Humanities
History Curriculum Overview
Subject: History
Key Stage(s): KS3–KS4
Head of Department: Jo Bareham
Date last reviewed: January 2026
1. Curriculum Intent
The History curriculum at Pool Academy aims to develop students who are curious, critical and informed about the past and its impact on the modern world. Our curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, enabling all students to gain powerful knowledge about key historical events, concepts and interpretations.
By the end of KS4, students will: - Know and understand key periods, themes and turning points in British and world history - Think historically by analysing evidence, evaluating interpretations and constructing reasoned arguments - Develop a strong subject-specific vocabulary to articulate historical understanding
The curriculum reflects our local and national context (for example, KS3 students study Cornish mining and its impact), supports literacy development, and prepares students to be thoughtful, engaged citizens. All lessons are structured using our 12 Teaching Fundamentals, including strategies to check understanding, recap learning, model historical thinking, provide guided practice, improve focus and responses, and support all learners effectively.
2. Curriculum Implementation
The curriculum is carefully sequenced from KS3 to KS4 to build secure foundational knowledge before introducing more complex concepts and interpretations.
- KS3 focuses on chronological understanding, causation, consequence and historical significance. Year 7 begin this journey by assessing the importance of the battle of Hastings to British history. They learn about the reasons for the Norman invasion and success. They continue to assess causation and significance in Royal and People power in year 8 followed by an appreciation of the impacts of the Holocaust and both World Wars
- KS4 builds on this by deepening analytical skills and applying them to exam-based enquiry questions. All three History exam papers target a wide range of analytical skills.
Lessons include retrieval practice, explicit teaching of new knowledge, modelling of historical skills, guided practice and opportunities for extended writing. Assessment is used regularly to identify gaps and inform responsive teaching. The 12 Teaching Fundamentals are applied in all lessons to check understanding, recap prior learning, structure tasks, maintain focus, and support all learners.
3. Curriculum Impact
Students make strong progress over time, demonstrated through improved recall of key knowledge, increasingly sophisticated written responses and successful outcomes at GCSE.
Assessment information is used by teachers and leaders to refine curriculum planning and teaching approaches. The use of the 12 Teaching Fundamentals ensures that students receive consistent support and feedback, helping them to make measurable progress. Students leave History well prepared for further study, apprenticeships or employment, with transferable skills in analysis, communication and evaluation. Many captains of industry and politicians have studied History at a Higher level.
4. Enrichment and Wider Opportunities
Students benefit from enrichment opportunities including educational visits, themed history days and engagement with local heritage.
GCSE year 10 History students are eligible to have an opportunity to visit Berlin for 5 days during February. This trip runs every year and focuses on the rise and fall of the Nazi regime. Year 11 students are often given an opportunity to experience a 3 day field visit to London. Workshops are arranged that support their exam preparation for Paper 1 (Crime & Punishment), Paper 2 (Anglo-Saxon & Norman England) as well an in depth focus on the Persecution of the Minorities that also supports their studies of Paper 3.
The curriculum highlights clear links to careers such as law, journalism, education and the civil service, helping students understand the relevance of History beyond the classroom.
5. Quality Assurance and Review
The curriculum is reviewed regularly through assessment analysis, student voice and professional development. Findings are used to continuously improve curriculum design, teaching quality and student outcomes. The use of the 12 Teaching Fundamentals is regularly monitored to ensure consistency and impact across the department.
This model demonstrates the expected level of clarity, ambition and alignment with the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework from November 2025.
Geography Curriculum Overview
Subject: Geography
Key Stage(s): KS3-KS3
Head of Department: Jo Bareham
Date last reviewed: 1st January 2026
1. Curriculum Intent
The geography curriculum at Pool Academy aims to raise students’ awareness and love of the wider world. Our ambitious curriculum inspires students to think about and engage in the world around them by building on students own experiences and knowledge and teaching them the skills to become responsible global citizens. Our curriculum explains where places are, how places and landscapes are formed, how people and their environment interact, and how we live in a culturally diverse world that is interconnected. It builds on pupils' own experiences to investigate places at all scales, from the personal to the global.
By the end of KS4 Geography, students will be able to
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world.
- Apply geographical skills—including cartographic, graphical, numerical, and statistical skills—to analyse and interpret data.
- Develop a strong subject-specific vocabulary (e.g., sustainability, geopolitical, geomorphology) to articulate complex geographical understanding.
The curriculum reflects our local Cornish context (e.g., coastal management and tourism) alongside global issues like climate change and international development. All lessons are structured using our 12 Teaching Fundamentals, ensuring strategies to recap prior learning, model geographical thinking, and support all learners through the "4 Cs" (Clarity, Chunking, Clues, and Challenge).
2. Curriculum Implementation
The curriculum is carefully sequenced to build secure foundational knowledge at KS3 before tackling the synoptic challenges of the AQA GCSE syllabus.
KS3 (UK National Curriculum): Focuses on world regions (Africa, Middle East, Asia), physical processes (tectonics, weather, coasts), and human themes (urbanisation, development, and resources).
KS4 (AQA Syllabus): Deepens analytical skills across three core units:
- Living with the Physical Environment: (Hazards, Ecosystems, UK Landscapes).
- Challenges in the Human Environment: (Urban Issues, The Changing Economic World, Resource Management).
- Geographical Applications: (Issue Evaluation and Fieldwork).
Lessons include retrieval practice (recapping "must-know" content like the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy), explicit teaching of new concepts, and modelling of fieldwork skills. The lessons follow our 12 Teaching Fundamentals and are structured with Recap, Check, Model and Practice. Assessment is used regularly to identify gaps, such as misunderstandings in statistical trend that inform responsive teaching.
3. Curriculum Impact
Students make strong progress over time, demonstrated through improved map literacy, increasingly sophisticated evaluation of environmental issues, and successful outcomes at GCSE.
Assessment data is used to refine planning, ensuring the 12 Teaching Fundamentals provide consistent feedback that helps students make measurable progress. Students leave Geography well-prepared for further study (A-Levels), apprenticeships, or employment, with transferable skills in data analysis, critical thinking, and global awareness.
4. Enrichment and Wider Opportunities
Students benefit from compulsory fieldwork opportunities, with a visit to St Ives to investigate the impacts of waves on the seafront properties and an investigation into whether the main street should be pedestrianised. In addition, students have the opportunity for a residential trip to Bristol to see the regeneration that the city has undergone which is studied as part of the GCSE Urban Issues and Challenges unit.
The curriculum highlights clear links to diverse careers such as environmental consultancy, town planning and international development, helping students see the relevance of Geography in the global economy.
5. Quality Assurance and Review
The curriculum is reviewed regularly through assessment analysis, student voice, department reviews and professional development. The use of the 12 Teaching Fundamentals specifically the effectiveness of "Recaps" and "Checking for Understanding" is regularly monitored to ensure high-quality, consistent geography provision across the department.
Beliefs and Ethics Curriculum Overview
Our school offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking Religious Education (RE)
curriculum designed to engage students with key religious and ethical questions that shape
our world. From Year 7 to Year 11, students explore a variety of world religions, moral
dilemmas, and philosophical concepts, encouraging deep reflection and discussion.
- Year 7 introduces students to world religions, with a focus on Christianity and
Sikhism, examining beliefs, practices, and their relevance today. Students explore
the concept of God, the nature of belief, and how religion shapes the lives of
individuals. - Year 8 delves into Islam and Hinduism, exploring the challenges of living as a Muslim
teenager in the UK and the complexities of reincarnation in Hindu beliefs. Topics
include the Five Pillars of Islam, the role of women in Muslim societies, and key
Hindu teachings on karma and moksha. - Year 9 addresses ethical issues such as the nature of good and evil, suffering, and the
concept of judgment, alongside an exploration of Judaism. Students examine
religious scripture, the diversity within Judaism, and the ongoing issues related to
anti-Semitism. - Year 10 focuses on relationships and family life, exploring issues such as human
sexuality, family structures, marriage, divorce, contraception, and gender equality.
The curriculum challenges students to consider moral and ethical implications of
these topics. - Year 11 looks at religion, peace, and conflict. Topics include the causes of war,
pacifism, and the religious responses to violence and terrorism. Students study the
concept of a just war, the ethical use of weapons of mass destruction, and the role of
religious organizations in peacemaking.
The lessons follow our 12 Teaching Fundamentals and are structured with Recap, Check,
Model and Practice. Assessment is used regularly to identify gaps and revisit any
misunderstandings.
Our diverse curriculum encourages personal reflection, empathy, and a deeper
understanding of the world around us, preparing students to engage thoughtfully with the
complex issues of our time.
Parents have a right to withdraw their children from all or part of Beliefs and Ethics. Parents
requesting withdrawal should inform the Principal in writing.
