British Education: Humanities and Social Sciences

Learning to think

A key part of a balanced education, creating thoughtful and active citizens of the future. We start early by encouraging children to develop their own ideas through History, English, Religious Education and Philosophy. These subjects help children to analyse and evaluate information as well as develop their own way of seeing the world.

The Humanities give us an understanding of the political and cultural context of the world. Building on the foundations of Literacy and Numeracy; the study of English, History, the Arts and Philosophy, gives pupils the tools to apply critical and analytical thinking to all aspects of their education.

In Infant school, children may study rivers and how cities develop. In Junior school, the children would learn about the Industrial Revolution, how children lived in that era and then to consider how Europe changed from an agrarian society to a city-based, industrial society. In Secondary school the issues and debates get more complex, as pupils start to apply their learning in other subjects, such as Maths and Science, to Humanities and the Social Sciences. Every year we send pupils to university where they build upon what they have learned at King’s College.

Students at King’s are encouraged to think independently and challenge the perceptions of the world around them, through deconstructing the past. The Humanities teach students the value of perspective and balanced analytical thought.

— Paul Gardener, History & Geography Teacher, King’s College Murcia

Humanities subjects throughout the school are taught to develop the children’s investigation and critical thinking skills. The local environment allows us to enrich the curricular resources and enables us to offer practical and invigorating lessons.

— Lower KS2 Coordinator at King’s College Panama, Ms Wilson