At Collingwood School and Media Arts College we are passionate about the teaching and learning of Humanities across the school. Humanities covers the teaching of Geography, History and Religious Education.

At Collingwood we want our pupils to leave us with the knowledge and skills that they need to understand the world they live in. It is this world that they will need to make sense of, use and engage with. We want our pupils to cherish and appreciate the diverse world around them, to make choices that sustain it and make a positive difference.

“People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure” – David Attenborough

Humanities subjects are about how people of different cultures and backgrounds relate to each other and the world in which they live, or in which people have lived in the past, providing a means by which pupils can apply their understanding of it in personal, local, national and global contexts. At Collingwood we aim to develop the skills and understanding needed to equip young people to play an active, well-informed role in the community, and to prepare them for further education and for work in a rich range of fields.

At Collingwood, our learning activities are chosen to engage, challenge and motivate our pupils. We match our teaching to the needs of our learners and activities are designed so that pupils of all abilities can maximise their learning. A range of teaching techniques are used to accommodate the individual difference in learning styles, interest and aptitude. Activities are planned to ensure the most able pupils are stretched and those who are struggling are fully supported.

In Key Stages 1 and 2, Humanities is delivered through a range of topics over the year. Pupils will study six topics per academic year, thereby ensuring coverage of both the skills and knowledge content outlined in the National Curriculum. 

In Key Stage 3, pupils receive two 40 minute lessons of Humanities per week. These lessons are delivered by specialist subject teachers.

At Key Stage 4, pupils receive one lesson of Humanities per week. GCSE Geography is offered as an option in Year 10. Sixth Form students are given the opportunity to study Humanities one afternoon per week, as part of their options.

Religious Education at Collingwood

Religious Education enables children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. At Collingwood we develop the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of at least six of the major world faiths. Through our Religious Education teaching, we enable our pupils to develop a sound knowledge not only of Christianity, but also of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and also of non-religious viewpoints, such as Humanism. Children reflect on what it means to have a belief system and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help our pupils learn from religions as well as about religions.

The Religious Education curriculum forms an important part of our school’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural teaching. It also promotes education for citizenship. Our school RE curriculum is based on the Northumberland County Council Agreed Syllabus (2022-27), and it meets all the requirements set out in that document and in legislation. When the circumstances demand, we will provide teaching and learning opportunities that target the children’s own needs and aspirations.

We base our teaching and learning style in RE on the key principle that good teaching in RE allows pupils both to learn about religion and beliefs and to reflect on what the religious ideas and concepts mean to them. Our teaching enables children to explore and firm up their own values and promotes their spiritual growth and development. We encourage children to think about their own views, beliefs and actions in relation to the themes and topics studied in the RE curriculum. We also encourage pupils to explore a variety of different ethical and moral issues.

Trips to local places of worship are undertaken annually, as well as visits to Collingwood from people of different faiths and beliefs. We have strong links with our local church, St Aidan’s in Morpeth, the Kadampa Buddhist Compassion Centre, The United Reform Synagogue and the Sikh Gurdwara, which are all in Newcastle. We also have links with the Islamic Diversity Centre in Newcastle.

At Key Stage 4, pupils work towards gaining qualifications in ASDAN Short Courses in History, Geography and Beliefs and Values.

Sixth Form students receive ‘Options’ sessions on a Wednesday afternoon. There is a Humanities group as part of this, and students work towards AQA Unit Awards. RE units are included in this programme.

Through teaching Religious Education in our school, we provide opportunities for spiritual development. Children consider and respond to questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life. We help them to recognise the difference between right and wrong through the study of moral and ethical questions. We enhance their social development by helping them to build a sense of identity in a multicultural society. Children explore issues in religion and belief, and, in doing so, they develop their knowledge and understanding of the cultural context of their own lives.

Progression and Continuity in Religious Education

To make religion and belief more accessible, our Primary pupils benefit from a thematic approach. At KS3, our pupils move into a more structured introduction to world religions. At KS4, pupils return to a more thematic approach to look at topical ethical and moral issues. We believe these issues will enthuse the pupils and also have relevance in their lives. The topics will encourage a lot of debate and discussion, to enable the pupils to reach informed conclusions about these matters themselves.