What is our intent for Humanities?

At Mead Vale Primary School, our vision is for all children to Work Hard and Be Kind through our core values of Courage, Curiosity and Community. The humanities curriculum aims to develop every child’s cultural capital through embedding powerful knowledge in a subject-based curriculum. We want children to know and be curious about the world around us and how it has changed over time, celebrating diversity and contributing to the culture, creativity and wealth of our local and national community

As a school, we follow the national curriculum for History, Geography and RE.  To support with the teaching of these areas, the school have carefully selected schemes of learning to ensure our children assess a knowledge-rich and progressively sequenced offer.

In KS1, we follow the ELAN scheme of learning for History and Geography.  Our KS1 History and Geography curriculum is knowledge-rich and progressively sequenced so that learners have the opportunity to develop a life-long passion for Geography and History. Through familiar and unfamiliar experiences, children will develop an understanding of ‘humankind’ and their place within it.  In RE, we follow discovery RE. We follow this scheme of work because it gives the children the opportunity to learn about a number of different religions in depth and gives them the chance to enquire and deepen their respect for people that are different and whose beliefs differ.

For KS2 we have adopted the Opening Worlds humanities curriculum for history, geography and religious education. This builds on key knowledge and skills learnt in KS1. As a school, we deliberately selected this scheme of learning because Opening Worlds curriculum and its associated teaching approaches secures the highest possible quality of education for pupils. 

Implementation of Opening Worlds

All KS2 children have started with the year 3 units from Opening worlds this is because the material is taught in sequence because each part makes the next part much more understandable.  Vocabulary that is explicitly taught and practised in Year 3 are then taken for granted in lessons in Year 4-6.  If children do not have the secure knowledge of the content and vocabulary of the Year 3 curriculum, this is likely to slow progress and limit enjoyment.

KS2 Progression Documents

Due to copy right infringement, the progression maps for the KS2 schemes of learning from opening worlds curriculum are available on request.  This includes This includes KS2 history, geography and religious education.

Below you will find an overview of the substantive and disciplinary content of the opening world scheme of learning.  More information about the Opening worlds scheme of learning can be found here: Humanities curriculum plan and rationale - Opening Worlds