Our curriculum is built on joy, curiosity, and purpose. Organised into four interconnected strands—STEM, Creative Communication, Humanities, and Personal & Physical Development—our learning approach blends structured progression with freedom to explore. We balance foundational knowledge and skills with conceptual thinking and creativity, empowering children to follow their curiosity and co-construct learning through COOL Time.
History • Geography • Religious Education (RE) • Reading
The Humanities strand helps children make sense of the world and their place within it. Through history, geography and religious education, pupils explore how people live, what they value, and how places and cultures have changed and are still changing.
We want our children to think deeply, act responsibly, and understand the impact of human decisions, both past and present.
Our Intent
Through a rich and coherent humanities curriculum, pupils will:
- Build chronological, geographical, and cultural knowledge
- Develop critical thinking and ethical reflection
- Explore big ideas such as change, identity, justice, sustainability, and belonging
- See themselves as informed citizens of their community and world
How We Organise Learning
Humanities learning is designed to be progressive and purposeful, moving from concrete local knowledge to abstract global concepts. We use a balance of:
- Adult-led learning to introduce and secure core facts, concepts and frameworks
- Co-constructed and child-initiated learning to support enquiry, debate and independent thought
- Cross-curricular links that connect humanities with STEM, Creative Communication and Personal Development
Foundational vs Conceptual Learning in Humanities
| Type | Example | Approach |
| Foundational Knowledge | Key dates, continents, major religions | Structured recall and practice |
| Foundational Processes | Timeline building, map reading, comparison grids | Modelled and guided sessions |
| Conceptual Knowledge | Civilisation, fairness, migration, sacred | Explored through enquiry and dialogue |
| Conceptual Processes | Arguing from evidence, evaluating impact, empathising | Open-ended investigation and debate |
The Role of COOL Time
COOL (Choose/Carry On Our Learning) Time is vital for nurturing personal enquiry and moral reasoning in Humanities. Pupils might:
- Investigate a historical figure not studied in class
- Create their own local heritage trail
- Research a country or faith tradition sparked by curiosity
- Explore a community issue and propose solutions
This deepens their ownership of learning and encourages development of QI Skills such as:
- Why – seeking meaning and deeper understanding
- Will – pursuing extended lines of enquiry
- Me – exploring identity, values and beliefs
- Wobble – navigating uncertainty and complexity in real-world issues
Progression and Coherence
Our humanities curriculum follows a carefully mapped sequence:
- In EYFS, children explore their immediate environment, communities and traditions
- In KS1 and KS2, learning expands to national and global contexts, with increasingly sophisticated understanding of change, diversity, cause and consequence
- Themes and big questions are revisited through different lenses over time, ensuring cumulative knowledge and rich conceptual depth
COOL Time offers natural opportunities for pupils to connect learning across time periods, cultures, and current events.
Rooted in Place, Connected to the World
We begin with our own community: Nanstallon and Cornwall and broaden outward. Whether mapping the River Camel, exploring Cornish mining heritage, or comparing belief systems, pupils develop both local pride and global perspective.
Real-world learning, outdoor exploration, and community voices enrich the curriculum and make Humanities meaningful and memorable.
In Practice: A Humanities Learning Journey
Y5/6 Geography & RE Project: After a unit on rivers, children mapped the River Camel’s journey and wrote persuasive pieces about protecting its ecosystem. During COOL Time, one group created a campaign to reduce litter at local beauty spots, linking environmental action to their learning on stewardship in RE.
Our curriculum blends structure and freedom, enabling every child to gain foundational skills while exploring and expressing their thinking deeply through joyful, purposeful learning.
