The Religious Studies Department

Ofsted quote from Feburary 2007:

‘Students' cultural and spiritual development is also outstanding and many opportunities
are taken to celebrate the cultural diversity within the academy.’

There are 2 dedicated rooms to Religious Studies both with interactive whiteboards and one with computers. The department is well stocked with textbooks, religious artefacts and DVDs. There are a number of interactive packages on the main frame that students can use for research and interactive activities during lessons.

Key Philosophy and Religious Studies Skills are:

• interpretation
• reflection
• empathy
• evaluation
• synthesis
• application
• expression

Key Stage 3

Is taught in carousels, so that students are doing humanities in rotation and thus are taught in two sections.

In Year 7 it is taught through ‘The Island’, a serious of lessons where students set up their own community and look at the various aspects of belonging and rules required to live in a society. This is then applied to the case study of Jerusalem, a multi-faith society whereby we draw parallels to our own school community. In the second carousel students look at Sources of Moral Authority, how we make moral decisions and what influence, if any, religion, religious and non-religious leaders and the media affect how we make choices.

In Year 8 students begin with ‘Happiness and Suffering’; which explores how humans can find happiness looking in particular at Buddhism and relating it to other religions in the human search for peace, which is followed by how humans cope with suffering and evil, examining the death penalty, forgiveness and the Holocaust. In the second carousel we explore ‘Expressing Spirituality’; which looks at how different cultures and religions have expressed their beliefs, values and spirituality, at each stage students are encouraged to reflect and express their own beliefs and values.

In Year 9 students begin their GCSE short course that they complete in Year 10. In the first term we examine Religion and Science, how science and religion have explained the existence of the universe, what is man’s role in the world and how we can protect the environment, as many religious believers see it is their duty to God to care for the planet. In the second term students look at Medical Ethics, examining religious beliefs about Abortion, Fertility Treatment, Euthanasia, suicide and animal research.
 

Key Stage 4

In Year 10 all students complete their GCSE Short Course by studying Religion and Human Relationships from a Christian perspective, where we look at marriage, divorce, sexual relationships, contraception and the roles of men and women. Lastly we look at the topic of Good and Evil from a Jewish Perspective, examining Jewish responses to the suffering in the Holocaust, Jewish beliefs about the nature of God and Satan, as well as how we know the right way to behave morally. Students sit the Short Course paper in May, the grade is then added to their overall results at the end of Year 11.