Humanities

Religious Studies: Our curriculum explores the roots and main beliefs of Christianity, with the aim that each pupil can come to a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. However we also ensure that pupils understand and respect other faiths. Pupils' learning builds towards the GCSE syllabus based on St Mark's Gospel and the application of Christian ethics to contemporary issues and the effects of Christianity on people's attitudes and behaviour.

Geography is the study of where things are, why they are there and how they influence the world around them. In Year 7 and 8, pupils focus on the physical world in which they live, studying topics such as earthquakes and volcanoes, the weather, rivers and ecosystems. In Year 9 pupils are encouraged to think more critically, researching and debating topics such as Fair Trade, globalisation and child labour. Our stimulating Key Stage 3 curriculum ensures that Geography is a popular option at GCSE.

We believe History should capture pupils' interest and generate enthusiasm as it teaches us about our heritage and the motivations and actions of people in the past. The curriculum at Thames is arranged chronologically, ranging from the medieval period up to the Cold War, in order to enable pupils to understand where specific events fit into the broader historical context. Pupils learn a wide variety of essential skills such as source evaluation, critical thinking and historical analysis. Pupils make cross-links between topics, comparing and contrasting historical events. For example, in the topic on voting rights, pupils compare the Chartists, Suffragettes and the American Civil Rights Movement.