Humanities - Geography & History

Intent

At Swindon Academy, our Humanities curriculum—comprising History and Geography—is designed to develop pupils' curiosity about the world and their place in it. We aim to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to think critically, ask insightful questions, and make sense of both the past and the present. Through a rich, sequenced curriculum, we nurture a love for learning and exploration while fostering historical understanding and geographical awareness.

History:

Encourage pupils to think and work like historians

Develop understanding of historical themes, context, and chronology

Deliver a knowledge-rich and well-sequenced curriculum

Teach pupils to evaluate evidence and form informed conclusions

Geography:

Build knowledge of people, places, and environments

Teach how geographers investigate and interpret the world

Emphasise both substantive and disciplinary knowledge

Cultivate a sense of place, space, and geographical scale

Across both subjects:

Encourage critical thinking, evidence evaluation, and perspective building

Promote intellectual curiosity, exploration, and a strong sense of time and place

Implementation

Our Humanities curriculum is adapted from United Learning and follows the National Curriculum (2014) and Early Years guidance. At Swindon Academy, Humanities is taught weekly in Key Stages 1 and 2, ensuring consistency and depth. It is enriched through real-world experiences, engaging resources, and opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their learning meaningfully.

History:

Curriculum is carefully sequenced to build understanding of key periods and themes

Emphasis on cause-and-effect relationships in historical events

Lessons are engaging and designed to provoke curiosity

Use of a wide range of primary and secondary sources

Pupils learn to:

Cross-reference sources

Assess reliability and value

Interpret differing perspectives

Geography:

Organised around three substantive themes:

Location and Place

Geographical Scale

Making Connections

Disciplinary knowledge taught through four strands:

Map Skills

Fieldwork Enquiry

Identifying Patterns and Links

Using Examples and Key Vocabulary

Each year begins with a Spatial Sense unit focusing on:

Map reading

Interpretation skills

Application of these skills throughout the year

Across both subjects:

Critical thinking and deep analysis are consistently encouraged

Pupils communicate understanding using subject-specific vocabulary

Learning is enhanced through educational trips and hands-on experiences

Impact

Through our Humanities curriculum, pupils become confident, analytical thinkers with a strong grasp of historical and geographical knowledge. They leave primary school with the skills to understand and interpret the world around them and a lifelong curiosity about how it has been—and continues to be—shaped.

History: