Social Science Faculty (Geography, History, Religious Studies & Psychology)

Geography

Geography is part of the Social Science Faculty at Rossett which provides students with a range of opportunities to develop their understanding of a rapidly changing world.

Geography Key Stage 3

The subject aims to encourage all pupils to gain a Geographical understanding as prescribed at present by the National Curriculum programmes of study. This is taught in discrete Geography lessons, mixed ability in Year 7 and setted in Year 8. Geography helps pupils to understand sustainable development, economic and industrial issues, ICT and areas of citizenship.

Geography: Grouping of Pupils

Year 7: Pupils are placed in mixed ability groups according to their Forms. Year 8 pupils are setted according to abilities shown. Setting arrangements are revised termly, but this does also depend on student performance in the other Social Science subjects, History and Religious Studies

Geography Homework

Years 7 and 8: Homework is set and marked regularly throughout the two years of Key Stage 3. It will be varied, sometimes involving personal enquiry or research, at other times practice exercises or consideration of questions. The teacher will expect about 30 minutes of homework per week.

Geography Marking, Assessment and Recording

Years 7 and 8, coursework, tests, and assessments are marked according to teacher's professional judgement and recorded in mark books. Mark schemes exist for some larger assignments, which are communally undertaken. Common formal tests take place for all students in each year group at the end of some units. Tracking grades are based on assignments four times a year. Assessment at the end of KS3 is made using the level descriptors provided in the National Curriculum documents, and using samples of work fixed at county KS3 assessment meetings.

Geography: Pupil Organisation, Learning and Study Skills

Pupils are encouraged to develop their own self-discipline. This is begun with regular homework in Years 7 and 8, particularly those, which span several weeks study.

Geography: Cross-Curricular Themes / Links

Geography is one of the lynchpins of the cross-curricular themes and the teaching of Geography attempts to include them as part of good Geographical practice. Substantial elements of economic development are taught within the KS3 programme, as integral parts of the subject.

Geography offers a major component of environmental learning in the field and in theoretical study. It also offers topics, which naturally combine both environment and economic issues. The discipline offers some experience of ICT skills, which are increasingly being enhanced, and students are encouraged as individuals to use ICT techniques in some of their studies.

Values and attitudes are necessary components of issues and development studies, providing links with Citizenship and social and personal skills are encouraged during fieldwork activities, particularly the A Level residential course.

Geography: Key Stage 4

There is a continuing aim to deliver Geographical information and understanding, at present following the EDexcel Syllabus A GCSE. An enquiry approach delivers the coursework component of fieldwork, which is worth 25% of the assessment. Currently between one third and one half of the year group take Geography to GCSE. There is some liaison with other areas of the school over cross-curricular themes, such as PHSE, and increasingly with ICT. Economic and industrial issues are imbedded within the Geography curriculum. Environmental Awareness (Education for Sustainable Development) is well established within the department.

Modifications to the Syllabus and schemes of work will be made with the introduction of future, planned changes. Examples of Key Skills related activity, planned to provide progression from KS3 is exemplified in the Scheme of Work.

Geography: Post 16

The AQA syllabus is offered to A Level as a modular examination. One of the four modules is based on coursework. The fieldwork component includes a 4-day residential course. Uptake is generally between 10 - 20 students per year.

Geography: GLOBETROTTER Club

A lunchtime club for Year 7 students who have the opportunity to investigate countries and capital cities of the world via the use of interactive games and simulations.

 

History

History is taught at Rossett as part of the Social Science Faculty which provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of the world in which they live in.

History: Key Stage 3

Students are taught the following study units: Students in year 7 and 8 follow a two year course at KS3. History is taught through the study of skills and themes. Students learn how to frame an historical enquiry by developing the skills of chronology, causation, consequence, and significance, evaluation of evidence, interpretation, and communication. The themes that they study are those of power and politics, conflict and co-operation, movement and settlement, ideas and beliefs and the impact of political, social, cultural, religious and technological developments.

History: Homework

Homework is set on a regular basis in all years and marked throughout. This can take a variety of forms as indicated for the stages of the curriculum. At Key Stage 3 homework may include the use of sources, essays, imaginative and empathetic exercises, diagrams, posters, speeches, preparation for group work and research.

History: Marking, Assessment and Recording

Policy for marking follows the criteria laid down by the School. Individual teachers maintain a degree of flexibility in some tasks set and in deciding when to adopt a variety of learning skills. A series of agreed National Curriculum assessment tasks are undertaken by all pupils. The staff involved moderates a selection of assignments. The teachers concerned keep a record of these tasks. Termly assessment tests are also set,some in the form of examinations and others are structured projects. Students participate fully in the assessment of work and in the setting and recording of personal targets.

History: Reports

Parental feedback takes the format of computer generated reports showing pupil progress towards target grades. These are issued during the course of the academic year. Each year group has a Parents Evening to discuss progress. The Social Science faculty as well as individual teachers maintain contact through planners, letters and telephone calls to ensure students fulfil their potential.

History: Learning and Study Styles

We encourage high achievement for pupils of all abilities. Our lessons have clear aims. Regular meetings are held for planning and for discussing assessment and other issues that arise. This enables us to identify problems and helps us to evaluate progress.

We believe that relationships in the classroom should be positive. Students are encouraged to develop enquiring minds, to take initiative and accept responsibility in a variety of practical ways. The teacher's role is to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and historical skills in many different ways. We adopt a variety of teaching strategies in response to the needs, abilities and interests of the pupils. The teaching styles used in the Department include the following:

• Question and Answer
• Investigative work using historical sources or I.T.
• Discussion or Debate
• Group Work
• Role Play
• Television, video and film
• Powerpoints are used for presentations
• Personal research - students have access to a range of historical sources and we encourage them to use the library and I.T. facilities.

The students are then given the opportunity to communicate their findings in a variety of ways, which include:

• Producing a piece of writing which can include narrative, analysis, explanation and/or description.
• Presenting their finding to the class.
• Production of displays, using models, illustrations, graphs, maps and charts.

History: I.C.T

Pupils at KS3 regularly use ICT for research, recording, communication and presentations using the internet, excel, word documents, power point, publisher and email. History sites are also used for various activities including revision.

History: Visits

Students studying History in KS4 can participate in visit to Eden Camp, Ypres and the Somme and Berlin. You can read a report on the Year 9 Battlefields visit by clicking HERE.

History: Key Stage 4

The students opting for History study the AQA Modern World GCSE.

History: Key Stage 5

In year 12 and 13 students follow the AQA AS/A2 course. In year 12 students study 2 modules and complete 2 examinations: Tsarist and Revolutionary Russia & Life in Hitler’s Germany. In year 13 for an A2 qualification the students study a further module and complete a Personal Study covering Britain in the 20 th Century & A study in Depth covering 100 years

Religious Studies

Religious Studies is part of the Social Science Faculty at school the broad aim of which is to provide opportunities for students to develop a lively, balanced and enquiring attitude towards others.

Religious Studies: Key Stage 3

All the modules are developed from the North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Studies.

Year 7
Mixed ability classes look at three modules. These are entitled: Belonging; The Beginnings of Religion and Looking for God.

Year 8
Pupils are placed in sets based upon their previous year’s performance in Religious Studies, History and Geography. It is the intention of the department to build upon skills used in Year 7 and the modules studied are Pilgrimage (especially Hajj), Jesus Christ, and Rites of Passage.

Year 9
A change of emphasis on certain learning skills occurs. There is a move away from empirical matters as pupils begin to explore philosophical concepts. Further, pupils are encouraged to deal with what may be termed "mystical" in order that they progress beyond the trappings and history of religions thus entering the realms of ultimate questions. The modules cover the wide area of Knowing and Believing together with a close observation of well-known people whose lives have been lead in accordance with religious teaching from major faith communities. This encourages pupils to investigate the link between a person and the faith s/he holds.

Religious Studies: Homework

Homework is set throughout KS3. It lasts for 1/2 hour per week and takes a variety of forms such as completing worksheets, finding information, reflecting and commenting on the activities of the lesson, revision for tests and examinations, creating pieces of work to show an understanding of concepts or empathy with believers.

Religious Studies: Marking, Assessment and Recording

• Assess pupils’ achievements in RS in ways that are varied, interesting and fair
• Give consistent, frequent and helpful feedback to students about all aspects of their progress
• Enable staff to build a clear and accurate picture of students’ abilities that informs future teaching and learning
• Inform parents about progress, achievements and problems in their child’s learning in RS
• Individual’s progress in religion or spiritual development cannot and will not be assessed
• Assessment that is "bolted on" to the learning process is not relevant.

Religious Studies : Methods of Assessment:

• Regular marking of books, responding meaningfully to what pupils have done
• Using the School's general criteria of effort and understanding in marking work and add comments which offer a target to improve in the future
• Keeping a record of marks
• Using the school’s merit award system
• Respecting the pupil’s right to privacy with regard to matters of personal belief and opinion, while at the same time aiming to establish and open and trusting ethos in the RS Department
• Celebration of all that is good in Religious Studies
• Reporting to parents

 

Religious Studies : Pupil Organisation, Learning and Study Skills

A variety of organisational practices are used. These include whole class activities such as discussion, written work, reading, listening, watching videos and slides and talking. Similar activities are done in pairs and groups with the addition of play reading, task organisation and completion, information gathering. Individual activities include information gathering, assessment tasks and written exercises.

Religious Studies : Cross-Curricular Themes / Links

Where appropriate, the cross-curricular policies of the Faculty are followed. The environmental, Citizenship and Equal Opportunities themes are part of the study of the ethics and lives within the individual religions studied. When pupils are finding information, especially on the Christian character, they are encouraged to use the ICT facilities and to produce their assessment task in that module through ICT means. Some of the Year 7 module, Founders and Festivals, uses ICT facilities.