Religious Education
Why study Religious Studies?
Religious Studies aims to promote religious understanding and appreciation of people from all backgrounds. Religious Studies equips pupils to meet the circumstances of living in modern society and become good citizens. It promotes a sympathetic understanding of all religious and non-religious traditions, including both those that are locally represented and those which have been formative in the lives of people in the history of the world. Pupils will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose, and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious issues. Through Religious Studies, pupils gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership, and research skills.
How will I study Religious Studies?
Religious Studies provokes challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. Pupils are given opportunities for reflection, discussion, written analysis and debate. Pupils know and understand a range of religions and worldviews so that they can recognise, appreciate, and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meanings. This allows them to identify, investigate and respond to questions posed and responses offered by some of the sources of wisdom found in religions and worldviews. This allows pupils to express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues.
What will I study at Key Stage 3?
In Key Stage 3, pupils begin by developing their foundational understanding of faith. This includes learning about what different faiths believe about God, leadership, and sources of authority. They then build on this knowledge by learning about how religion is expressed in terms of religious identity, worship and rituals and how the believers remember the past through pilgrimage and festivals.
Pupils then delve into responses to ‘Big Questions’ through the exploration of theological, philosophical, and sociological viewpoints. These questions are examined through the lens of different viewpoints and include topics such as the existence of God, war, evil and suffering, and the environment.
The Religious Studies curriculum also covers non-religious worldviews. Pupils explore what do we mean by religion and worldviews, how faith inspires people, and religion and its relevance in the 21st century.
What will I study at Key Stage 4?
At Key Stage 4, pupils study the beliefs and practices of Islam and Christianity in depth. The curriculum then takes a more thematic approach across Islam, Christianity, and non-religious worldviews. Pupils explore matters of family and relationships including marriage, relations outside of marriage, and gender equality. They go on to study matters of life and death such as the origins of the universe and ethics of euthanasia. This thematic approach continues by looking at peace and conflict. Some examples of the topics here include violent and non-violent protest, war and pacifism. Pupils then study crime and punishment, looking in detail for example at the treatment of lawbreakers and types of crime, attitudes to suffering, and forgiveness.
Later in Key Stage 4 students complete a curriculum based on sociological analysis of religion where they complete a research analysis of the census; theological interpretation of religion comparing and understanding scriptures; and philosophical and ethical debate where they analyse and debate thought experiments and consider the application of religious beliefs within philosophy.
Assessment at Key Stage 4
Religious Studies AQA 8062/MA
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Paper 1: Study of Religion: Islam & Christianity Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes 102 marks 50% of GCSE |
Islam: Beliefs and Teachings, Islam: Practices Christianity: Beliefs and Teachings Christianity: Practices |
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes 99 marks 50% of GCSE |
Relationships and Family Religion and Life Peace and Conflict Crime and Punishment |
Enrichment
The department offers subject-specific enrichment clubs and organises educational visits throughout the year, including to local religious places of worship. Pupils can take part in school-wide, local and national competitions, designed to increase their engagement and enhance their subject knowledge. Speakers are invited to enrich student knowledge, these include representatives from other faith and non-faith backgrounds in order for pupils to gain a deeper appreciation of experiences and viewpoints from faiths other than their own. Pupils have access to frequently updated digital platforms which our teachers use to enrich pupil understanding of the curriculum by referring to current affairs.
Careers
The study of Religious Studies and Philosophy can lead to careers ranging from charity fundraiser, mediator, and youth worker to equality, diversion and inclusion officer, chaplain and editorial assistant. The thinking developed through religious studies promotes the skills needed by critical thinkers in industry and therefore provide excellent transferable skills.