Humanities
At Belvedere Junior School, we focus the delivery of humanities, through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Each unit of work throughout the year has either a history or geography focus and is closely linked to the expectations for the National Curriculum in history and geography. Opportunities for children to deepen their understanding of a topic and to explore their new learning is supplemented through topic based class visits or school visitor workshops each half term.At Belvedere Junior School, we focus the delivery of humanities, through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Each unit of work throughout the year has either a history or geography focus and is closely linked to the expectations for the National Curriculum in history and geography. Opportunities for children to deepen their understanding of a topic and to explore their new learning is supplemented through topic based class visits or school visitor workshops each half term.
Geography
At Belvedere Junior School, we aim to inspire curiosity and excitement about the world around us, how it was created and has developed and a deepening understanding of how human actions can impact on its future. With close links to the expectations of the National Curriculum in geography, we aim to develop an understanding of the world we live in. Children will develop a deeper awareness of the lessons we can learn about past geographical events and human actions and how these shape the present day. Providing children with opportunities to experience geography through primary and secondary evidence, exciting educational visits and visitors (linked through our Pioneer Passport programme). Geography is taught through our IPC topics and we use our local area and knowledge to bring the thrill of exploring to life. Children learn to communicate their geographical knowledge and understanding using subject specific vocabulary, maps as well as fieldwork skills, and wherever possible ensuring that cross curricular links are made with other subjects.
During their time at Belvedere Junior School, children learn how:
- To gather information from a variety of sources (including books, video, internet, drama and role play, visiting speakers and trips)
- To read and use maps and atlases of the local area as well as the wider world
- To place events, people and changes into chronological order
- To describe and identify reasons for and results of geographical events
- To investigate the causes and consequences of natural disasters
- To understand the positive and negative impact that human action can have on the world around us
Geography is taught through International Primary Curriculum (IPC) topics across each year group. The IPC provides key learning goals, which we use along with the expectations from the National Curriculum in geography to help plan a varied and exciting curriculum for the children.
For example:
Year 3 topics include:
‘Island Life’ in which children make a variety of maps and study the lives of people in very different societies to their own.
‘Footprints from the past’ in which children study how and why the Earth has changed since Pre-Historic times and visit The Natural History Museum to learn about dinosaurs and fossils.
Year 4 topics include:
‘Do You Live Around Here?’, in which children study their local environment and go into the woods to build their own shelters.
‘Saving the world in which children study The Rainforest and how it is being affected by human actions.
Year 5 topics include:
‘What a wonderful world’ where children investigate physical and human features of the world.
‘Going Global in which children learn to make and use maps to record changes in the local area and the wider world.
Year 6 topics include:
‘Climate control’ where children investigate the main physical and human features and environmental issues in particular localities.
‘Fit for life’ where children make plans and maps in a variety of scales using symbols and keys
History
A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
During their time at Belvedere Junior School, children learn how:
- To gather information from a variety of sources (including books, video, internet, drama and role play, visiting speakers and trips)
- To place events, people and changes into chronological order
- To describe and identify reasons for and results of historical events
- History affects lives of people in the present
- How the history of one country can affect another country
History is taught through International Primary Curriculum (IPC) topics across each year group. The IPC provides key learning goals, which we use along with the expectations from the National Curriculum in history to help plan a varied and exciting curriculum for the children.
For example:
Year 3 topics include:
‘Scavengers and Settlers’ where children will be finding out about our earliest ancestors and how the first societies were created. ‘Chocolate’ where the children will be looking at the history of chocolate and then going on a visit to a chocolate museum to create their own tasty treats.
Year 4 topics include:
‘Explorers and adventurers’ where children dress up as explorers for the day and learn all about explorers through time, including a visit to The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.
‘Active Planet’ where children learn about life in Ancient Roman times and the impact of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on the people of Pompeii.
Year 5 topics include:
‘Space Explorers’ where the children shoot off into the starts to learn about “The Space Race” and how discoveries from the past have a major influence on the present. A visit to The Science Museum helps develop further understanding of this topic
‘The Great, the Bold and the Brave’ in which the children will be exploring Greek and Roman civilisations and their expanding empires.
Year 6 topics include:
‘Champions for change ‘where children learn about inspirational people who have had on impact on society throughout the world.
‘The Time Tunnel’ where the children travel back through time to experience life as a child evacuee during World War Two. A visit to The Imperial War Museum helps children to deepen their understanding of the topic.
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