The humanities curriculum at Oldway encompasses learning in history, geography and religious education and seeks to encourage pupils to think creatively; to reason about being human and to ask questions about our world. 

The study of humanities seeks to build two types of knowledge: 

1. substantive knowledge – the knowledge pupils ought to remember and recall 
2. disciplinary knowledge - the sorts of questions, responses, ideas and concepts pupils will UNDERSTAND if they have mastered the subject. In our humanities curriculum, we acknowledge the balance between the macro and the micro and teaching sequences are planned to explore both overarching themes and in-depth studies.

At Oldway, religious education is planned and taught with:

• Coherent and sequenced substantive knowledge of religion and worldviews represented in Britain and the wider world, selected to build pupils’ understanding through three vertical concepts. These vertical concepts build a thematic narrative and provide context across diverse worldviews, as well as using small steps to help pupils gain a deep understanding of complex, abstract ideas:
• Sacrifice
  Giving something up for the benefit of someone else is a recurring concept across religious & non-religious worldviews and takes many different forms. What motivates human action and what are the societal and personal consequences?

• Knowledge & Meaning
  One of the unique qualities of human intelligence through time has been our quest for knowledge and meaning. How have religion and belief impacted on humanity’s search for “Truth”? How do beliefs impact human behaviour? What is it reasonable to believe?
• Human Context
  Human beings exist in, and are influenced by, their place in time and their geographical, political and social context (Person, Time & Place). Everyone is different, so how have our diversities been influenced by our personal context? What influences a personal worldview?
• A Worldviews approach provides opportunities for all pupils to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, but also to be taken beyond their own experiences. The Religion & Worldviews curriculum teaches pupils about diversity within and between beliefs, cultures and worldviews from across the world, and seeks to teach the skills and knowledge to hold respectful and informed conversations about religion and belief; to be religiously literate.
• A conscious inclusion of vocabulary and substantive content that recognises the need to decolonise teaching materials in a meaningful and accessible way.
• A scholarly approach to the core disciplinary knowledge of theology, philosophy and social sciences, developing pupils’ ability to hold the types of conversation and to apply the methods and processes of theologians, philosophers and social scientists.
• A curiosity and openminded approach to the worldviews of others and a reflective consciousness of their own worldview.