Head of Faculty
Miss K. White (kwhite@levenshulmehigh.co.uk)
Subjects
- Religious Education (RE)
- Geography
- History
- Sociology
Curriculum Overview
- Year 7– 2 periods of Geography, 2 periods of History and RE as part of the ‘Dream Day’ curriculum
- Year 8– 2 periods of Geography, 2 periods of History and 1 period of RE
- Year 9– 2 periods of Geography, 2 periods of History and 1 period of RE
Options offered at the end of Year 9:
- GCSE Religious Studies (AQA)
- GCSE Geography (AQA)
- GCSE History (AQA)
- GCSE Sociology (AQA)
- GCSE Ancient History (OCR)
- Entry Level History and Geography (OCR)
Religious Education (RE)
Parents/carers have the right to ask that their child does not take part in Religious Education and collective acts of worship. This request needs to be made in writing for the attention of Mrs A Moretta (Assistant Headteacher) at the school. Parents/carers are expected to provide alternative work for students for who this applies.
RE aims to give students an insight into moral and ethical questions. Year 7 and 8 focus on ‘enquiry questions’, with Year 9 looking at the history of religion and how it is practised in the modern day. Students are encouraged to look at things from different perspectives, so that they are able to form and express their own opinions.
Year 7
Topics include:
- Me and Myself (What difference does it make to be religious?)
- Me and My School (Does religion help people to be good?)
- Me and My City (Is religion a power for peace?)
- Me and My Country (How can people express the spiritual through the arts?)
- Me and My World (Should religious buildings be sold to feed the starving?)
- Me and My Future (Should happiness be the purpose of life?)
Year 8
Topics include:
- What is good/challenging about being a young religious person in Britain today?
- Is death the end?
- Why is there suffering and are there any solutions?
- Do we need to prove God’s existence?
- Does living Biblically mean obeying the whole Bible?
- What rites of passage do people go through in life?
Year 9
Students focus on the history of 2 religions and what the key beliefs are within them. They then move on to look at how the beliefs will affect specific practices and ways of life in the modern day.
Topic include:
- History of Islam
- Understanding the Islamic Way of Life
- History of Christianity
- Understanding the Christian Way of Life
GCSE Religious Studies AQA Specification A
Students study the topics that will be examined at GCSE. These include religious beliefs and teachings in both Christianity and Islam, as well as thematic studies on:
- Relationships and Families
- Religion and Life
- Crime and Punishment
- Human Rights and Social Justice
Assessment is by 2 examinations at the end of Year 11.
Geography
In Geography we want students to be inquisitive about the world around them. We want them to be able to interpret, analyse and question places, human activity, landforms and environments. They will explore inequalities around the world helping develop their understanding of equality and equity and how they can use their voice for democratic change and show solidarity in local, national and global issues.
At KS3 students will develop a wider understanding of key concepts, themes, human and physical processes as well as the interactions between them. They will study a mixture of human and physical topics across the three years and develop essential geographical skills throughout.
All topics will use relevant and up to date case studies to engage students and help them make connections to local, national and global events. They will foster a love for learning through independent research, developing skills in self-responsibility and self-help.
All topics provide a base level of knowledge and skills to allow students to progress onto GCSE Geography at Key Stage 4.
Year 7
- Introduction: Geography and Map Skills
- Sustainability
- Volcanoes
- Earthquakes
- Weather and Climate
- Microclimates Geography Enquiry
Year 8
- Africa
- Ecosystems
- Globalisation
- Rivers and Flooding
- Renewable Energy – Decision Making Exercise
Year 9
- Extreme Weather
- Population
- Oceans and Plastic Pollution
- Glaciation
- The Middle East
Year 10 and Year 11: GCSE Geography AQA Specification
Students will study 3 separate units that together make up the full GSCE course. These will offer students the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of a wide range of geographical themes and concepts. Throughout the course there is a specific emphasis on the application of knowledge to both familiar and unfamiliar contexts. Geographical skills will be assessed across all 3 units and build upon student’s literacy and numeracy skills.
Unit 1 Living with the Physical Environment
- Living World: Ecosystems, tropical rainforests, desert environments
- Natural Hazards: Hazards, tectonic hazards, weather hazards, climate change
- Physical Landscapes: UK physical landscapes, river landscapes, coastal landscapes
Unit 2 Challenges in the Human Environment
- Urban issues + challenges: Urbanisation, Urban growth in LICs/NEEs with a focus on Rio, Urban Change in the UK with a focus on Manchester, sustainable urban living
- Changing economic world: global variations, development gap, economic development in LICs/NEEs with a focus on Nigeria, economic growth in the UK
- Challenge of resource management: Resource management, resources in the UK, water around the world
Unit 3 Geographical Applications
- Issue Evaluation (this will be a different theme each year and a pre-release booklet of resources will be available to students approximately 12 weeks before the final exam)
- Fieldwork based on 2 geographical enquiries. This will include a trip to a river in the Peak District in the summer of Year 10 and a visit to Salford Quays in the autumn of Year 11
- Geographical Skills: students will be expected to demonstrate a range of geographical skills, including cartographic, graphical, numerical and statistical skills
History
In History we aim to provide the students with an understanding of the world in which they live by understanding the Past. We hope to encourage a curiosity about both the present and the past through studying a range of topic including British History from the Middle Ages to the present as well as looking at both non-European and world history. As well as learning the narrative of what happened in the Past, we want our pupils to develop the key skills of analysis and evaluation of evidence, so that they can be critical thinkers and make their own decisions, which will help them in all aspects of their lives.
Year 7
Topics include:
- Tollund Man
- Britain 1066-1500 – The Middle Ages
- The Medieval Arab World (550-1200)
- Tudor England
Year 8
Topics include:
- The Stuarts and the English Civil War
- The creation of the British Empire
- The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
- Britain 1750-1900 – the Industrial Age
Year 9
Topics include:
- The First World War
- The Interwar Period and the repercussions of World War One
- The rise of fascism and communism
- The Second World War
- Popular Protest including the Civil Rights Movement in Britain
GCSE History New Specification for First Examination in 2018
Exam Board: AQA
No. of Exams: 2
Units studied in Year 10
- Unit 1: Health and the People. This is a study in development which looks at the changes made in medicine from the Middle Ages to the Present
- Unit 3: The Normans 1066-1100
- Unit 3: America 1840-95 (Opportunity and Inequality)
Units studied in Year 11
- Unit 3: America 1840-95 (Opportunity and Inequality)
- Unit 4: Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945-72
- We then focus on revision and examination preparation
GCSE Ancient History New Specification for First Examination in 2019
Exam Board: OCR
No. of Exams: 2
Units studied in Year 10
- Unit 1: Foundations of Rome
- Unit 2: Cleopatra and Rome
- Unit 3: Persia
Units studied in Year 11
- Unit 3: Persia
- Unit 4: Alexander the Great
GCSE Sociology AQA
We offer Sociology as a GCSE option subject. Sociology equips learners with critical thinking skills as well as the ability to analyse and evaluate arguments, theories, concepts and statistics.
Units studied in Year 10 – Paper 1: The sociology of Families and Education:
- Sociological Theory and Research Methods
- The sociology of Families
- The sociology of Education
Units studied in Year 11 – Paper 2: The Sociology of Crime and Deviance and Social Stratification:
- Sociological Theory and Research Methods
- The Sociology of Crime and Deviance
- The Sociology of Social Stratification
Students will be expected to draw on knowledge and understanding of the entire course of study to show a deeper understanding of these topics.
