Humanities

History, Geography and RE are taught in a cross-curricular way at Riversdale. All classes have specific topics that are taught across a term/half term and within these their humanities lessons are topic related. These subjects are taught once a week; if a class has a history topic one term, they may have geography topic the next. In RE, in addition to the half termly topics, we also celebrate a range of religious and cultural festivals. Classes regularly go on trips to complement their topics and these have included visiting The Ragged School, various places of worship and local environment studies such as The Thames. In addition, class assemblies will often focus on these subjects and thereby enhance their learning. The children very much enjoy these subjects, as they do fantastic projects around them for their half term homework, whilst many will actively research and share this with their classes and teachers.  

Religious Education

At Riversdale, Religious Education is taught in a safe and stimulating environment in which pupils are entitled to question, evaluate and express themselves through debate and discussion. Teachers will challenge conceptions, preconceptions and misconceptions during Religious Education lessons.

Intention

• Pupils will develop knowledge and acceptance of religion and belief diversity in the local, national and global landscape and be able to respond to this. Pupils will be able to disagree agreeably.
• Pupils will explore, improve their understanding of, and respect for the range of faith and non-religious world views seen in modern Britain.
• Pupils will be ‘religiously literate’, that is they will understand what ‘believing’, ‘thinking’ and ‘living’ entails for religious believers.
• In Religious Education, pupils may also develop, recognition of right and wrong, an ability to reflect on their own beliefs and cultural practices, the ability to make informed personal choices and empathy with and an understanding of other

Implementation

• All children are entitled to Religious Education lessons; at Riversdale we follow the Wandsworth Agreed Syllabus.
• Pupils are taught Religious Education in a variety of ways, these include, the handling of artefacts, exploring sacred texts, drama, responding to images, stories, art, music and dance, meeting visitors, visits to places of worship, use of the internet and videos and whole school events, e.g. Harvest Festival.

Impact

• Pupils will extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs.
• Pupils will develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms.
• Pupils will reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world-views.
• Pupils will explore ultimate questions of beliefs and values in relation to a range of contemporary issues in an ever-changing society.

Curriculum Policies

Please find our Humanities policies below:

• Geography
• History
• R.E.
• PSHE & Citizenship