KJS Prospectus 2025-26

Geography At King James’s School we want our students to ‘think like a geographer’ which means that they have a sense of awe and wonder about the world in which they live. We want students to be passionate about the physical and human world and develop a sense of responsibility for the place in which they live from the local to the global scale. Students will become better geographers through making connections between topics, understanding the importance of place and developing key skills and knowledge to progress onto further study of the subject and in their careers. We want our geographers to be critical thinkers and therefore aim to provide them with the means to question and debate knowledge taught. We constantly update our curriculum to reflect our ever changing worlds and encourage students to deepen their knowledge through keeping abreast of the news. Fieldwork is an essential part of the curriculum at King James’s and students across the key stages take part in local fieldwork exercises. At Key Stage 3 students will study a range of physical, human and environmental geography topics which are sequenced to build knowledge and skills and understanding. Geography at GCSE is a really popular subject and students achieve excellent results. The physical topics that students study include natural hazards, climate change, ecosystems, rivers and coasts; and the human topics are urbanisation, development and resource management. All students take part in fieldwork to Bridlington to study the impact of tourism on the town and to look at the impacts of coastal management on the beach. At A Level, all students follow an issue based course which allows for greater breadth and depth of key geographical issues to be studied and students carry out four days fieldwork to embed skills and knowledge. We have five dedicated specialist geography teachers working in the Department. Each of us has different geographical backgrounds including physical and human geography, geology and environmental science, which means we have range of subject expertise to develop specialist knowledge across the curriculum. Our passion for our subject and excellent results, has led to many students going on to study geography related subjects at university and beyond. History History at King James’s School is about understanding the past in order to understand the world we live in and the reasons why we face certain challenges in the modern world. History teaches us who we are and how our society has developed and progressed. It is not merely a study of the past but empowers us to understand the present. Pupils studying history will gain a superb understanding of past societies and will also be taught how to think analytically and construct both written and spoken arguments as well as consider significant debates from our past. At Key Stage 3 our curriculum is underpinned by themes such as: power and the growth of democracy; conquest and the movement for independence within the British Empire; religious, racial and cultural prejudice and discrimination and the fight for equality; migration and the development of multiculturalism. As a department we have an important responsibility to teach our pupils to understand, question and debate important issues facing our nation and our world. Pupils follow an enquiry-based curriculum and, by the end of Year 9, will understand some of the most important events that have shaped our nation and our world. Topics include the development of the English monarchy and growth of Parliamentary democracy, the rise and fall of the British Empire, the quest for civil rights for NativeAmericans and African-Americans and other defining moments of the 20th Century, including women gaining the right to vote, two World Wars and the Holocaust. History is extremely popular at GCSE and the department boasts excellent results. Topics include Germany 1919-1939, the Cold War, Medicine in Britain, and the Norman Conquest. The subject is also a popular choice at A Level where we teach modules on the Wars of the Roses, Russia 1894-41 and rebellion and disorder under the Tudors. Our teaching staff are all history graduates and experts in the subjects they teach at A Level. They have a strong passion for teaching History which has led to it becoming one of the most popular option subjects. Languages The Languages Department has specialist French and German teachers. Our aim is to make languages accessible and enjoyable for all students, introducing them to a different culture and a different way of life. In Year 7, students will learn French - building on the language taught at Primary School - developing their linguistic skills, which can then be transferred to learning any language. They will start learning German in Year 8 and then decide which of the two languages they have studied to continue into Year 9 and thereafter to GCSE level. In Sixth Form, A Level courses are offered in both languages. Our global and multicultural society means that learning a language is beneficial in all aspects of life, both to those wishing to enhance any future career prospects and to those who enjoy travelling. Many courses at university now require a language to GCSE level, and those who study to A Level are looked upon favourably. We work hard to ensure students have the opportunity to put their linguistic skills into practice - currently we are offering a trip to the German Christmas Markets in December for KS4 students learning German (new), a weekend trip to Paris for KS4 students learning French, a Year 8 trip to the River Rhine/ Moselle in Germany and a Year 7 trip to the Opal Coast in France. For those who do not get the chance to go on the trips, we also celebrate traditional festivals during the year to enrich the students’ cultural understanding of the languages - including Bastille Day and Sankt Nikolaus Tag and encourage students to take part in other Languages Days. Traditional Foundations, 21 st Century Education 16