Humanities
The key principles of this AoLE and guidance can be found here
Aims: We have the ambition to make the Curriculum for Wales and Humanities creative, ambitious and relevant to all of our learners.
Holistic Development: Foster learners’ understanding of human society, culture, and history to facilitate their holistic development.
Critical Thinking: Develop critical thinking skills by analysing and interpreting past and present human experiences.
Global Citizenship: Cultivate a sense of global citizenship by exploring diverse cultures, perspectives, and values.
Ethical Awareness: Promote ethical awareness and responsible decision-making through the study of humanities.
Considerations: Considerations for the Humanities AoLE for learners with additional needs include incorporating diverse learning materials and resources, providing clear and structured lesson plans with simplified language and visual cues, offering flexible assessment methods, collaborating with support staff, and fostering a supportive and inclusive classroom environment. These strategies aim to ensure inclusivity, accessibility, and equitable access to education for all learners.
Our vision: The vision for Humanities is to provide all children with a balance of skills, concepts and knowledge with in a historical, geographical (Cynefin) or Religious Values and Ethics concepts.
Pupils will be given opportunity to interact and engage with relevant and meaningful experiences. They will be given a wealth of experiences which will then enable to apply their skills and knowledge across the new curriculum both practically and formally.
Teachers and support staff will be confident in delivering inspiring lessons, have a good knowledge and understanding of the Humanities AoLE and will be dynamic and focused in ir approach to delivering and high quality lessons to all learners.
What does humanities look like in Ysgol Y Gogarth
Exposure to artefacts, Visits to museums, CADW, national trust, Locality field trips, Planting up and caring for school grounds, Opportunities to read and use maps, atlases and globes, Exposure to music, art and writing from different cultures and time, Visitors from different cultures, religions or time, Media footage of global events, Sensory stories and activities. Using VR’s to enhance understanding of the wider world and closer community.
Strategies:
Planning -Long and short-term planning will reflect the Big Questions and the principles of progression in all disciplines, ensuring breadth and depth of knowledge, and accessibility and inclusivity across the 5 developmental pathways for all learners.
Progress, assessment and moderation:
Teachers will monitor progress via Earwig against the Progression Steps. Learning walks will give the opportunity to see in practice, what Humanities looks like across the school. As part of an Humanities moderation group we will share good practice and come together to moderate progression and experiences across our schools.
Monitoring and evaluation:
AoLE lead will evaluate termly against the existing development plan and regularly against evidence from Earwig – assessing breadth and depth across the 5 developmental pathways.
Supporting teachers in Humanities: (Training, coaching, role modelling, GwE etc.) There will be opportunities to meet with colleagues to review practice and to address any concerns in planning and delivery. Future opportunities for collaboration and whole school cross curricular planning groups. Training courses provided by GwE and the local LEA. Triad and good practice opportunities for teachers to share good practice and expertise.
How Humanities can help learners make connections between Areas of Learning, Cross-Curricular Skills, Integral Skills and the Cross-Cutting Themes
By integrating humanities with other AoLEs, learners can gain a deeper understanding of topics, develop critical thinking skills, and make meaningful connections across various areas of learning, enriching their overall educational experience.
Key Resources: Ensure that resources, including textbooks, multimedia, and online materials, are current, diverse, and accessible to all students. Learning experiences and opportunities to connect with the wider community e.g. CADW, Welsh Water, National Trust. Learning Spaces: Create conducive learning environments that facilitate collaborative and interactive learning experiences, utilizing technology where appropriate.
Links to Children's Rights The Humanities AoLE enables children to realise their rights to participation, freedom of expression and information (Articles 12, 13 and 17). Importantly it also supports children to know and understand their rights under the UNCRC (Article 42) and to develop an understanding of the human rights of others.
Wales and Cynefin: “This is the place where we feel we belong, where the people and landscape around us are familiar, and the sights and sounds are reassuringly recognisable. Though it is often translated as ‘habitat’, cynefin is not just a place in a ‘physical’ or geographical sense, it is the historical, cultural and social place which has shaped and continues to shape the community which inhabits it.”
How Humanities can help learners make connections between Areas of Learning, Cross-Curricular Skills, Integral Skills and the Cross-Cutting
Updated March 2024 Mrs Tennant-Jones