Humanities (geography, history and religious education)

In September 2023, we adopted the Opening Worlds humanities curriculum for history, geography and R.E in Key Stage 2.   

Opening Worlds curriculum, and it's associated teaching approaches, aims to secure the highest possible quality of education for pupils. This is because the curriculum ensures that the subjects reflect the wide reference and academic practices, outside of school, to which they refer. In addition, the material is organised so that pupils use earlier material to access to later material and so that pupils start to see how everything connects within a subject. 

Opening Worlds has strongly recommended that the material is taught in sequence because each part makes the next part much more understandable.  Numerous words that are explicitly taught in Year 3 are then taken for granted in lessons in Year 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. 

All key stage 2 children started with the Year 3 Opening Worlds curriculum last year.  As a result of moving from the school’s previous curriculum to Opening Worlds, the school has identified a small number of content gaps.  These have been noted and will be addressed through our choice of books that are used in English and read to children, field trips and acts of collective worship. 

Geography Rationale 

Geography teaches an understanding of places and environments and our geography curriculum aims to ensure our children are exposed to a variety of places and cultures.  We want them to be excited and curious about the world and recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of humankind. The Geography curriculum also links to promoting British Values as it ensures our children have exposure to a wide experience of local and global learning. It provides opportunities for developing respect and tolerance when embracing differences within the world we live. 

EYFS

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, geography is included as part of Understanding the World - through the areas of People, Cultures and Communities, The Natural World and Past and Present. Understanding the World involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. 

KS1: 

KS1 Pupils will explore 3 units each year as part of the geography curriculum.   Each unit introduces key knowledge and develops understanding to expand the children's geographical understanding.  They begin with units on the school and surrounding area then expand this to find out about the United Kingdom and rest of the world.   

KS2:  

From September 2023, we adopted the Opening Worlds humanities curriculum for history, geography and religious education (R.E).  

The Opening Worlds curriculum, and it's associated teaching approaches, will secure the highest possible quality of education for pupils. This is because the curriculum ensures that the subjects reflect the wide reference and academic practices, outside of school, to which they refer. In addition, the material is organised so that pupils use earlier material to access to later material and so that pupils start to see how everything connects within a subject.   

History 

At Bournville Primary School, we want our children to love history and develop a good understanding of chronology and important themes in the subject. Our history curriculum aims to provide children with a breadth of times and places to develop a world of history that matches the diversity of our community.   

In the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) children begin their understanding of the differences between past and present through visits and visitors, a variety of carefully chosen texts, vocabulary development and enhanced provision.  As children move through the school, they will be exposed to a curriculum planned in chronological order to secure their understanding of what has gone before, and the impact events can have on each other. In KS1, alongside careful teaching of key knowledge, artefacts and trips enable pupils to gain an understanding of momentous events in World History as well as appreciating how things change over time.