religious STUDIES

In Religious Studies you will learn to:

• Adopt a critical, enquiring and comparative approach to the study of Christianity and Islam.

• Explore key ethical concepts, reflecting on fundamental questions, engaging with them intellectually and evaluating commonly-held views.

• Enhance your spiritual and moral development, learning how to look at both sides of an argument objectively and considering the impact and significance of commonly-held beliefs in a world-wide context.

• Enhance your personal, social and cultural development, developing your awareness of divergent world cultures and the common values of all religions and belief systems.

• Develop your awareness of and interest in religious, philosophical and ethical questions, and relate these to the real world.

• Reflect on and develop your own values, opinions and attitudes in light of what you learn.

• Be more open to different ideas and attitudes and see how people’s beliefs have changed over time. 

The Religion and Philosophy team make extensive use of ICT and interactive learning, and there is an emphasis on developing your oracy skills through class discussion and debates.  There is also a strong focus on essay writing, as this is the medium of the final GCSE exams.

After-school revision clubs are available throughout the year, open to all year groups, where help is offered in small groups and tailored specifically to individual needs.

All information for this course is produced in an interactive format that can be accessed on your iPads and through Google Classroom. Independent Study is structured to encourage you to understand the exam technique from the start.

Are you someone who likes to express their opinions?  Do you wonder about the big questions of the universe that humanity keeps returning to?  Are you interested in the process that informs people’s rational, emotional and moral decisions?

Are you interested in learning how people across the world live their lives and investigate why they make the choices they do?  Do you want to look into current affairs from around the world and understand the reasons behind them?  Do you want to develop and strengthen your ability to express your ideas both in speech and writing, supporting your ideas with evidence and examples and explaining why they are relevant?  If so, Religious Studies is for you.

The course covers the following topics:

Theology – The study of ideas and concepts about God. Why do some believe God exists and others do not?  How does the Christian concept of God differ from the Islamic concept of Allah? What do believers think happens after we die?

Metaphysics – The study of ideas and fundamental problems related to reality.  What is real?  How do we know?

Spirituality – Is there more to life than material things?  Do we have souls, and if so, what does that mean for us?  Does life have meaning?  What is the conscience?  How do people experience God?

Morality and ethics – What is moral?  What is immoral?  Who decides, and how?  Why are there different views on what is ethical and what is not?  How do people decide what is right and what is wrong?  What is meant by the sanctity of life?

Contemporary issues – What new ethical problems have arisen in the modern world?  Should people have a right to die?  Is genetic manipulation wrong?  Do humans have a responsibility towards the planet, and animal species – is climate change immoral?  Is it right to go to war to kill terrorists?  Is it right to murder terrorists covertly?  Is it fair to use drone strikes?  What is the point of nuclear weaponry? Should all people have the same rights?  Do religions support equality? 

Exam Board:   OCR

Grade range for each paper:   1 – 9 (9 being the highest grade available)

You will begin learning the course content in Cohort 9, studying a mixture of philosophy, ethics and religious studies. A lot of your Independent Study will be skills-based, and focussed on exam technique. This might include planning and writing responses to 3-, 6- and 15-mark questions. In learning sessions you will develop your skills in forming balanced arguments and supporting your own opinions around ethical issues and theories with evidence and appeals to authority.  You will develop enquiry skills, empathy and the ability to argue from multiple viewpoints. Significantly, you will develop your awareness and understanding of the Christian faith – the core beliefs, the key teachings and common practices associated with it, as well as the ethical standpoints associated with its stances on interpersonal relationships, families and equality.  At the end of each module of study you will face a short assessment based on the same format as the GCSE exams; there will be a mock at the end of the year.

In Cohort 10 you will study Christian views on the existence of God, and approaches to peace and conflict.  You will then study the core beliefs, key teachings and common practices associated with Islam, developing your understanding of how Islam is practiced in different ways worldwide.  As in Cohort 9, each module will end with a brief assessment comprised of 3-, 6- and 15-mark questions, and at the end of the year will again face a mock paper.

In Cohort 11 you will study the final module of Christian philosophy, considering how Christians interact with other Christians, non-believers, and followers of other faiths. Having explored all the content, you will be given time to review all the modules and consolidate your knowledge and understanding through a combination of examination question workshops, independent research-based tasks and revision workshops.  In November you will face your official GCSE mock, which will comprise indicative versions of all three papers. 

Although not a Baccalaureate subject, there is no denying that Religious Studies GCSE is looked upon very favourably by Sixth Form colleges, due to its strong focus on essay-writing, research, analysis and the structuring of clear arguments.  Being able to hold opposing views in one’s head also shows a clarity of thought that is undoubtedly sought after.  One ancient scholar stated “Philosophy, rightly defined, is the love of wisdom”; a major high street computer games retailer told their recruitment teams “when employing staff look out for students of Religious Studies and Philosophy – they are usually very solid, reliable, thoughtful people who are likely to have good logical skills and also be able to empathise with and motivate others.”

Religious Studies develops the skills of literacy, oracy, argumentation, and research; it requires a good eye for detail and the skilful application of logic, and promotes open-mindedness and empathy.

Possible occupations linked to Religious Studies:

Lawyers (both barristers and solicitors), doctors, psychologists, police detectives, forensic investigators, public services, civil services, management, teaching, social work, youth work, childcare, archaeology, fine art, museum work, conservation/natural history, and architecture. 

Mr A Tolhurst, Subject Responsibility for Philosophy, Religion and Citizenship (atolhurst@honywoodschool.com)