Our Humanities and Social Sciences subjects provide a broad understanding of the world in which we live, and how people can participate as active and informed citizens with the high-level skills needed for the 21st Century.
Through studying Humanities, students develop the ability to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions and adapt to change. Thinking about and responding to issues requires an understanding of the key historical, geographical, political, economic and societal factors involved, and how these different factors interrelate.
Social sciences are, in the broadest sense, the studies of society and the manner in which people behave and influence the world around us. It tells us about the world beyond our immediate experience, and can help explain how our own society works.
History
At Wadhurst students discover how the present culture and ideas are shaped by the past and how the study of history involves interpretation influenced by each individual’s values and perspective.
In Year 7, students focus on the early migration of humans, the legacy of ancient civilizations and local history.
In Year 8, students study the Renaissance, King Arthur, the clash of cultures in the expanding world, and the Medieval period.
Philosophy and Religious Studies
At Wadhurst, students learn how the study of philosophy and religion helps promote understanding of the ways people have made sense of the spiritual dimension of human experience. In showing how philosophy asks some of the same questions that religious faith seeks to answer, students will understand how religious belief is a valid life choice, and its practice is worthy of respect.
Students will look at the way religious texts and stories can be interpreted in different ways and that while faith claims of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are distinct, they have a common heritage. Students will consider how religion and science can co-exist in contemporary thinking, and that ethical decision-making draws on worldviews and values.
Geography
In the study of Geography, students draw on their curiosity about the diversity of the world’s places and their peoples, cultures and environments, using this knowledge to promote a more sustainable way of life and awareness of social and spatial inequalities.
During Year 7 students develop a sense of place at varying scales from the local to the global. In Year 8, students use the systems approach to explore the complexity of the inter-relationship between human activity, environmental processes and sustainability.