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Life Studies
(Humanities)

Life Studies is a subject that helps students connect their personal experiences with the wider world, past and present. Through history, geography, and religious studies, students explore key questions about identity, belonging, conflict, justice, and change. They learn how movements of people, ideas, and beliefs have shaped societies, and reflect on how these forces continue to influence our world today. Life Studies encourages students to think critically, act responsibly, and grow in empathy, equipping them with the skills and values they need to navigate their own journeys in an interconnected world.

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Key Stage 3

 

KS3 Life Studies provides an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates history, geography, and religious studies to explore the concept of journeys as a framework for learning. The programme enables students to make connections between personal identity and broader social, cultural, and historical movements. Through structured enquiry, learners engage with themes such as migration, belief, conflict, empire, and resilience, supported by case studies including the Windrush generation, the Syrian conflict, and the Holocaust. The curriculum is designed to develop critical thinking, ethical reflection, and cultural literacy while aligning with AQA Unit Award Schemes to ensure both accessibility and accreditation. By the end of KS3, students are equipped to analyse complex global issues, evaluate diverse perspectives, and reflect on their own place within an interconnected world.

Key Stage 4

 

The KS4 Life Studies curriculum provides a carefully sequenced, cross-curricular pathway through History, Geography, and Religious Studies, fully aligned with the AQA GCSE Religious Studies (Short Course). It is designed to re-engage learners in education by combining academic rigour with accessible, relevant, and reflective content. Across Years 10 and 11, students revisit and deepen their understanding of core themes including identity, belief, conflict, justice, and global responsibility.

 

The curriculum supports knowledge development through clear progression, while embedding key disciplinary skills such as critical thinking, evaluation, literacy, and analysis. Learning is enriched through case studies, debates, project work, and assessments that foster independence and confidence. The integration of AQA Unit Award Certificates ensures that all learners achieve recognised milestones and experience tangible success, promoting both motivation and resilience.

 

By the end of KS4, students will have developed not only the subject knowledge required for GCSE success but also the personal, moral, social, and cultural awareness necessary to participate positively in modern British society.

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