Term 4 News from the Humanities Faculty

This term has seen students across the Humanities subjects take part in a wide range of trips, visiting speakers and competitions.

Year 11 Geography students battled the early morning winds, low temperatures, and light rain to carry out a range of activities to investigate whether Herne Bay beach is a storm beach, created by destructive waves. Students used specialist equipment to profile the beach and investigate the changes in angles of the beach. They also carried out a range of pebble surveys to find out if sediment size increases with distance from the front of the beach. Finally, students conducted a wave frequency test to see how many waves break on the beach. In the afternoon students carried out the second element of their fieldwork in the town. They were blessed with much improved weather as they walked to 5 sites to collect their data on environmental quality. At each site students carried out a litter survey and a traffic count. Before leaving each location, the students completed an extensive environmental quality survey based on their observations of each area. In total they walked about 7 miles, and some were shocked that they had completed 22,000 steps during the day! The Geography team were really impressed with the behaviour, dedication and engagement of our students. They were a real credit to the school, families and the community.

Earlier this term Year 12 Travel & Tourism students were visited by John Hippisley from Canterbury Tours. John delivered an interesting and highly engaging educational talk about his business model. The informative talk has aided students with their coursework preparation. He also visited selected Year 8 classes to talk about how his tour delves into the history and geography of Canterbury.

A Level RS studies visited Regent’s Park Mosque in London as part of their studies into Islam’s beliefs and practices. They were made to feel really welcome by the staff at the mosque and received a guided tour of the mosque, including the beautiful prayer hall with its amazing dome. Students took part in a Q&A session and were able to visit the mosque’s educational display which had plenty of information to help them with their studies. In the afternoon, the students visited London Zoo as part of their Ethics studies into animal conservation. It was a lovely sunny afternoon which meant students were able to see plenty of animals. Particular favourites were the penguins and the monkey/lemur enclosures that students could walk through and get up close with the animals.

Our amazing Year 7 students have been taking part in the RE Capturing Faith competition! The department had a large number of creative and thoughtful entries showcasing faith in our local area. Students not only submitted powerful images but also thoughtfully explained how their photos represented faith. It was incredibly tough to choose – but the department managed to narrow it down to their top three winners. A huge well done to everyone who took part and shared their unique perspective, everyone who entered were awarded certificates of commendation. Congratulations to Lily Rose who placed third, Maisie who placed second, and James who was our top prize winner. 

Lastly, A Level History students took part in the Richard III Society's annual conference which attracted a number of key speakers from a range of academic backgrounds. Dr Helen Castor kicked off the conference with a fantastic look at the context of the struggle, which was followed Professor Watts of the University of Oxford and Lauren Johnson giving key insights into the York/Somerset feud and Margaret of Anjou respectively. Dr Moss gave a fascinating insight into the Paston letters, one of the major sources for this time period. Matthew Lewis provided a comprehensive overview of Richard III's strengths and weaknesses while Dr Cunningham provided a analysis of the threats to Henry VII. The conference's main event was a lively debate between Dr Grummit and Dr Ross over the blame for Warwick's rebellion. Students received a valuable source pack that will be of huge benefit for their studies and revision.

Looking back, it has been a busy term for the Faculty. We are looking forward to Term 5 and already have a wide range of experiences planned for students to take advantage of. The Faculty staff would like thank all families for their continued support.