Humanities

The humanities areas of History and Geography are an integral part of the Rushcombe curriculum. Each academic year, the school develops a bespoke Learning Adventure with a focus upon history, and another with a focus upon geography, both delivered through the school’s mantle of the expert approach. Historical and geographical content is also reinforced at appropriate points within other Learning Adventures, so that knowledge and understanding is consolidated within long term memory.

History

At Rushcombe First School, we aim to provide an approach to the history curriculum, which is based upon research into the most effective approaches to historical learning. The school provides specialist teaching in ancient history, providing children with an understanding of the development of human civilisation from its earliest beginnings, including explorations of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, supplemented by comparative studies with other periods from ancient history, including Ancient Greece, the Ancient Egyptians, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. The school has developed an innovative and highly engaging approach to the teaching of ancient history, utilising external expertise, the school’s extensive grounds and experiential learning. Through this approach, historical learning is stimulated by the development of historical settlements (spanning from the Stone Age to the Iron Age) on the school grounds, which children can explore in a variety of ways through our Mantle of the Expert approach. Our history curriculum aims to develop children’s love of history, laying the foundations for them to become the historians, archaeologists and anthropolgists of the future.

Geography

The geography curriculum at Rushcombe First School aims to provide children with a sense of awe and wonder about the world that we live in, recognising that our world is a place full of human and physical diversity, whilst also exploring some of the challenges and inequalities that are brought into focus through geographical study. By delivering the geography curriculum through a mantle of the expert approach, children’s geographical learning is placed within highly motivating and meaningful contexts, for example, by imagining they are going on an expedition to South America, or by setting up their own travel agency. Through this approach, children are supported to develop their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills, including their locational and place knowledge, making comparisons between different regions, developing their understanding of human and physical features, using maps and carrying out fieldwork.