Humanities
(Geography, history and religious education)
Early Years Foundation Stage – Understanding the world
The educational programme for understanding the world, set out in the EYFS Framework, is delivered in our preschool and reception classes in line with the Extend Nursery and Preschool Curriculum and the Extend Reception Curriculum
Key Stage 1 and 2 – humanities: history, geography and religious education
We follow the national curriculum for history and geography. Our curriculum for religious education is broad and balanced.
In key stage 1, we teach history and geography in line with our multi-academy trust’s ‘Extend Early Curriculum’ and we use the Bath and Wells Diocese AMV for religious education.
In key stage 2, we follow the Opening Worlds curriculum to teach all humanities subjects.
Note: we introduced Opening Worlds in September 2023. The Opening Worlds' team strongly recommended for the material to be taught in sequence because each part makes the next part much more understandable. Numerous words that are explicitly taught and practised in Year 3 are then revisited in lessons in Years 4-6. If children do not have the secure knowledge of the content and vocabulary of the Year 3 curriculum this is likely to slow progress and limit enjoyment. Therefore, all key stage 2 children started with the Year 3 Opening Worlds curriculum in the 2023/24 academic year. This means in 2025-26, Years 5 and 6 are following the Year 5 curriculum. Any national curriculum content gaps as a result of changing the scheme of work were identified and have been addressed through experiential visits.
visits.
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History curriculum |
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“One acid test for a curriculum is whether it enables even lower-attaining or disadvantaged pupils to clamber into the discourse and practices of educated people, so that they gain the powers of the powerful”– Christine Counsell |
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Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
Term 5 |
Term 6 |
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Year 1 |
Children learn about significant people through oral story-telling and the books read aloud to them. Examples given in the national curriculum: Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks, Emily Davison, Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell. Other significant people include but are not limited to Hatshepsut, Boudicca, Charlemagne, Alfred the Great, Mansa Musa, Guy Fawkes |
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Using common words and phrases about the passage of time in everyday contexts
Technology today and in the past. |
Stories about Queen Elizabeth II: her childhood, living through the war, her coronation King Charles III: our monarch, comparing his coronation with that of Queen Elizabeth II
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Stories about the distant past Aethelfrlaed, Lady of Mercia (England) Robert the Bruce (Scotland) St Patrick (Ireland) Owain Glyndwr (Wales)
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Using photographs to understand our recent, local past.
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Ships and seafarers through time
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The recent past through communities and families |
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Year 2 |
Life in London in later Stuart England (1660-1714)
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Great change-makers of the world
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Queen Victoria and the Victorian period
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Children’s lives in Victorian times
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Opening Worlds – Stone Age |
Opening Worlds – Bronze and iron Age |
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Year 3 |
Ancient Egypt How much did Ancient Egypt change over time? |
Cradles of Civilisation How similar and how different were Ancient Egypt and Ancient Sumer?
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The Indus Valley How do we know about the Indus Valley civilisation?
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Persia and Greece What did Greek city-states have in common?
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Ancient Greece What can historians learn from the sources from Ancient Greece?
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Alexander the Great How did Alexander the Great conquer so much land?
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Year 4 |
The Roman Republic How much power did the senate have in the Roman Republic? |
The Roman Empire What can sources reveal about Roman ways of life? |
Roman Britain What kinds of knowledge about Roman Britain have historian been able to build from the sources? |
Christianity in three empires (300-600CE) What made each Christian state special? |
Islamic Civilisations 1: Arabia and early Islam What kind of change did Muhammad bring about in Arabia? |
Islamic Civilisations 2: Cordoba – city of light How did worlds come together in Muslim Cordoba? |
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Year 5 |
Islamic Civilisations 3 Why were there so many restless minds in Cordoba and in Baghdad? |
Anglo-Saxon Britain How have historain learned about Anglo-Saxon Britain? |
Vikings in Britain 1: Lady of Mercians How did the Vikings change England? |
Norse Culture What connections and similarities did the Norse peoples have with other peoples? |
Vikings in Britain 2: Changing Rulers, Changing Worlds How did Angles, Saxons and Vikings shape England and Scotland? |
Local history study |
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Year 6 |
Islamic Civilisations 3 Why were there so many restless minds in Cordoba and in Baghdad? |
Anglo-Saxon Britain How have historain learned about Anglo-Saxon Britain? |
Vikings in Britain 1: Lady of Mercians How did the Vikings change England? |
Norse Culture What connections and similarities did the Norse peoples have with other peoples? |
Vikings in Britain 2: Changing Rulers, Changing Worlds How did Angles, Saxons and Vikings shape England and Scotland?
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Local history study |
History Curriculum Overview
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Geography Curriculum |
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“One acid test for a curriculum is whether it enables even lower-attaining or disadvantaged pupils to clamber into the discourse and practices of educated people, so that they gain the powers of the powerful”– Christine Counsell |
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Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
Term 5 |
Term 6 |
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Year 1 |
Daily weather patterns and seasonal changes |
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Describing and mapping, comparing and contrasting the world around us Field trip to Uphill |
The United Kingdom and its four countries |
Our world: the seven continents
Following maps |
Describing and contrasting a coastal town with a city. Field trips to Weston-super-Mare seafront and Bristol. |
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Learning simple compass directions and locational/directional language |
Mapping the school’s locaility |
Working hard |
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Year 2 |
Living in the mountains
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Nature all around us
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Visiting new places
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Weather in our world
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Looking after our world
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Changing our world
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Year 3 |
Rivers How do rivers, people and land affect each other? |
Mountains How do mountains and people affect each other? |
Settlements How are settlements similar and different? |
Agriculture How are we connected to farmers? |
Volcanoes How do volcanoes affect a place? |
Climate and Biomes How does the climate affect the way people live? |
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Year 4 |
Rhine & Mediterranean How are different parts of the Rhone and Mediterranean used by people? |
Population How and why does population distribution vary across Britain? |
Coastal processes and landforms How does the location of west Wales affect its coast? |
Tourism How do tourists interact with a place? |
Earthquakes How do earthquakes affect people and environments? |
Deserts Why are deserts located where they are? |
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Year 5 |
Why is California so thirsty? How have the actions of people affected the drought in California? |
Oceans How can oceans affect human behaviour and settlements? |
Migration Why do people migrate? |
North and Sounth America What are the pros and cons of living in a megacity? |
The Amazon In what ways does the geography of South America affect life in the Amazon? |
Interconnected Amazon How does agriculture in the Amazon interact with other parts of the world? |
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Year 6 |
Why is California so thirsty? How have the actions of people affected the drought in California? |
Oceans How can oceans affect human behaviour and settlements? |
Migration Why do people migrate? |
North and Sounth America What are the pros and cons of living in a megacity? |
The Amazon In what ways does the geography of South America affect life in the Amazon? |
Interconnected Amazon How does agriculture in the Amazon interact with other parts of the world? |
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Religion and Worldviews Curriculum |
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“One acid test for a curriculum is whether it enables even lower-attaining or disadvantaged pupils to clamber into the discourse and practices of educated people, so that they gain the powers of the powerful”– Christine Counsell |
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Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
Term 5 |
Term 6 |
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Year 1 |
Where do we belong? |
Why is our world special? |
Why is Jesus important? |
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Year 2 |
Where do we belong? |
Why is our world special? |
Why is Jesus important? |
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Year 3 |
Hinduism 1: A Hindu Story – Rama and Sita What does the story of Rama and Sita mean to Hindu peoples? |
Hinduism 2: More Hindu Stories What do Hindus learn from Vishnu’s stories and symbols? |
Hinduism 3: Living Hindu Traditions How do Hindus show their devotion? |
Judaism 1: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Why is the Promised Land so important in Judaism? |
Judaism 2: Joseph, Moses and the Exodus Why do Jews celebrate the festival of Passover? |
Judaism 3: The Kings, The Temple and Living as a Jew How do Jews today show the importance of the Jewish Temple and the kingdom of Israel? |
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Year 4 |
Christianity 1: The family of Jesus Why is the idea of ‘Messiah’ so important to Christians? |
Christianity 2: the birth of Jesus How do Christians express their beliefs about Jesus at Christmas time? |
Christianity 3: Life and teachings of Jesus How does the life and teaching of Jesus affect the way in which Christians live? |
Christianity 4: The death and resurrection of Jesus What do the death and resurrection of Jesus mean in Christian traditions |
Christianity 5: The message of Jesus spreads How did Christianity develop in the early Church and how do we know? |
Islam 1: Ramadan What does Ramadan mean to Muslims today? |
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Year 5 |
Islam 2: Stories of the prophets What do muslims learn from their stories? |
Islam 3: Living Muslim traditions What lies behind the traditions of hajj? |
Christianity 6: Christian traditions and practices How are Christian beliefs and practices around the world similar and different? |
Christianity 7: Christian sites and spaces including visit to local church |
Buddhism 1: The prince who became the Buddha How dies the life and teaching of Siddartha Gotama affect the way in which Buddhists live? |
Buddhism 2: Buddhist stories and teachings What do Buddhist stories teach Buddhists about enlightenment? |
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Year 6 |
Islam 2: Stories of the prophets What do muslims learn from their stories? |
Islam 3: Living Muslim traditions What lies behind the traditions of hajj? |
Christianity 6: Christian traditions and practices How are Christian beliefs and practices around the world similar and different? |
Christianity 7: Christian sites and spaces including visit to local church |
Buddhism 1: The prince who became the Buddha How dies the life and teaching of Siddartha Gotama affect the way in which Buddhists live? |
Buddhism 2: Buddhist stories and teachings What do Buddhist stories teach Buddhists about enlightenment? |
