Understanding Society
Understanding Society encompasses Citizenship, Religious Education, and PSHE, careers education and various health and social care courses.
Staffing within the Faculty
Nikola Pearson – Director of learning – teaching responsibility – BTEC/GCSE Health and Social Care, GCSE Sociology, BTEC Public Services – Lead Verifier – BTEC Public Services
Dawn Harrison – Progress Manager – Yrs 10 and 11 – teaching responsibility – BTEC/GCSE Health and Social Care, BTEC Public Services, Understanding Society
Deb Clapham – Director of Inclusion – teaching responsibility – Understanding Society, BTEC Public Services
Bev Whitfield – Understanding Society, BTEC Public Services – Lead Verifier – BTEC Health and Social Care
Lisa Arnott – teaching responsibility – Understanding Society
Externally accredited courses delivered within the Faculty
BTEC Health and Social Care – Level 2
GCSE Dual Award Health and Social Care
BTEC Public Services – Level 2
GCSE Sociology
GCSE Law – is also taught as an enrichment
Within the faculty we aim to ensure that all learners:
- Develop an awareness of their immediate community and enable them to understand other communities and associated cultures and beliefs
- Reflect on their own beliefs, views and opinions in a safe and supportive environment
- Gain a consistent education in line with National Curriculum requirements
- Get the opportunity to undertake work-related learning
- Develop a positive attitude towards other people and work towards living in a diverse society
- Make balanced and informed choices with regards to social, moral, spiritual and cultural issues
- Obtain opportunities to work towards formal accredited qualification
- Reach and achieve their full potential
Literacy/VCOP
It is everyone’s responsibility to develop the literacy skills of learners and improve levels of literacy within the Academy. Within Understanding Society all extended pieces of writing will use the VCOP to support learners. There will be reference to these tasks through symbols so that all learners are aware of the requirements when completing this piece of written work.
All teaching staff will make reference to not only curriculum issues but also with regards to literacy and areas to improve. Within Vocational Qualifications links will be made to functional skills and the same high focus with regards to literacy will apply.
Staff will ensure that they encourage learners to develop their oral literacy skills and broaden their vocabulary they use. Each teaching session will include key terms and relevant work-related vocabulary. It has been agreed recently that within year 7 each starter in lessons will be a literacy focus in conjunction with the English department. It has also been agreed that once a fortnight the plenary for each lesson will be an extended piece of writing using a VCOP focus. This is all in the process of being planned and implemented in sessions.
PLT’s
Personal, learning and thinking skills are an important element of the curriculum within the faculty.
Learners are encouraged to identify the PLT’s that they have covered that session and again the use of symbols are important for the learners to identify which PLT they have used.
At the beginning and end of each module learners will evaluate how much progress they have made towards various PLT’s and identify any areas for development.
Staff are mindful of PLT’s when planning and delivering sessions and this is identified in the schemes of work.
Every Child Matters
Every learner within the Academy and within the faculty should feel that they are a valued part of our learning community. For each element of the ECM agenda we offer specific activities and curriculum learning opportunities.
Examples of curriculum delivery;
1 – Being healthy – theme day around healthy lifestyles, identification of emotional health issues
2 – Staying safe – module around risky behaviour – input from Domestic Violence unit and support from community PC
3 – Enjoying and achieving – work related learning and independent learning tasks within sessions – particularly vocational subjects
4 – Making a positive contribution – module on Crime and Anti-Social behaviour
5 – Achieving economic wellbeing – offering a range of diverse curriculum offerings in order to facilitate achievement.
