Humanities
The Humanities curriculum at Wallingford School aims to:
- Enable students to find their place in the world and make informed decisions about the future by considering the past
- Develop students’ skills in literacy, numeracy, problem solving, verbal communication as well building tolerance and empathy
- Encourage students to reach the highest possible standards through in-depth studies and academic rigour
Tap headings to expand.
KS3 Geography
Year 7
Term 1 - What is Geography
UK maps, Europe maps and map skills
Term 2 - Tectonics
Structure of the Earth, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami, comparing hazards
Term 3 - Japan
Map work, life in Japan, urban/rural differences
Term 4 & 5 - Glaciation
Glacial processes and landforms, use of glacial landscapes, map work
Term 6 - Ecosystems
Rainforests, use and impact, development in Brazil
Year 8
Term 1 - Rivers
River structure, features, flooding, map work
Term 2 - Adventure Landscapes
Formation and management of different landscapes
Term 3 - Africa
Issues and challenges in Africa, impact of AIDS, future of Africa
Term 4 - Superpowers
A closer look at the largest and most powerful nations and the relations between them.
Term 5 & 6 - Rivers
River structure, features, flooding, map work
Year 9
Term 1 - Development
Measuring development, views on development
Term 2 - Globalisation
Evaluating globalisation, impact of fashion industry
Term 3 - Climate Change
The evidence, causes, effects and solutions to climate change
Term 4 - Think Like a Geographer
Critical investigation of a range of issues around the world
Term 5 & 6 - Coasts
Map work, coastal processes and landforms, impact of erosion, opinions on coastal defences
GCSE Geography
Year 10 (2022-23)
Term 1 - The Living World
Structure of ecosystems, rainforests and deserts
Term 2 - Resource Management
Resources, focus on water
Term 3 & 4 - UK Landscapes
Rivers, coasts
Term 5 - Fieldwork
Tourism in Christchurch, coastal management at Southbourne
Term 6 - Urban Challenges
Issues created by urbanisation in Rio and Bristol
Year 11 (2022-23)
Term 1 - UK Landscapes
Rivers
Term 2 - Changing Economic World
Development, Nigeria, UK economy
Term 3 - Urban Challenges
Issues created by urbanisation in Rio and Bristol
Term 4 - The Living World
Structure of ecosystems, rainforests and deserts
Term 5 - Revision and External Exams
A Level Geography
Hazards - types of hazard, management
Coasts - processes, landforms, management
Changing Places - nature of places, change, depth study of Wallingford and Birmingham
Population and Environment - food, production, health, population, ecology
Global Governance - globalisation, trade, governance of the commons
Fieldwork - preparation and visit to Wales
Carbon & Water Cycles - interactions, case studies
The Humanities curriculum at Wallingford School aims to:
- Enable students to find their place in the world and make informed decisions about the future by considering the past
- Develop students’ skills in literacy, numeracy, problem solving, verbal communication as well building tolerance and empathy
- Encourage students to reach the highest possible standards through in-depth studies and academic rigour
Tap headings to expand.
KS3 History
Year 7
Term 1 - History Skills - Romans
Term 2 - 1066 and the Battle of Hastings
Term 3 - Castles
Term 4 - Middle Ages - Peasant Life - Black Death
Term 5 - The Power of the Church
Term 6 - Plains Indians
Year 8
Term 1 - Why did Henry VIII break with Rome?
Term 2 - Elizabeth Tudor
Term 3 - Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot
Term 4 - The English Civil War
Term 5 - Industrial Revolution
Term 6 - Empire and Slavery
Year 9
Term 1 - What is empire? - World War I
Term 2 - Treaty of Versailles
Term 3 - Dictators
Term 4 - The Holocaust
Term 5 - Women's History
Term 6 - Micro topics: The Race Issue / Cold War / Rwanda
GCSE History
Year 10
Term 1 & 2 - Nazi Germany 1918-1929
Term 3 - Medicine Through Time - Medieval and Renaissance
Term 4 - Medicine Through Time - Industrial
Term 5 - Modern Medicine
Term 6 - Historic Environment, Medicine in WWI
Year 11
Term 1 - Early Elizabethan England 1558-1588
Term 2 - Early Elizabethan England 1558-1588 - Nazi Germany Revision
Term 3 & 4- Medicine through Time - Industrial - Modern - Historic Environment
Term 5 - Revision
Term 6 - Exams
A Level History
Year 12
Term 1 - Russia / Britain / Charles I, Civil War
Term 2 - Russia / Interregnum, Charles II
Term 3 - Russia / Charles II, Societal changes, Scientific Revolution, James II
Term 4 - Russia / Glorious Revolution
Term 5 - Impact of Glorious Revolution
Term 6 - American Development / Witchcraft Background
Year 13
Term 1 - USA / European and British Witch Craze
Term 2 - USA / Interpretations, research and note-making
Term 3 - USA / Coursework
Term 4 - USA
Term 5 - Revision
Term 6 - Exams
The aim of the curriculum is to offer students an understanding of some of the major world faiths and world views whilst allowing students to reflect on their own beliefs and views. Students should understand the lens in which they view the world and where this sits in relation to others. Students are also undertaking a curriculum, that not only helps them to understand key religious and non-religious beliefs, but also to tackle some challenging philosophical and ethical questions which helps to embed challenge within the curriculum. It is important that students understand the impact of the religious and philosophical ideas throughout history, helping to comprehend how society has been shaped by such beliefs. Students are also asked to develop subject specific skills. Assessments are formatted so that students can practice the skill of evaluation which requires them to engage with both sides of an argument and form their own judgement. Other subject skills they will practice include:
- Explaining
- Summarising
- Comparing and contrasting
- Justifying
- Analysis of religious/ non-religious texts
The curriculum focuses on just some of the major world faiths and views to ensure that a suitable amount of depth can be gone into, avoiding superficial understandings of a broader range of worldviews. Themes have also been revisited across the three-year curriculum plan to ensure that depth can be built on across the time of study. Opportunities have been taken to also create cross curricular links with subjects like history, English literature, art and geography. The aim here is that students can understand how the worldviews and philosophical ideas they are studying have impacted and influenced society; illustrating the relevance of the subject.
Tap headings to expand.
KS3 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics
Year 7
Term 1 & 2
- Exodus
- Who was Jesus?
Terms 3 & 4
- Exploring Sikhism
- What does it mean to be a Muslim in the modern world?
Terms 5 & 6
- Community
- Heroes and Leaders
Year 8
Terms 1 & 2
- What is Humanism?
- Denominations - How can we be the same but different?
Terms 3 & 4
- How can we be active members of society?
- Pilgrimages
Terms 5 & 6
- Do religions promote equality?
- Are science and religion compatible?
Year 9
Terms 1 & 2
- Peace and Conflict
- Is there a right way to live?
Terms 3 & 4
- Who owns life?
- Suffering and Evil
Terms 5 & 6
- What is philosophy?
GCSE Religious Studies
Year 10
Term 1 - Religion Crime and Punishment
Looks at religious views on crime and punishment including capital punishment, the causes of crime and the aims of punishment.
Term 2 - Islamic Beliefs
Looks at different beliefs within Islam. These include the nature of God, the Six Articles of Faith, day of judgement and Muslim beliefs about life after death.
Term 3 - Islamic Practices
Focuses on the different practices within Islam such as where Muslims worship, duties and festivals.
Term 4 - Religion and Life
Focuses on the origins of life, creation, abortion, euthanasia and fertility treatment.
Term 5 - Relationships and Families
Students will consider religious attitudes towards contraception, sex before and after marriage, divorce and the nature of families.
Term 6 - Religion Peace and Conflict
Looks at religious attitudes towards terrorism, use of violence during conflict and the ‘just war’ theory.
Year 11
Term 1 - Christian Beliefs
Looks at Christian views on the nature of God, the holy trinity, Jesus’ life and death and how Jesus’ teachings affect Christians today.
Term 2 - Christian Practices
Explores the practices of Christians, including worship and prayer, sacraments, festivals and church growth in the wider community
Term 3 & 4 - Revision
A Level Philosophy
Year 12
Term 1 - What is Knowledge?
Understanding and defining the nature of knowledge.
Term 2 - Perception as a Source of Knowledge / Limits of Knowledge
How we perceive material objects in the world including direct and indirect realism. Evaluating the limits of knowledge and dealing with scepticism and its objections.
Term 3 - Mid and end of term examination
Term 4 - Moral Philosophy
Evaluating theories such as utilitarianism, deontological ethics and applied Kantian ethics.
Term 5 - Aristotelian Virtue Ethics
Explore issues with Aristotle and his ideas on virtues, vices and moral responsibility.
Term 6 - Meta Ethics
Explore moral realism and moral anti-realism, including cognitivist theories such as Mackie’s error theory.
Year 13
Terms 1 & 2 - The Concept and Nature of God and the Arguments Relating to the Existence of God
Evaluating the different attributes of God and analysing the different arguments for God's existence such as Ontological arguments, teleological arguments and cosmological arguments.
Term 3 - Religious Language
This includes exploring cognitivist, empiricist and logical positivist views on religious language.
Term 4 - Metaphysics of Mind
Exploring a range of views about the theories of the mind including substance and property dualism.