What is a sustainable future? Is there such a thing as life after death? Are criminals born or raised? To what extent were the actions of the Suffragettes acceptable? The Faculty of World Affairs represents one of the most diverse subject areas of The Dean Academy and at the heart of everything we do is the Socratic teaching “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

The Faculty is comprised of seven teachers, each with their own dedicated classroom to provide a purposeful and engaging learning environment.   Our programmes of study aim to link the local and personal with the national and international.   They are designed to develop a picture of a world open to interpretation and, as such, students are encouraged to adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the world around them.   As a result, the study of subjects within the Faculty of World Affairs enhances a student’s spiritual, personal, social and moral development.   At all times students are encouraged to be open-minded, tolerant and respectful of opinions different from their own.

COURSE STRUCTURE
At Key Stage 3, students can expect to investigate topics such as why William became King in 1066, the significance of the Tudors and how people react, rebel and revolt in History; in Geography they will not only look at how our world is shaped through physical processes, such as weathering or by natural hazards, but also the growing impact of human action by investigating how we live off Earth’s resources and how we can live sustainably.
Alongside History and Geography, the Faculty also supports the personal development of each student at The Dean Academy through its Values and Society programme.   Throughout Years 7 to 9, students engage in philosophical and ethical debates, develop understanding of British Values such as democracy and are   provided with a safe environment to discuss the nature of human relationships including abuse, consent and sexual health.
At Key Stage 4 the Faculty offers GCSEs in History (Edexcel), Geography (OCR), Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (AQA) and Enterprise and Marketing (Cambridge National).

At GCSE, students can opt to study Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, a challenging and popular course which follows the AQA Religious Studies A modules. Students consider big questions and contemporary ethical dilemmas from a variety of views, including atheistic and religious views, and we study Christianity and Islam in order to support this discussion. This GCSE course allows students to develop their understanding of religion and ethics as they consider the impact both have on the world today. The subject is highly valued by Sixth Form centres, universities and employers and, in particular, will develop dynamic thinking skills, analysis and an ability to evaluate differing points of view.

Students enjoy the challenge and relevance of a course which examines controversial, important issues in modern society. We teach students to develop key skills which allow them to embrace and explore differing points of view and articulate their evaluative response. The teaching and learning in the classroom is varied and creative, allowing students to debate and reflect as they develop their own, justified opinions.