The GCSE qualification in Religious Studies will aid your skills in critical reasoning and debate, whilst also providing you with a unique insight into a wide range of beliefs, practices, traditions and cultures. The content is both interesting and contemporary exploring both religious and non-religious views; helping learners to make sense of the complex and ever-changing world in which we live.
Two Exams. They are 1 hour and 45 minutes long and each one is worth 50% of the course.
“An unexamined life is not worth living”
- Socrates (Ancient Greek Philosopher)
Religious Studies is the only subject that explores a wide range of ideas surrounding the purpose of human existence.
Learners will complete two 1hr 45min written exam papers at the end of the course.
Paper 1: The Study of Religions: Beliefs, Teachings and Practices.
Students will study Christianity and Islam and investigate the following themes within them:
Key beliefs about the nature of God, creation and the afterlife.
Worship, pilgrimage, duties and key festivals
The role of the religion in the local and worldwide community; including charity work, issues of persecution, mission and evangelism.
Paper 2: Religious Thematic Studies
Students will study 4 themes:
Relationships and families: sex, marriage, homosexuality, divorce, families and gender equality.
Religion, Peace and Conflict: assessing key ideas on nuclear weapons, justice, peace keeping, violence, terrorism, responses to victims of war and 21st century war.
Religion, Crime and Punishment: assessing reasons for crime, different types of crime, aims of punishment, forgiveness and the death penalty.
Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice: investigating human rights, religious freedom, prejudice and discrimination, status and roles of women, wealth, exploitation and social justice.
Pupils will also gain additional learning opportunities through trips to Chichester Cathedral GCSE Study day and an exciting mix of guest speakers to further enrich learning.
This course is useful to learners who are interested in cultural diversity and religion. People who like discussions and are comfortable with the notion that there is not always a right or wrong answer like the subject. There are lots of key terms to remember, so we recommend revising them regularly. There are also many long-mark questions, which means that you need to be able to structure paragraphs well, but we will support you in preparing for these extended pieces of writing. We do cover delicate issues, whilst we appreciate and ask for opinions, the subject needs to be approached in a mature manner and we ask that you respect other peoples’ contributions.
Religious Studies is suitable for most careers as it deals with the important questions that affect us all in daily life. Furthermore, the course allows you to develop skills of analysing, debating and evaluating in a supportive and respectful environment. Specific career choices which relate to Religious Studies include:
Secondary School Teaching
Charity Officers
Advice Workers
Counsellors
Civil Servants