At Pooles Park we have recently developed the curriculum to be humanities based. Our new curriculum ensures that all learning happens within a rich and engaging History and Geography context, by which the children learn about the world they live in, the people in it and the times that have come before.
Geography and History seeks to understand how different views, values and perspectives influence and affect places and environments at different scales and times. It helps explain why place, people and cultures change and, how they are interconnected.
Children are given the opportunity to talk about the past and present events and places in their own lives, as well as the people and world around them.
Geography and History are enquiry led subjects that seek answers to fundamental questions such as:
Where is this place?
What is it like, and why? What was it like in the past?
How has it changed and why is it changing?
How does this place or society compare with other places?
How and why are places or people connected? How are they different and unique?
What could the world be like in the future? What should it be like? What can we do to influence change?
It is also imperative that a geographer or historian doesn’t just answer questions but also asks and debates them.
Children are exposed to a range of perspectives and taught to consider the validity of the sources they come across.
When studying a geographical or historical topic links are made between the two subjects. This is because the Earth has changed over time, through natural and human events. The Earth is also the stage for human history. History looks at all these questions, focussing on how humans have lived at different times. Our Geography considers a range of spaces, places and environments that are populated across the world, and how we interact with and influence those spaces. Maps and mapping skills are applied in topics such as the WWI and Roman Britain, since the land and sea had a huge impact on the historical events of the times.
We aim to inspire the children of Pooles Park to be informed citizens of the world, looking to the past to help shape their future.