History and Geography

History

Our aim at the British School is to encourage children to enjoy history and to gain an understanding of its relevance in their own lives today.

Beginning in Reception with their own family history, we take children in KS1 through great events, including the Fire of London and Remembrance Sunday. In KS2 children study subjects as diverse as Ancient Greece and Egypt and the Second World War. Themes such as these also provide great opportunities for cross-curricular activities and often results in beautiful artwork, or poetry. We always look for opportunities to bring history alive for the children, including trips to places of interest such as Windsor Castle and the Tudor Mansion.

Geography

Children learn geography through a combination of direct teaching and cross-curricular activities, including trips, PSHE and art, following the QCA scheme of work.

Geography is about an understanding of our environment, and living in such a wonderful area we take full advantage of our school grounds and surrounding countryside to teach the subject. The children learn through experiencing the world around them.

At KS1 the emphasis is on local geography. Children are taken on walks around the town and encouraged to paint pictures of local buildings, such as St Mary’s Church and Rushmire Hill. The children are encouraged to develop an awareness of their local environment and safety issues.

At KS2 this is broadened to other areas of the UK. The trips to coastal areas offer children direct experience of topography and geography that is very different to what they experience here in Wotton. They also engage in projects in which their own lives are compared with the lives of children in a village in India.

The school has a mascot called Katie Bear and children are encouraged to take Katie, who has her own passport, when they travel to other parts of the world. It’s another fun way to encourage children to take an interest in the wider world.