Geography

The Humanities AoLE at Llanishen High School seeks to awaken a sense of wonder, fire the imagination and inspire learners to grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

At KS3, students study Humanities in an integrated approach. The subjects of Geography, History, PRE, Business Studies and Social Studies are all incorporated into the schemes of learning. The units allow students to explore the most important challenges facing humanity, including sustainability and social change (the way we treat others and the world around us), and help to develop the skills needed to interpret and articulate the past and the present. Humanities students will be encouraged to develop an identity in space and time, and an appreciation of the human experience in relation to an understanding of the development of the North Cardiff locality, Wales, the UK, Europe and the wider world, and of the diverse cultures that share and shape these places (Cynefin).

In Year 7, students will gain an understanding the following key concepts:

• Diversity in Cardiff
• Climate Change
• Disease
• Rise of Technology
• Exploration and Discovery

By the end of KS3 students will be able to use enquiry skills to interpret a range of evidence to uncover truths and express their own informed viewpoint on contentious issues. Opportunities are given to discuss and reflect on their own perspectives and those of others on a range of issues to enable them to build their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being; becoming confident, resilient, healthy and ambitious learners. Students will also use a wide range of recent and historic events to reflect on humanity’s rights and responsibilities and consider the ethical implications of people’s actions upon different sectors of society including minority groups within and outside of our school community.

We want to empower students to be active global citizens, as the humanities disciplines are inherent within and intrinsic to all the critical issues that concern our society today. We want our students to be agents for change in the 21st Century and imagine a range of possible futures that they themselves have the power to shape. We hope that the learning experiences will help students appreciate the extent to which they are part of a wider international community, fostering a sense of belonging that can encourage them to contribute positively to the school and local communities. We want them to leave KS3 with a range of skills, which will equip them to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century world and workplace. Students will explore the positive changes that they can make to the natural and human world and consider how they can begin to tackle global issues at a local and individual scale. Such critical engagement with local, national and global challenges and opportunities past and present will help learners become enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work.

These experiences will help develop learners’ resilience, build independence, and increase self-confidence and self-esteem. This will support the development of healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

The pupils will gain a strong foundation knowledge of the theory of plate tectonics and how the movement of the geologic plates cause mountain building, volcanoes and earthquakes. Through a range of located examples, the pupils will develop an understanding of how tectonic hazards impact the lives of people all around the world and what we can do to try and mitigate against these natural hazards. The pupils will be introduced to the World’s major biomes, developing an understanding of how the physical and human elements of ecosystems, such as the Tropical Rainforest, interact. The concepts of globalisation and interdependence are also used as a basis of learning when the pupils use their own consumer habits as a basis for study. The pupils will find themselves delving into the world of Multi-National Corporations in order to understand the impacts of consumerism at a range of different scales.

KS4
At GCSE we follow the WJEC Specification, information and the full specification can be found here.

KS5
At AS/A Level we follow the WJEC Specification, information and the full specification can be found here.