Humanities
“One acid test for a curriculum is whether it enables even lower-attaining or disadvantaged pupils to clamber into the discourse and practices of educated people, so that they gain the powers of the powerful”
Christine Counsell
Vision and Rationale
Humanities opens doors to understanding - helping children see the world through different lenses, appreciate its rich history, and discover their own place within it. These subjects don’t just teach facts; they nurture curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking - skills that will guide your child throughout life.
At Mendip Green, we want every child to develop a confident understanding of history, geography, and religion and world views. Our humanities is knowledge-rich and progressively sequenced so that knowledge builds step by step, creating a clear and connected picture of the world and humankind. These subjects uniquely address the study of humans in society through time and their interaction with the planet and provide distinctive contributions to our children’s overall education
Through exploration and story-telling children will unlock the mysteries and wonder of the natural world and the peoples who have shared our earth across time – their lives, choices, impact and legacy – helping them shape their understanding of ‘humankind’ and their place in the word. The choices we have made within our humanities curriculum will allow children to develop an overarching view of the world and an understanding of the fundamental concepts of place and time. They begin to see the bigger picture of life across time and place, and understand how the past shapes the present and the future.
Geography
We start close to home, helping children understand their local area and community before gradually exploring our country and places further away. As they grow, they tackle more complex ideas and abstract concepts to deepen their understanding of how places connect and change. This includes a progression in map work across units. This approach helps children to understand the interconnected relationship between people and the natural world: how the natural processes of our planet have shaped how people live across time and the positive and negative impact of people on the planet. They will understand how their actions affect the world around them and the importance of caring for the planet for future generations.
History
Our history curriculum supports children to develop a secure sense of chronology so that children understand the overarching narrative of British history as well as key chapters from global civilizations. Through learning about the past, we enable children to make sense of the now and influence the future. Developing an understanding of human life across time, in all its complexities, will allow children to make reasoned judgements, weigh evidence, reflect on different viewpoints and make considered choices based on ‘lessons learned’.
Religious education (religion and world views)
Our RE curriculum provides children the opportunity to explore religious ideas, gaining knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values. As a community school, our curriculum is not religious instruction: it is open and broad, exploring a range of religious and non-religious worldviews. The curriculum promotes children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development while preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. The RE curriculum has a vital role to play in developing children as successful learners, confident individuals and positive contributors to society.
Our Humanities Curriculum
Early Years Foundation Stage – Understanding the World
The educational programme for understanding the world, set out in the EYFS Framework, is delivered in our preschool and reception classes in line with Extend Reception Curriculum.
Key Stage 1 and 2 – Humanities: History, Geography and Religious Studies
We follow the national curriculum for history and geography. Our curriculum for religious education is broad and balanced.
In key stage 1, we teach history and geography in line with our multi-academy trust’s ‘Extend Early Curriculum’ and we use Somerset's SACRE Scheme: Awareness, Mystery and Value (2019 Syllabus) for religious education.
In key stage 2, we follow the Opening Worlds curriculum to teach all humanities subjects.
Note: we introduced Opening Worlds in September 2023. The Opening Worlds' team strongly recommended for the material to be taught in sequence because each part makes the next part much more understandable. Numerous words that are explicitly taught and practised in Year 3 are then revisited in lessons in Years 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. Therefore, all key stage 2 children started with the Year 3 Opening Worlds curriculum in the 2023/24 academic year. This means in 2025-26, Years 5 and 6 are following the Year 5 curriculum. Any national curriculum content gaps as a result of changing the scheme of work were identified and have been addressed.
Overviews
Withdrawal from RE
RE is one third of the Opening Worlds curriculum and is taught for 75 minutes a week, every term.
- In studying religions through multiple disciplines, pupils will learn about and learn from the different kinds of questions human beings can ask about religious origins, beliefs and practices, namely questions that derive from philosophy, theology, social sciences and history
- Our RE curriculum makes a significant contribution to each child’s overall literacy (reading and writing) education at Mendip Green.
- RE lessons are carefully linked to learning in geography and history, meaning a child who does not participate in the RE curriculum may find it more challenging than their peers to secure new knowledge in the rest of the humanities curriculum.
National Guidance: Withdrawal from RE was first granted in 1944 when curricular RE was called ‘Religious Instruction’ and carried with it connotations of induction into the Christian faith. RE is very different now – open, broad and exploring a range of religious and non-religious worldviews. In the UK, parents still have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to provide their own RE. This provision will be the parents’ responsibility. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE. Mendip Green does not support selective withdrawal from RE.
- Parents may withdraw their children from RE lessons or any part of the RE curriculum.
- The school has a duty to supervise the child, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost.
- Where the pupil has been withdrawn, the law provides for alternative arrangements to be made for RE of the kind the parents want their child to receive:
- These arrangements will be made by the parents (the school is not expected to make these arrangements).
- This RE could be provided at the school in question, or by another school in the locality.
- If neither approach is practicable, the pupil may receive external RE teaching as long as the withdrawal does not significantly impact on the child’s attendance.
If you are considering withdrawing your child from RE, please meet with your child’s class teacher. They will take you through the curriculum and show you the resources used to help you to better understand the content of the curriculum and how we teach religion at Mendip Green. If you wish to withdraw you child from RE following that meeting, please arrange an appointment with Mr Oakley, Headteacher.
Withdrawal from RE will need to be requested every academic year.
