What is the Humanities Faculty?

Humanities Faculty consists of:

• Geography
• History
• R.E. / Beliefs and Values (B.V.)
• Sociology
• Citizenship
• Business Studies

What do students study in Geography?

In Key Stage 3 Geography students a range of physical, human and environmental themes including:

• Settlement
• Ecosystems
• Economic Activity
• Rivers and Water
• Coastal Landscapes and Management
• Energy and the Environment
• Global Fashion Industry

as well as regional studies such as:

• Kenya
• Brazil
• Japan
• Ghana

In addition many case studies are taken from the U.K. and fieldwork may include:

• River Studies
• Field Work Skills
• Orienteering
• Map use and Interpretation
• Ecosystem Studies

The use of examples and case studies which focus on the interaction between people and their environment is seen as fundamental to achieving a meaningful understanding of the subject.

In Key Stage 4 students can choose to study GCSE Geography and investigate topics from the following:

• Tectonic Activity
• Coastal Landscapes
• Glacial Environments
• Population Studies
• Industry
• Development
• River Landscapes
• Weather and Climate
• Settlement
• Managing Resources
• Agriculture

Field Work is an important part of the course and has included trips and also residential visits to Snowdonia, the Dorset Coast, Local Urban Centres.

What do students study in History?

In Key Stage 3 History sudents study:

• The Roman Empire
• Medieval Britain 1066 - 1500
• Early Modern Britain 1500 - 1750
• Britain in Transition1750 - 1900
• Black Peoples of the Americas
• The Twentieth Century World

At Key Stage 4, students can choose to study GCSE History and examine:

• Great War 1914-1918
• Nazi Germany
• USA 1941-1980: The Divided Union?
• Cold War 1945-1990: Superpower Conflict

There are also two coursework units:

• Jack the Ripper
• Votes for Women

What do students study in R.E.?

At Key Stage 3 the students study B.V. (Beliefs and Values) rather than R.E. as they study non-religious as well as religious belief systems.

Key Stage 3 topics include:

• Religion in Writing
• Founders of Religion
• Living with faith
• Moral Dilemmas

The course is taught in accordance with the Ealing SACRE agreed syllabus “The Marriage of Heaven and Earth”.

At Key Stage 4 all students take the short course GCSE in Religious Studies. They cover topics such as:

• Believing in God
• Matters of Life and Death
• Marriage and Family Life
• Social Harmony
• Religion and the Media

There is no coursework.

We teach our students to consider each issue from a variety of religious viewpoints as well as exploring the legal and social aspects of each topic.

What do students study in Sociology?

Sociology is taught only as a GCSE course to Key Stage 4. Students study:

• crime
• social control & deviance
• mass media
• family & identity
• education
• power & citizenship
• work & employment
• religion

There is one piece of coursework. Students choose any of the topics they have been studying in class and do their own sociological survey and research on it.

What do students study in Citizenship?

In Key Stage 3 Citizenship students study:

• Democracy and Justice
• Rights and Responsibilities
• Identities and Diversity

At Key Stage 4 all students take the short course GCSE in Citizenship Studies. They examine topics such as:

• the Media
• the Law
• rights as a worker
• rights as a consumer

The coursework is on Fair Trade.

What do students study in Business Studies?

Business Studies is taught only as a GCSE course to Key Stage 4. It is a Double Award and therefore equivalent to two GCSEs.

Students study:

• types of business, what they do and how they work
• pressures on businesses
• businesses and the law
• businesses and the environment
• employers and employees,
• business disputes
• applying for jobs
• dealing with customers
• finance
• financial documents and records
• budgeting and financial planning

Students are assessed through a portfolio of their work investigating individual businesses and through a final exam in Year 11.

How many lessons do students get in these subjects?

In Key Stage 3 students have four hours a fortnight of History/Citizenship (rising to five in Year 9), three hours a fortnight of Geography and one hour a week of R.E.

In Key Stage 4 students have one hour a week in Citizenship in Year 10 before they sit their GCSE exam. They have one hour a week in R.E for the Religious Studies GCSE which they take in Year 11.

In addition students have five hours a fortnight in the Humanities subjects they are studying at GCSE (i.e. Geography, History, Sociology or Business Studies).

What is the teaching like in Humanities?

In Humanities, students gain the knowledge and skills to understand the world around them and express themselves effectively within and towards it.  Humanities subjects enable students to develop an understanding and acceptance of others and prepare them for life and work in the 21st century.

We teach students through a variety of methods including pair, group and whole class work and are assessed by both written and presentation tasks. Self-assessment and peer-assessment are integral parts of this learning process.

We encourage students to become reflective and empathetic learners, able to provide substantiated judgements based on evidence and argument.

Practical activities and the use of ICT are important components of our teaching and learning. Students are expected to develop high order skills in communication, problem solving, enquiry and research.

Students are taught in mixed attainment teaching groups in all Years. At Key Stage 3 they are taught in their tutor groups.

Are there extra-curricular activities?

We organise an extensive range of field trips:

• Hampton Court
• Berlin
• Imperial War Museum
• Jack the Ripper guided walk
• Snowdonia
• Dorset Coast

Our annual trip to Berlin for GCSE students of History and German is always a highlight for the students.

Our Geography teachers also manage the delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh Award and many Geographers are involved in expeditions and training in the counties surrounding London and further afield.

How well resourced is the Faculty?

We have excellent resources, including Interactive Whiteboards in every teaching room.  All students are able to have their own textbook in lessons and there is an increasingly wide range of texts, worksheets, videos, audio tapes and artefacts to use with students.

We are strongly committed to the use of ICT as a means of enriching the curriculum and promoting individual learning skills.

How do I contact the Humanities Faculty?

Please contact Ms Clark, Head of Humanities, at the school.
Contact details are here.