A Round-Up of the Year

PRE

Year 9 were introduced to a new scheme of work this year.  They have studied Buddhism, Plato, Humanism and the Holocaust. 

We were also thrilled to run our annual Anne Frank Trust sessions with nearly 30 students in Year 9. 

Additionally, well done to all Year 7 and 8 students who had a go at the Spirited Arts Competition.
There were 6 themes to choose from and some of these designs will be sent to NATRE – an organisation that chooses international winners from different schools.
Especially well done to the following students for their original and thoughtful designs:

• 1st place – Rian Shan and Zayaan Raja - 7FX – 10 star points each
• 2nd place – Tedodor Marchitan -7FX –  5 star points
• 3rd place – Emily Luchita - 8AE – 5 star points
• 4th place – Andi Neaga - 8TC – 2 star points
• 5th place – Millie Hackner - 7FX – 2 star points 

Geography

It has been an incredibly busy and rewarding half-term for our Geography Department! From studying river dynamics firsthand to conducting fieldwork right on our school grounds, our students have been bringing their classroom learning to life. 

To top it all off, a group of students recently visited Oxford University, offering an inspiring glimpse into higher education. We are incredibly fortunate to have such motivated students, and we take great pride in providing them with these enriching, real-world learning opportunities. 

History & Politics

It has been another busy term for the History and Politics department. Firstly, I’d like to say congratulations to all of our Year 11 and 13 students who completed their exams. Enjoy the well-earned summer break and good luck for whatever the future holds!

Students across all year groups have continued to work hard on projects ranging from the History of the World Cup to continuing their GCSE studies. Year 12 students enjoyed a trip to see the musical Hamilton, based on the American Declaration of Independence. A great night was enjoyed by all.

We also had a visit from Matt Turnmaine, local MP for Watford, who led a Q & A with our Year 12 Politics students. 

Well done to everyone for their hard work this year. Enjoy your summer!

Philosophy Society (Sixth Form)

This term in Philosophy Society, we have continued to explore the ideas around societal expectations of ethics compared to the internal morality in each individual. Specifically, many of our discussions have been based around the idea of law, and how it influences thought processes. For example, we recently had a discussion on whether the law should be fair or equal for everyone, and at what point does fairness undermine consistency and trust in the justice system. If two people both committed the same crime, like stealing a textbook for school, but one person could afford to pay for it and the other could not, does giving them two different punishments, relative to their situation, fail to actually reduce the crime rate? Moreover, we have also been discussing more healthcare-related topics, like whether it is moral for doctors to 'play god,' by essentially having to choose between patients and resources. Is choosing between patients an unavoidable responsibility or unethical authority? In addition, we have been discussing whether preserving life is always morally good, regardless of the suffering of a patient. In the future we are planning on discussing philosophical theories and problems such as the Heinz dilemma, which links to the economy, medicine, and an individual's moral compass! 

Humanities Club (Year 7)

This was our first year with our newly formed Humanities Club for Year 7, run by Poppy, Oliver and Ryan in Year 13.  Year 7 experienced games, learning and lots of fun every Thursday lunchtime in Room 15.

The club has been taken over by Jaini and Zara in Year 12, and we cannot wait to invite new and existing members to join next year!

 

Where We Have Travelled

This year we have been far and wide! Our travels have taken us to such places as:

• York

• Poland

• University of Reading

• University of Sussex

• University of Cambridge

• RAF Northolt

• Politics A Level conference 

• Houses of Parliament

• Six the Musical

We look forward to many more visits and experiences next year!

 

Summer Reading

Here are some of our top reading recommendations for Humanities over the summer.

• ‘Tattooist of Auschwitz’–Heather Morris

• ‘The boy who cycled the world’–Alastair Humphreys

• ‘I am Malala’–Malala Yousafzai 

• ‘Bear Grylls’ Adventures’–Bear Grylls

• ‘Annexed’–Sharon Dogar

• ‘Lies we tell ourselves’–Robin Talley

• ‘Ruby in the Smoke’–Philip Pullman 

• ‘Private Peaceful’–Michael Morpurgo

• ‘A young person’s guide to philosophy – I think therefore I am’ - Jeremy Weate

• ‘All about Politics’ - Andrew Marr

 

Summer Competitions

• New Year 7s:

 

• Year 12s:

 

Humanities Staffing Updates

We are really sad to be saying goodbye to Miss Pearse.  Miss Pearse joined us five years ago. Her love for all things Geography is extremely well known, especially her love for rocks! Her passion for Geography is infectious and our students are so fortunate to have been taught by her.  We will miss her dearly and wish her the best of luck in her new head of department job up north.  

We also welcomed back Mr Bennett this term as a Geography teacher at the start of July.  

Finally, we wish the best of luck to our Year 11 and 13 students as they receive their examination results at the end of the summer. We are incredibly proud of you all.

The Humanities Faculty
 

 

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