At VHPS, Humanities helps children understand people, places, cultures and the world around them. Through History and Geography, we want our children to become curious, knowledgeable and thoughtful young people who deeply understand how the world has been shaped over time.
We want our pupils to develop a strong sense of place, identity and responsibility, understanding both their own locality and their place within a wider global community. By the time they leave VHPS, children will have the knowledge, vocabulary and disciplinary skills to think critically about the world around them.
Our Humanities curriculum is built around deep knowledge, meaningful connections and memorable experiences.
In History, children develop a secure chronological understanding of the past while exploring recurring themes, including social structures, daily life, culture, beliefs and conflict. Knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary are carefully sequenced and built upon year on year, while our progression of disciplinary skills develops children’s ability to enquire, interpret evidence, evaluate sources and construct informed accounts of the past.
Our Geography curriculum develops children’s understanding of both physical and human geography, from the continents and oceans of the world to the distinctive features of our local environment and the wider world. Children develop their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills through the purposeful use of maps, atlases, globes and digital mapping, alongside fieldwork and compass skills. They are encouraged to apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts, making connections between places, people and environments, both within and beyond the classroom.
A distinctive feature of Humanities at VHPS is the way History and Geography complement and strengthen one another. Children are encouraged to make meaningful connections between people, places and events, developing a richer understanding of how our world has been shaped over time and how it continues to change today.
This embodies our Extraordinary Everywhere approach. We believe that extraordinary learning extends beyond the classroom, and we seek opportunities to make the curriculum meaningful, memorable and relevant. Through wider experiences, children bring their learning to life, apply their knowledge in authentic contexts and develop a growing curiosity about the world around them and their place within it.
Humanities begins in the Early Years, with children developing an understanding of themselves, their families, their community and the world around them. As children progress through the school, this understanding becomes increasingly broad and sophisticated.
In History, children develop their chronological understanding from the earliest periods of human history through to the present day. They encounter significant events and civilisations while revisiting key historical themes and progressively developing their ability to interpret evidence and undertake historical enquiry.
In Geography, children move from understanding their immediate environment and locality to exploring the wider world. Their knowledge of physical and human geography develops alongside increasingly sophisticated geographical skills, including mapping, fieldwork, data collection and interpretation.
By Year 6, children are able to make connections across periods, places and themes, use subject-specific vocabulary confidently, and apply their knowledge and disciplinary skills to increasingly complex questions and enquiries.
Excellent Humanities learning at VHPS combines secure knowledge with purposeful enquiry and application.
Children:
Humanities at VHPS extends far beyond the walls of the classroom! We want every child to leave us with a deeper understanding of the world and the confidence, curiosity and knowledge to explore it.
Please click here to gain a greater insight into how Humanities is taught and developed at VHPS.
E : PO Box 454959 Dubai, UAE
T : (+971) 04 560 2000
