Humanities
 

The programmes of study that we follow are:

Foundation Stage: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. (Understanding the World)
Key Stage 1: National Curriculum 2014

Subject leader: Mrs L.Bubb

At Blossomfield School we believe that Humanities education should provide children with the opportunities and resources to develop their curiosity of the world through a range of Historical and Geographical skills. The children are encouraged to talk about:

• Past and present events within their lives and the lives of people around them.
• Similarities and differences between themselves and others within their families, different communities and traditions across the world.
• The similarities and differences between places, objects and living things.
• Features of their environment and how these can vary from one another.

“We are not makers of History. We are made by History”
Martin Luther King, Jr

History
Here at Blossomfield School we strive to ensure that children are motivated and curious within their History lessons whereby they are inspired to further develop their learning. Children are taught about themselves, people and events using a broad curriculum and variety of resources such as stories, videos, artefacts, trips and more.

History allows children to learn about not just facts and dates, but about significant individuals and significant events within both their living and non-living memory. Children regularly compare and contrast events, people and artefacts in the past discussing why things have changed and the impact these changes have had on today’s society. We actively encourage the children to question what they have learnt considering both cause and effect of events. The children are taught about the difference between how people lived in the past compared to how we live now and are exposed to real life experiences, such as educational trips and visits, in order to fully immerse themselves into the topic area.

“Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic & relevant. For me, Geography is a great adventure with a purpose”
Michael Palin

Geography
Geography at Blossomfield enriches children’s learning whereby they develop their knowledge of people and places across the world through engaging and discussion based lessons. Children’s learning focuses on four main areas within Geography; Locational knowledge, Place knowledge, Human and Physical geography and Geographical skills and fieldwork, together these allow children to explore Geography in a meaningful and practical way.

Children’s learning starts from talking about their holidays and places they have visited, learning moves onto thinking about the environment and seasonal changes within the world. Children are taught to research by exploring maps, atlases and globes during their learning in which they discover facts and information about both their local area and another area of the world, for example, our seasides in the UK and further afield at EU and non-EU countries as well as investigating monuments and significant buildings in the countries we will look at. The Eiffel tower, the Great Barrier Reef as well as religious and cultural buildings and looking at their significance.  Additionally, children are encouraged to research places and events using the internet and activities on the interactive whiteboards. Through discussions and discrete learning, children are taught to understand basic relevant vocabulary within context. Children are exposed to a variety of activities where they are able to put new skills learnt into practice.