News archive

KEY STAGE 3 REVIEW

The White Paper '14-19 education and Skills' last February stated the intention to review the Key Stage 3 curriculum and now the cogs and mechanisms that ensure that such things will happen are grinding into place.

The aims of this review are:- to improve coherence in subjects where there are difficulties, to reduce the overall level of prescription and to help those pupils who fall behind. Although the White paper states that there will be do reduction in the number of foundation subjects it is hard not to see this as an exercise in reducing the time schools feel they have to devote to foundation subjects such as history and geography. Nevertheless the review should provide a valuable opportunity to discuss what we should be teaching within the humanities subjects and to restate the importance of the humanities curriculum.

To encourage this dialogue we offer the following as a framework for discussion:-

The main focus of the review should be the clarification of the key concepts of foundation subjects and identifying entitlement and not on reducing teaching time.

The review of humanities subjects should start with the identification of a humanities entitlement framework. The content, concepts and skills of subjects that have a humanities base - history, geography and citizenship should be determined by the extent by which they contribute to this framework.

There should be scope for flexibility for schools to decide the extent to which individual subjects are used to deliver the humanities entitlement framework as long as there is coverage of the distinctive methodologies of all humanities subjects

The content of humanities subjects should have a minimum of prescription. Criteria of relevance and significance should determine the content taught and teachers should have the flexibility to use these criteria to create appropriate courses of study.

Enquiry should be central to all humanities subjects and there should be scope for enquiries, which involve the methodologies and concerns of more than one humanities subjects.
The distinction between the personal and the social as a means of distinguishing between PSHE and the humanities subjects is a valid one. Scope for community involvement and reflection should, however be a central aspect of a humanities entitlement framework

What do you do when you find out that you have lost nearly everything at your school?

What do you do when you find out that you have lost nearly everything at your school? All specialist facilities are gone. Coursework, mark books, portfolios…the list is endless. Teachers starting out on their career, teachers that have worked at the school for the last 30+ years. All sharing in the loss, along with the community we have become a central part of. more » ( PDF)

Association Executive member makes a huge difference

Humanities Association long standing member Diane Atkinson is the headteacher of the country's most improved primary school. When Diane took over Sherington Primary school in Greenwich it was at the bottom of the table with 2/3rds of its children failing to reach expected national levels. The school was in debt with a huge staff turnover, high pupil mobility and discipline problems. Today the school is the most improved in the country with more than 80% of pupils achieving level 4, a stable and committed staff and a positive ethos and working environment. We all share reservations over league tables but genuine achievement in education is to be celebrated and Diane and her staff's achievements at Sherington have been remarkable. As well as being a successful headteacher Diane has also found the time to be a committed supporter of the humanities and a leading member of the executive of the HA where she has been an inspiration to all

Congratulations Diane.

General Studies examiners recruitment campaign

Apply on-line to mark General Studies GCSE and A-level examinations in 2005 - it's a great opportunity to gain valuable insights to bring back to the classroom and to network with subject peers. Teachers with a background in cultural, social or scientific subjects are particularly suitable to examine general studies, even if you don't teach it in your school. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) and the awarding bodies have already had 30,000 visits to their interactive website at www.examinerrecruitment.org (external link). Why not take a look and find out more about this valuable development opportunity?

Oxfam Education

Activities and source materials for teaching English, Citizenship, and PSE

Making Sense of World Conflicts
This resource explores the connections between conflict and poverty, and the changing nature of conflict in the world, by drawing on a wide range of source materials.

Shattered Lives
The case for tough international arms control. This comprehensive report gives you the facts and arguments about the arms trade and why it should be controlled.

To order the resources listed above download the order form ( Word doc)

For additional information see: www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/conflict (external link)

HUMANITIES the return of the king?

The humanities gloom continues for anyone who looks at Ofsted reports. Geography is now, according to Ofsted, the worse taught subject in Primary schools. This is not a surprise, the Humanities Association has, for some time, tried to draw attention to the collapse of primary geography teaching more » ( Word doc)