The Humanities Area of Learning and Experience aims to spark curiosity, ignite the imagination, and inspire learners to expand their knowledge, understanding, and wisdom
Equipping learners
It encourages learners to explore key issues facing humanity, such as sustainability and social change, while developing the skills needed to examine and articulate both the past and the present.
This Area includes geography, history, and religion, values, and ethics—disciplines that share overlapping themes, concepts, and transferable skills, while maintaining their own distinct bodies of knowledge and expertise.
Ethical, informed citizens
Humanities plays a vital role in helping learners become ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world. Exploring historical and contemporary human experiences within their own communities, Wales, and the global context allows learners to connect with their heritage, develop a sense of place and cynefin (belonging), and understand the connections between Wales’ history, culture, natural environment, economy, and its place in the global community. These experiences can instil a sense of belonging and empower learners to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Challenging learners
Learners should reflect on the actions of themselves and others, considering how these are influenced by differing interpretations of human rights, ethics, values, and religious and non-religious perspectives.
Through engaging with diverse worldviews, learners can learn to respect differing perspectives, challenge assumptions, and explore how to exercise their democratic rights. Such reflection on global, national, and local challenges helps learners become enterprising, creative individuals equipped to contribute meaningfully to society and the workplace.
Exploration
By exploring their local area, Wales, and the wider world, learners can build a strong foundation of geographical, historical, and religious knowledge and understanding.
This exploration encourages them to engage in various methods of enquiry, evaluate evidence, and communicate their findings effectively—skills that support them in becoming ambitious, capable learners with a readiness for lifelong learning.
Opportunities to reflect
It is essential that learners have opportunities to reflect on their personal perspectives concerning religious and non-religious worldviews, ethical dilemmas, and issues of social inclusion. Additionally, exploring the natural world both locally and further afield fosters a deeper sense of place, well-being, and resilience. These experiences support the development of independence, self-confidence, and self-esteem, helping learners to navigate life with strength and purpose.
Ysgol y Grango has a structured timetable to deliver lessons in Humanities in Year 7, a subject that covers History, Geography and RVE. In Years 8 and 9, learners have lessons in History, Geography and RVE.
Homework
Homework can take a variety of forms including written tasks, revision exercises, online tasks and preparation for coursework or practical examinations. The aim of homework is to supplement the learning that takes place in the classroom and instil independent learning, a crucial lifelong skill. Staff aim to give ample time to complete homework tasks so learners should plan their own time carefully in order to meet deadlines. The frequency of homework can vary depending on the number of lessons offered over a fortnight.
The majority of subject areas make use of Google Classroom to communicate any homework requirements to the learners. I would encourage learners and parents/carers to check Google Classrooms regularly.
Parents/Carers should endeavour to provide a quiet space for their children to complete homework tasks. Where this is not possible, the school does provide such places for learners to access in their lunchtime or afterschool hours. Please encourage learners to discuss this with their tutors or progress leaders in the first instance.
Assessment
Assessment is an important aspect of a learner’s learning journey. Apart from indicating the current performance of an individual, assessments also inform learners and staff which areas they need to develop. At Ysgol y Grango, staff continuously assess a learner’s progress through a variety of methods. This could include informal assessment, such as quizzes or observations, or formal assessments, such as written tests or coursework.
Ysgol y Grango use an online system called Go4Schools to track and monitor individual learners. Learners and parents/carers can also access information such as reports and subject progress through their own Go4schools login.
Throughout Years 7 to 9 there are also opportunities for learners to sit nationally standardised assessments such as CATS, National Reading tests, National Procedural tests and National Reasoning tests, the outcomes of which inform future teaching and learning.