The students will embark on their Religious Studies journey by looking at an overview of what religion is. They study topics such as life after death, holy buildings and in December, the story of Christmas. At the end of this topic students are given the opportunity to use all their knowledge to design their own religion. They will have to design a symbol, create a holy book, decide what their holy building will look like and formulate a name for their religion. We follow the term by learning the story of Easter and navigating their way through the Bible. The year is tailed off by having an in depth look at Sikhism. This topic will see the students getting involved with Bhangra dancing and a comparison of the Sikh culture with traditional British culture.
Our students will be introduced to the second largest world religion, Islam. This gives the students an excellent opportunity to ask questions and overcome some common misconceptions. We introduce the five pillars and explore each one individually. Students are encouraged to create their own pilgrimage after studying Hajj and the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. The following term we dive into the story of Moses, students are encouraged to critically analyse the story and the relevance it has today. In term three students are introduced to moral issues and ethics, they are asked to consider what the word moral actually means. They begin to question how morality is shown in today’s society and what the word may mean to individuals, society and different cultures. We look at morality in connection with current issues which include women in the media, bullying, alcohol and forgiveness.
What is racism? The first term of Year 9 students are introduced to three figures of history- Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Through the life stories and events that took place, we study racism and how views of racism can be linked to religion, culture and society. We also ask the students if racism exists today and encourage students to study the news and use recent examples to conclude if racism is still a global issue. In the second term students will continue their religious studies journey looking at all aspects of Buddhism. Who is Buddah? What do Buddhist believe? Is there life after death? Within this topic students get a taste of Buddhism by getting the opportunity to meditate. Term three sees students consider matters of life after death and looking at various ethical issues surrounding this. Students are encouraged to discuss and debate issues such as abortion and euthanasia and they study various religions standpoints on the issues presented. Within this term students are asked to draw their own conclusions and formulate their own opinions.
Welcome to all our GCSE students! We begin to delve into the GCSE curriculum following the Edexcel exam board’s syllabus. This course is designed for students who want to have debates and discussions surrounding moral issues in today’s society, encouraging them to question and critically analyse. They will focus on two of the largest global religions, Christianity and Islam, drawing their background knowledge from Key Stage 3. They will begin the year studying the core beliefs of both religions. Within Christianity they will study philosophical issues such as the problem of evil as well as looking at theories of creationism and understanding the concept of the Holy Trinity. In term three students are able to use their philosophical thinking to look at matters of life and death. They will study the scientific theory of evolution and The Big Bang and compare that to the Christian view of creationism. They will be encouraged to question both religion and science and evaluate which they believe is the most convincing. Embedded in this year is philosophy, ethics, morality and religion.
With students now having a solid knowledge of some of the core religious beliefs for our two religions, we are able to build on this in preparation for their exams. We begin the year by exploring what it’s like to live the Christian life and the Muslim life. What is expected of the individual? How do they worship? What does morality mean to each of the religions? Their next step into the world of GCSE RE is to consider crime and punishment. Students are given various examples of crimes and they are encouraged to draw their own conclusions on what is morally right. Should capital punishment be reinstated in the UK? Should we forgive all crimes? Is prison enough of a punishment? Should torture be used? Throughout the GCSE course students will need to formulate their own opinions and critically analyse various philosophical and ethical issues which are relevant in today’s society.
Philosophy, ethics, developments in Christian thought, does that sound interesting to you? Studying RS through to A Level will give you the opportunity to open your mind, consider your own morality and get to know our ancient philosophers as well as some current thinkers. You will be given the opportunity to critically analyse the core beliefs of the Christian faith, looking closely into death and the afterlife and Christian moral principles. You will get to know about Plato's cave and the problem of evil, why Aquinas developed Natural Law, and how different situations can influence your moral decision making?
Now you’ve got this far, let's dig deeper into the world of RS. In Year 13 you’ve developed your philosophical thinking, your ethical moral decision making and you have a sound understanding of the developments in Christian thought. The opportunity to learn about the importance of religious language, to consider the role or existence of a conscience or to criticise the thoughts and feelings of Richard Dawkins will lead you into the world of university and employment opportunities.
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| Learning Journey RE 2023 |