Humanities

Links to Children's Rights

The Humanities AoLE enables children to realise their rights to participation, freedom of expression and information (Articles 12, 13 and 17). Importantly it also supports children to know and understand their rights under the UNCRC (Article 42) and to develop an understanding of the human rights of others.

In Cila the Humanities Area of Learning and Experience seeks to awaken a sense of wonder, fire the imagination and inspire learners to grow in knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

This Area encourages learners to engage with the most important issues facing humanity, including sustainability and social change, and help to develop the skills necessary to interpret and articulate the past and the present.

The Area encompasses geography; history; religion, values and ethics; business studies and social studies. These disciplines share many common themes, concepts and transferable skills, while having their own discrete body of knowledge and skills. Learners may also be introduced to other complementary disciplines, such as classics, economics, law, philosophy, politics, psychology and sociology, if and where appropriate. 

What Matters in Humanities

• Enquiry, exploration and investigation inspire curiosity about the world, its past, present and future.
• Events and human experiences are complex, and are perceived, interpreted and represented in different ways.
• Our natural world is diverse and dynamic, influenced by processes and human actions.
• Human societies are complex and diverse, and shaped by human actions and beliefs.
• Informed, self-aware citizens engage with the challenges and opportunities that face humanity, and are able to take considered and ethical action.

Progression in Humanities

• Increasing breadth and depth of knowledge
• Deepening understanding of the ideas and disciplines within areas of learning and experience
• Refinement and growing sophistication in the use and application of skills
• Making connections and transferring learning into new contexts
• Increasing effectiveness as a learner 

Learners will be taught new skills, have support to practice and then be given opportunities to independently apply their knowledge skills and understanding through a range of contexts.

The subjects within this Area share many common themes, concepts and transferable skills, while also having their own discrete body of knowledge and skills. The content, concepts and skills outlined in this Area are interconnected. The disciplines in this Area provide a variety of lenses through which to view the human experience. The statements of what matters encourage a holistic approach to learning.

Learning in Humanities in Cila includes for example:

• Handling of and exposure to artefacts
• Visits to museums, churches and places of worship
• Field trips in our locality
• Ecological projects
• Classics lessons
• Celebrating and measuring our school values
• Entrepreneurial projects and working with Businesses
• Gardening, maintenance and caring for our school garden
• Opportunities to read and use maps, atlases and globes
• Exposure to music, art and writing from different cultures and time
• Visitors from different cultures, religions or time
• Media footage of global events
• Eco School’s activities
• Scrutiny of authentic written evidence and articles
• Using the Sustainable Development Goals to enhance understanding of the wider world and closer community

Cynefin.

In Cila we ensure that all pupils gain knowledge and learn through a range of contemporary and historical contexts, investigation and exploration of the human experience in their own localities and elsewhere in Wales, as well as in the wider world. This can help learners discover their heritage and develop a sense of place and cynefin. This will help promote an understanding of how us, the people of Wales, its communities, history, culture, landscape, resources and industries, interrelate with the rest of the world.