Head of Faculty

Mr M Ostler
e-mail

Members of Faculty

Name Role
Mr K Williams Teacher of History/Assistant Faculty Leader e-mail
Mrs A Hallam Teacher of Geography/Assistant Faculty Leader e-mail
Miss M Gohil Teacher of Geography e-mail
Mrs F Bhana Lead Teacher of Business/Assistant Head of Sixth Form e-mail
Mr A Curran Teacher of History/Vice Principal e-mail
Mrs M Bans Teacher of Psychology e-mail
Miss K Jerman Teacher of Sociology e-mail
Mrs Z Chapman Teacher of History/Head of Year 8 e-mail
Ms S Jones Teacher of Humanities e-mail

Geography Curriculum Intent Statement
History Curriculum Intent Statement
Business Curriculum Intent Statement

Introduction

The Humanities faculty delivers five subjects in total, including history and geography in key stage 3, history, geography and business in key stage 4, and psychology, sociology, history, geography and business in key stage 5.

The mission of the faculty is to nurture an understanding of the relationships between humans and their environment, from global to local scales and in historical as well as current settings. We aim to support students to become solution focused, considerate people with empathy for other views and situations, and a desire to be active citizens in a sustainable, caring society.

In Geography, students investigate physical topics such as tectonic processes, weather and climate, and geology. They also learn about human issues related to population and settlement, development, globalisation and tourism.

In History, students will learn about life during Roman and medieval times, social, economic and political changes in the U.K from the 1500’s to the modern day, and conflicts such as WWII and Vietnam.

In Business, students investigate the decision making roles of managers, marketing, operational and financial performance, human resources, and the analysis of the strategic position of a business.

In Sociology, units of work will focus on developing an understanding of the family, education, crime and deviance, and religion.

In Psychology, students explore a wide range of topics, including methods for studying the brain, the scientific processes and data analysis techniques used in research, key issues and debates in the field, and an in-depth examination of various psychological approaches.

In all five subjects students will also develop their ability to consider different points of view, evaluate evidence, use data and research techniques, and make decisions.

KS3

All students have the opportunity to study history and geography in years 7 and 8.  In history students investigate the Norman conquest and the building of castles, life and religion in the middle ages, and power, heath and conflict. In year 8, the focus is on Tudors and Stuarts, the Civil war and The Restoration, and  the themes of technology, war and independence, and industry, invention and empire.

In geography students learn about the formation a development of planet Earth in our solar system. They investigate the U.K. and Africa, natural systems such as glaciers and rivers, and develop their map skills. They consider the impacts of urbanisation and population change, coastal environments and weather, climate change and Asia and China. They also focus on resource management, tectonic hazards, work and industry, international development and Russia and the Middle East.

KS4

In History, students will be able to consider the answers to important questions such as:

  • Why do wars happen?
  • Why do we have a welfare system?
  • How have we come to live in a multi-cultural society?

Learning about past events and the people who’ve influenced history will allow them to understand how the world got to the point it’s at now and how it will continue to develop in the future. Students will also learn valuable skills. Apart from studying a wide range of exciting historic periods, they will learn a range of handy skills that will help them with A-levels and future work. These include:

  • excellent communication and writing skills
  • how to construct an argument
  • research and problem skills
  • investigation and problem-solving skills
  • analytical and interpretation skills.

In Geography, students study the physical environment. They will discover more about the challenge of natural hazards and the living world, physical landscapes of the United Kingdom and human interaction with them. This unit develops an understanding of the tectonic, geomorphological, biological and meteorological processes and features in different environments. It provides students with the knowledge about the need for management strategies governed by sustainability and consideration of the direct and indirect effects of human interaction with the Earth and the atmosphere.

Students also study the challenges in the human environment. This unit is concerned with human processes, systems and outcomes and how these change both spatially and temporally. They will develop an understanding of the factors that produce a diverse variety of human environments; the dynamic nature of these environments that change over time and place; the need for sustainable management; and the areas of current and future challenge and opportunity for these environments.

Students will also take part in at least 2 trips to carry our both physical and human geography based field work, and they will finish the course with study of an issue evaluation published by the exam board towards the end of March year 11.

In Business, students apply their knowledge and understanding to different business contexts ranging from small enterprises to large multinationals and businesses operating in local, national and global contexts. Students develop an understanding of how these contexts impact on business behaviour.

Students will apply their knowledge and understanding to business decision making including:

  • the interdependent nature of business activity, influences on business, business operations, finance, marketing and human resources, and how these interdependencies underpin business decision making
  • how different business contexts affect business decisions
  • the use and limitation of quantitative and qualitative data in making business decisions.

The specification requires students to draw on the knowledge and understanding to:

  • use business terminology to identify and explain business activity
  • apply business concepts to familiar and unfamiliar contexts
  • develop problem solving and decision making skills relevant to business
  • investigate, analyse and evaluate business opportunities and issues
  • make justified decisions using both qualitative and quantitative data including its selection, interpretation, analysis and evaluation, and the application of appropriate quantitative skills.

KS5

In KS5, history, geography, sociology, psychology and business are all offered at A-level. For further details, see the qualifications pages on the AQA exam board website. More detail on these subjects can also be found in the Sixth Form section of St. Paul’s website.

Exam Boards

All humanities subjects follow AQA specifications. For further information please see http://www.aqa.org.uk

Useful Websites and Sources of Support:

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/gcse/history-8145 for GCSE history.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035 for GCSE geography.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications for all humanities subjects at A-level.

https://www.tutor2u.net/ for business, geography and psychology at GCSE and A-level.

Geography Curriculum Map
History Curriculum Map
GCSE Business Curriculum Intent