Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

Developing Moral Capital

Our Moral capital in REP allows students to have the opportunity to understand how REP can influence the morals that are required for life in Modern Britain. In REP we explore how religion can shape the morals and beliefs that we have and how they influence different countries and landscapes.

When participating in curricular and extracurricular activities, students frequently critique their own and each other's work and this is done with sensitivity and respect, understanding the impact of our words on others. Thus enables students to critique within the confines of British values such as  individual liberty, tolerance and mutual respect between those of different faiths and beliefs.

Developing Social Capital

In REP we aim to ensure all students are able to develop their self-awareness and understanding of their place in the world regardless of their religion or beliefs. Students in REP  will understand and be encouraged to develop their relationships with each other and with their teachers to talk openly and honestly about their experiences, opinions and beliefs.  The REP classroom is a safe space to discuss religion, ethics and philosophy.  Paired and group work to build discussion around challenging and engaging topics and share their views feature regularly in our lessons to build students’ confidence and resilience.  For example, students are invited to talk about different religions and their role in shaping modern day Britain and other countries around the world.

Developing Cultural Capital

Learning about different cultures and how religion shapes traditions and customs is a vital part of REP and our curriculum.  Within our lessons we look at different religions and the festivals that they celebrate and the traditions surrounding them.  For example we look at Ramadan and the celebration of Eid, as well as Yamim Tovim in Judaism.  We also look at different places of worship and how these places shape the communities around them.   After school clubs, home learning, national and international residential trips such as Auschwitz I and II and day visits  help students to immerse themselves in other cultures but also to understand their place in the world and in sustaining an appreciation of different religions, beliefs and cultures throughout their lives.

Developing Knowledge Capital

Our REP curriculum is designed with rich opportunities for all students to be able to succeed in the subject and this success takes many forms. They learn skills and concepts  such as debating.  A key debate that we look at through all key stages is Euthanasia and its legalisation.  Students at TTC are able to explore and develop areas of interest to them - for some students, it is religion and different beliefs; for others it is looking at the ethics surrounding parental responsibility.  REP is a knowledge and skills based subject and therefore the acquisition and application of knowledge such as key dates and figures is at the very heart of our curriculum. 

Developing Community Capital

Extracurricular clubs across the REP department such as Philosophy Club afford students the opportunity to develop their intellectual curiosity and work alongside their peers and the rest of the school community.  By doing so students learn to accept and respect cultural differences that exist within our communities. Students develop the ability to tell between right and wrong through discussion and debate in class, particularly when exploring different emotive topics.   We encourage purposeful participation in activities and events throughout the year to ensure our students are active and cognisant of their place in the community and feel able to use their voice for the good of themselves and others.

We aim to give a varied, exciting and challenging curriculum that encourages an understanding of, as well as an interest in, many religions and cultures. We believe that in a multicultural and multi-religious environment, students will have an ideal opportunity to learn about these, as well as learn from one other. We aim to challenge students to express their own beliefs while also gaining the skills necessary to evaluate a range of different opinions and ideas about philosophical questions, cultures and the role of religion in the modern world. In Year 7 students will learn about Utopia and Spiritual expression, in Year 8 they will explore Buddhism and Religion and Science. Students in Year 9 will learn about moral theories and issues and extremism in the 21st Century.

Enrichment Opportunities

At TTC we believe that all students should have the opportunity to practise their religious beliefs and non-religious beliefs, as well as learn about the religions and cultures of their fellow students. Students are invited to work on the annual Dora Love Project organised by Essex University.

Philosophy & Ethics

Students will study towards a GCSE in Philosophy & Ethics for 2.5 hours a week. This course course involves no coursework and is 100% exam which is split into two parts;

• Philosophy of World Religions (50% exam)

• Philosophical and Ethical Themes (50% exam)

 This course encourages students to think through some of the most important issues facing us all today. The ethics topics include: medical ethics, peace and conflict, and human relationships. While philosophy examines ideas such as: existence of ultimate reality, the end of life, good and evil and the holocaust, and Atheists vs Theists. This course is suitable for students who have a Grade 2b or above in English at KS3 with a passion for philosophical debate, deep topics and students who are able to think outside the box. 

Our students build strong bonds with the department and other students. You will also find that some students may not have taken the subject before which goes on to show that you can easily catch up on many aspects of the subject. The REP department encourages students to take a mature approach to studying and expects each student to be responsible for their own learning with guidance from their teachers in order to get the best out of the course and achieve excellent results.

The course at A Level is rigorous and challenging with a wide-ranging  programme of study. It is split into three units over the course of two years’, Unit 1 – Study of Philosophy, Unit 2 – Study of Ethics and Unit 3 – Study of the Development of Christian Thought. Assessment is through written examination at the end of Year 13. This will consist of three 2 hour papers.