpoints, and developing their understanding of themselves and others.
Impact
The impact of the Religious Education curriculum is demonstrated by:
Improved understanding of religious beliefs, practices, philosophies, and ethical concepts across a range of traditions and worldviews.
Stronger critical thinking, reasoning, discussion, and analytical skills demonstrated through lessons, assessments, and reflective work.
Increased empathy, tolerance, and respect for the beliefs and perspectives of others.
Improved emotional wellbeing through opportunities to reflect on identity, relationships, values, and life experiences.
Greater confidence in expressing viewpoints respectfully and engaging positively in discussion and debate.
Enhanced engagement with school and community life through an increased understanding of diversity, belonging, and social responsibility.
Progress towards EHCP outcomes relating to communication, emotional literacy, social development, and preparation for adulthood.
Secondary – Building on Primary
In secondary, Religious Education builds directly on the foundations established in primary by extending pupils’ understanding of beliefs, values, and worldviews through deeper theological, philosophical, and ethical enquiry. Pupils move beyond learning about religions to critically exploring how beliefs influence individuals, communities, and societies, while developing the ability to analyse differing viewpoints and reflect on their own perspectives.
Learning increasingly promotes independence, critical thinking, emotional literacy, and real-world application. Through studying topics such as ethics, social justice, diversity, religious experience, environmental responsibility, and contemporary belief, pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed to become thoughtful, informed, and respectful citizens who are prepared for life in a diverse modern society.
