Mrs H Sandells: Lead, Teacher of KS3 Geography and KS4 Geography
 
Mr G Rossiter: Lead, Teacher of KS3 History and Geography and KS4 History

Mr J Bowater: Teacher of KS3 History, Geography and PE, KS4 BTEC PE and Geography

Miss E Bishop: Teacher of KS3 History, Geography and English, KS4 History

 

History 

Key Stage 3

Curriculum Intent

The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is intended to introduce students to the breadth and depth of the discipline of History. We aim to create capable historians. We challenge students to think, act and speak like true historians: to research thoroughly, to weigh-up evidence, to understand chronology, to evaluate interpretations and develop arguments. We do this by a consistent approach across the department ensuring all students develop the range of skills needed to become confident in their own opinions, make well supported judgements and expressing them articulately. The curriculum has been planned in order to inspire and enthuse students, and where possible to link to contemporary issue and discussions. The curriculum has also been designed to incorporate a variety of skills that students need to develop to be successful not only in History but in other subjects at Alcester Academy and their life beyond school. We teach students the importance of challenging the provenance of information, evaluating different interpretations, and processing large amounts of information to create a coherent argument. We teach empathy and tolerance and an understanding of how history has created the world we live in today.  

Curriculum Implementation (see also Long Term Plans)

See Long Term Plans. Students are taught a range of Historical events. Figures and time periods, and are assessed using formative and summative methods. Topics studied include: The Norman Conquest, The Crusades, Magna Carta, The Black Death, Tudors and Stuarts, The Slave Trade, French Revolution, WW1, WW2 and The Holocaust. We implement our curriculum through a range of teaching approaches including role play, games and creative tasks as well as more traditional source based questions and essay writing. Discussion and debate is a regular feature of lessons, as well as regular reviews to ensure key content is secure

Curriculum Impact

Students gain a comprehensive understanding of the major events and turning points in both Britain and the wider world. They are able to evaluate and make complex decisions, to empathise with people living very different lives from themselves, and will have developed their evaluative and analytical skills. Students will be assessed by their teachers throughout lessons, but also through topic assessments and end of year exams. History is a very popular subject at Key Stage Four with four groups currently studying history in both years 9 and 10.

Key Stage 4

AQA GCSE History

Curriculum Intent

We aim to create the very best historians. Our curriculum goes beyond what is taught in lessons, for whilst we want students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable. As a department we believe that the transferable skills gained in our subject are essential for life in the 21st century. We take all the skills developed at KS3 and extend these further, providing pupils with the skills to rigorously examine historical events and interpretations and reach substantiated judgements.

Curriculum Implementation (see also Long Term Plans)

See Long Term Plans. Students study 4 different units for 2 exams as outlined below:

Paper 1: Understanding the Modern World (2 hour exam – 50%)

  • Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship
  • Conflict in Asia – Korean and Vietnam Wars

Paper 2: Shaping the Nation 

  • Health and the People: c1000 to the present day
  • Elizabethan England, c1568-1603

Curriculum Impact

Students achieve well in history and examination results are good and have been for many years. Last year there was a positive Subject Progress Index of 0.13 and in 2018 it was an outstanding 1.04! In both years of the new GCSE pupils have achieved a number of 8’s and 9’s the top grades possible.

Many students go on to study History A Level and then at Degree level. Many choose courses related to the subject including History itself, Law, Journalism and Politics. A number of former Alcester Academy students have even gone on to become history teachers themselves.

Students experience a rich and varied curriculum and enjoy the learning activities that enable them to progress in the subject. Above all, students continue to express their interest in the relevance of History and its skills in today’s world.

History Long Term Plans & Assessment Plan

History LTP Year 7 
History LTP Year 8
History LTP Year 9
History LTP Year 10
History LTP Year 11

Examples of the kinds of assessments to expect:  History Assessment Plan


Geography

The Geography department is led by Mrs Sandells, Lead Geography. Mr Bowater teaches Key Stage 3 and 4 Geography, and Miss Bishop teaches Key Stage 3 Geography and History, and Key Stage 4 History.

Key Stage 3

Curriculum Intent

The curriculum at Key Stage 3 is intended to introduce students to the breadth and depth of the discipline of Geography. The curriculum has been planned in order to inspire and enthuse students about the world around them, and to link to contemporary issue and discussions.  It is intended that students learn how the physical and human world are co-dependent and interconnected, and that geography is all- encompassing and shapes every human action. Students will explore and discuss these links, and develop an understanding and appreciation  of the awe of the planet. The curriculum has also been designed to incorporate a variety of skills that students need to develop to be successful not only in Geography, but in other subjects at Alcester Academy and their life beyond school.

Curriculum Implementation (see also Long Term Plans)

See Long Term Plans. Students are taught a range of human and physical Geography topics, and are assessed using formative and summative methods. Students also have the opportunity to visit Alcester High street to develop their fieldwork techniques in Year 7, and Cadbury World in Year 8 to learn more about Fairtrade.

Curriculum Impact

Students gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues concerning the planet they live in. They are able to evaluate and make complex decisions, to empathise with people living very different lives from themselves, and will have developed their statistical and graphical skills. Students will be assessed by their teachers throughout lessons, but also through topic assessments and end of year exams. Geography is a popular subject at Key Stage Four with there currently being four groups in both years 9 and 10.

Key Stage 4

AQA GCSE Geography

Curriculum Intent

Above all is the desire to equip students with the knowledge and emotional understanding to make sense of the complex world in which they live. Students at Key Stage Four study Geography because it is a multi-faceted discipline that combines the analysis of social questions, environmental issues, and modern real world solutions. Geographers investigate interactions between the human and physical environments such as the causes and impacts of climate change. The course helps to equip learners with empathy of other cultures through the study of real world examples. Using practical fieldwork and research skills, students investigate problems on variety of scales from local (food banks) to global (water shortages)

Curriculum Implementation (see also Long Term Plans)

See Long Term Plans. Students study a range of human and physical topics including natural hazards, the changing economic world, ecosystems, and resource management. Students are also supported through revision and extra-curricular fieldwork.

Paper 1: Living with the physical environment 

  • Section A - The challenge of natural hazards – Tectonic Hazards, Weather Hazards and Climate Change. 
  • Section B - The Living World – Ecosystems, Tropical Rainforests and Cold Environments. 
  • Section C - UK Physical Landscapes – Coastal erosion in Hornsea Yorkshire. 

Paper 2: Living with the human environment 

  • Section A - Urban Issues and Challenges – The Urban World (Rio de Janeiro), Urban change in the UK (London), Sustainable urban development. 
  • Section B - The Changing Economic World – The Development Gap, Nigeria (NEE), The changing UK economy. 
  • Section C - The challenge of resource management – Energy, food and water management. 

Paper 3: Geographical Applications and Skills 

  • Issue evaluation and fieldwork. 
  • Physical Geography fieldwork. 
  • Human Geography fieldwork. 

Exam 1 (35%) 

  • Living with the Physical Environment(1 Hour 30 Minutes) 

Exam 2 (35%) 

  • Living with the Human Environment(1 Hour 30 Minutes) 

Exam 3 (30%) 

  •  This exam includes two compulsory fieldwork visits to rural and urban areas. Geographical Applications and Skills (Fieldwork) (1 hour 15 Minutes) 

Curriculum Impact

Students achieve well in Geography. Last year 68% of students achieved at least a Level 5 which is above the national average, and the Subject Progress Index was 0.27. Students in Geography have historically gone on in large numbers to study the subject at A Level, and a number of former Alcester Academy Geography students are now Geography teachers themselves. Students enjoy a rich and exciting curriculum which not only prepares them for a possible future studying Geography, but also for life beyond school. Students develop a wide range of life skills such as the ability to evaluate and decision make effectively and with real- life consequences, and the ability to work collaboratively and make decisions as a team.

The curriculum at Alcester not only helps to shape great Geographers, and the Geographers of the future, but also empowers all students to have a self of identity, self, British values, and to have a voice to ensure the protection of the planet’s environment going forward.

Geography LTP Year 7 
Geography LTP Year 8 
Geography LTP Year 9
Geography LTP Year 10
Geography LTP Year 11 

Examples of the kinds of assessments to expect:  Geography Assessment Plan