Humanities

The Humanities department at The Rose School comprises Geography, History and Religious Education at Key Stage 3. It is staffed by Mrs A. Moran (subject leader.) and Ms C. Ramsey (Level 3 TA). The curriculum is delivered as a carousel, comprising half-termly topics chosen from the Geography, History and Religious Education studies.

The subjects delivered within the Humanities curricula form a body of knowledge that gives students the opportunity to understand the world around them from many different perspectives. They are given opportunities to learn about how the Earth has been shaped by natural forces and by the people living on it. They find out about key times in the past that have an influence on the way we live today. They explore the diverse beliefs of religious groups to find out how they affect their daily lives, and, in turn, how this might affect them and their attitudes personally. Finally, they are prepared for their working lives outside of school in the world of work. Alongside this pupils are given the chance to build personal competencies in teamwork, leadership and communication skills to name a few.

Students are given the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom with Year 10 completing activities as part of their Prince’s Trust work and Key Stage 3 completing fieldwork and map skills practice at different times of the year. In the past they have visited Leeds Royal Armouries to learn more about the English Civil war, St Matthews Street Church to learn about Christian Rites of Passage, Clitheroe Castle to learn about the Norman Conquest and the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail to learn about waterfall formation. At GCSE there is a compulsory fieldwork element in Geography. Pupils study the impact of tourism on Skipton and the change in the course of a river from source to mouth.

At Key Stage 4, all students follow courses in externally examined subjects. The level of the examination is determined by their ability. Courses offered at present are: AQA Preparation for Working Life (Short course, Level 1  and Level 2 Certificate), AQA Geography GCSE and the Prince’s Trust units. At present, all students follow a Geography or Preparation for Working Life depending on their ability and take part in the Prince’s Trust. They also cover RE during themed weeks throughout the year.

A variety of teaching methods are employed to engage the students and make their learning relevant and fun. Classroom displays are updated on a regular basis and comprise students work. The classroom itself is fully equipped with an interactive whiteboard and students have access to laptop computers as well as their own iPads for research and creative purposes.