Religious Education
Aims of the Religious Education Department
In the RE department we aim to affirm the intrinsic value and importance of each pupil.
Ensure that all learners have the opportunity to grow in their faith and provide a curriculum that challenges every individual academically, morally and spiritually.
We teach, by example, the Gospel values of Jesus in order to promote the Catholic faith.
We aim to offer pupils the opportunity to develop and deepen their ability to think and act ethically and to be aware of the impact of religious commitment in everyday life. We seek to deliver a graced understanding of the world in the belief that when we educate each other it is through the mediation of God’s Word.
With an emphasis on ‘Faith in Action’ and personal ministry we aim to nurture the belief that each individual is called to love and serve God in the community, both locally and globally. The Church’s love for peace and justice is part of Her constant tradition.
Staff Names and Roles
Mr McDevitt (Curriculum Leader)
Mr Brown
Broad General Education Course Layout: S1 Syllabus
Main Text: The New Religion for Living Book 1.
Term 1:
Section B: Foundations of Religion-Christianity
PART 1 - The Context
PART 2 - Evidence about Jesus
Term 2:
Section B: Foundations of Religion-Christianity
PART 3 - The person and Preaching of Jesus
PART 4 - The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Called to Love
The Archdiocese programme of Sex and Relationships Education - S1 Created in Love
Term 3:
Section B: Foundations of Religion-Christianity
PART 5 - Faith in Christ
Broad General Education Course Layout: S2 Syllabus
Main Text: Religion for Living Book 2
Term 1: Section C: Foundations of Religion - Judaism
PART 1: The Context
Lesson 1: The Fertile Crescent
Lesson 2: Life in Abraham's Time
PART 2: Sources of Evidence
Lesson 3: Abraham
Lesson 4: Moses
Lesson 7: Oral and Written Tradition
PART 3: Rites of Passage and other Rituals
Ritual
Worship
Sign and Worship
Prayer
PART 4: Development of Tradition
Lesson 20: The Holocaust
Term 2: Section D: The Question of Faith
PART 2: The Beginnings of Faith
Lesson 5: Looking at Life
Lesson 6: Asking Questions
Lesson 7: Finding Answers
PART 3: The Growth of Faith
Lesson 8: The Old Testament
Lesson 9: The New Testament
Lesson 10: What God is Like
Lesson 11: Stages of Faith
Called to Love:
The Archdiocese programme of Sex and Relationships Education: S2 Growing in Love
Term 3: Section D: The Question of Faith
PART 4: The Expression of Faith
Lesson 12: Prayer and Worship
Lesson 13: Way of Life
Lesson 14: Faithful People
PART 5: Challenges of Faith
Lesson 15: World Views
Lesson 16: Science and Religion (1)
Lesson 17: Science and Religion (2)
Broad General Education Course Layout: S3 Syllabus
Main Text: Religion for Living Book 3
Term 1: Section E: The Celebrating of Faith: Christianity
PART 1: The World of Ritual
Lesson 3: Places of Worship
Lesson 4: Thee Liturgical Year
PART 2: The Experience of Worship
Lesson 5: Worship
Lesson 6: Ritual
Lesson 7: The Mass
PART 3: Worship as a Response to Mystery
Lesson 8: Mystery in Life
Lesson 9: Response to Mystery
PART 4: Sign and Symbol
Lesson 10: Sign and Symbol
Lesson 11: Icons
Lesson 12; Sacraments
Lesson 13: Sacrament of Baptism
PART 5: Prayer
Term 2: Section F: The Moral Challenge
PART 1: Introduction to Morality
Lesson 1: Morality
Lesson 2: Free to Choose
Lesson 3: Actions and Consequences
Lesson 4: Relationships
PART 2: Sources of Morality
Lesson 5: Codes of Behaviour
Lesson 6: Sources of Morality
Lesson 7: The Ten Commandments
Lesson 8: The Commandment of Love
Lesson 9: The Wisdom of Others
Called to Love:
The Archdiocese programme of Sex and Relationships Education: S3 Living Love
Term 3: Section F: The Moral Challenge
PART 3: Growing in Morality
Lesson 10: Developing Morality (i)
Lesson 11: Developing Morality (ii)
Lesson 12: Conscience
PART 4: Challenges to Faith
Lesson 13: Making Moral Decisions
Lesson 14: Social Justice
Lesson 15: Respect for Life
Lesson 16: Care for the Earth
Lesson 17: Moral Failure
Lesson 18: Healing Broken Relationships
S4 Course Outline
Main Text: Catholic Christianity: Unit C Religion and Life based on a study of Catholic Christianity.
Term 1
CHAPTER 1: Believing in God
Factfile 1: Catholic Upbringing and Belief in God
Factfile 2: Religious Experience and Belief in God
Factfile 3: The Appearance of the World and Belief in God
Factfile 4: Other Reasons for Believing in God
Factfile 5: Why Some People Do Not Believe in God
Factfile 6: Evil and Suffering
Factfile 7: The Nature and Importance of Prayer
CHAPTER 3: Marriage and Family Life
Factfile 15: Social facts on Marriage, Divorce and Family Life
Factfile 16: Christian Teachings on Divorce
Factfile 17:Christian Teachings on the Family
Factfile 18: Catholic Teachings on the Family
Called to Love:
The Archdiocese programme of Sex and Relationships Education: S4 Committed in Love
Term 2
CHAPTER 4: Social Harmony
Factfile 21: Equal Rights for Men and Women
Factfile 22: Bible Teachings on the Roles of Men and Women
Factfile 23: Christian Attitudes to the Roles of Men and Women
Factfile 24: The UK as a Multi - Ethnic Society
Factfile 25: Catholic Teachings which Promote Racial Harmony
Factfile 26: The UK as a Multi - Faith Society
Factfile 27: Christian Attitudes to other Religions
Factfile 28: Religions Working Together
CHAPTER 5: Religion and the Media
Factfiles: 29, 30, 31 and 32.
CHAPTER 6: Religion, Wealth and Poverty
Factfiles: 33, 34, 35 and 36.
Unit J Catholic Christianity
CHAPTER 7: Beliefs and Values
Factfiles: 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43.
CHAPTER 8: Community and Tradition
Factfiles: 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48.
Term 3
CHAPTER 9: Worship and Celebration
Factfiles: 49 - 57.
CHAPTER 10: Living the Christian Life
Factfiles: 58 - 63.
CHAPTER 11: A Place of Christian Worship
Factfiles: 64-67.
Chapter 12: Christian Vocation
Factfiles: 68 - 71.
S5 Course Outline
Main Text: Today's Issues and Christian Beliefs
Term 1
PART 1: Making Moral Decisions
1. Why bother Studying Morality?
2. The Bible and Ethics
3. Christianity: The Love and Principle
4. God, Human beings and Morality
PART 2:The Family
5. Marriage (1)
6. Marriage (2)
7. Christians and the Family
8. Sex
Called to Love:
The Archdiocese programme of Sex and Relationships Education: S5 Faithful in Love
PART 3: Citizenship Issues
15. Christias and work: Equal Rights for Men and Women
16. Substance Abuse
17. Crime and Punishment
18. Capital Punishment
19. Christianity in the Media
PART 4: Mutual Responsibility
20. Racism (1)
21. Racism (2)
22. Asylum
23. Christianity and other Religions
24. Christianity and Art
25. Sexism
26. Disability
27. Suicide and Euthanasia
28. Forgiveness
Term 3
PART 5: Religion and World Issues
29. Poverty (1)
30. Poverty (2)
31. Poverty (3)
32. Poverty (4)
33. Christian Attitudes to War
34. Pacifism and Terrorism
35. Nuclear Weapons
36. Green Issues
37. Animal Rights
PART 6: Is Religion True?
38. What is God?
39. What Caused the Universe?
40. The Argument from Design
41. Experience of God
42. The Problem of Pain
43. Christian Beliefs about Life after Death
44. Fear of Death
S6 Course Outline
Main Text: Mark's Gospel
Themes: Faith in Action/Discipleship/Moral Choices
Term 1
CHAPTER 1 : Discipleship
CHAPTER 2: Conflict and Argument
Called to Love:
The Archdiocese programme of Sex and Relationships Education: S6 Responsible in Love
Term 2
CHAPTER 3: Death and Resurrection
CHAPTER 4: The Identity of Jesus
Higher RMPS
The Higher RMPS course will challenge learners to develop critical thinking skills and learn how to construct a well-researched response to the religious, ethical and philosophical issues that are raised during the delivery of the subject. The content of the course is demanding and requires a high level of maturity and commitment to independent research that is essential and necessary for success in this course.
The Course Outline
1. World Religion: Christianity
Whether you consider yourself a religious person or not, religion has played a very important role in most cultures throughout history. Humans have engaged in religious practices and activities, such as worship, prayer and rituals marking rites of passage, for a very long time. All religious traditions address fundamental questions about human existence; give meaning to the lives of those who believe in their orthodoxy, and influences people’s actions. One of the reasons we study religion is to deepen our understanding of ourselves and others.
The course will require the study of a world religion in detail. Learners will explore the beliefs, practices and historical foundations of Christianity. They will also examine the relevance and importance of religion in contemporary culture.
2. Morality and Belief: Medical Ethics
Looking at the ethics or morality of something means looking at the right or wrong of it, the good or bad of it, the humanity or inhumanity of it. Knowing right from wrong is one of the qualifications for being a well-functioning member of a just and fair society. Learners will be required to make the link between ethical theory and the practical reality of solving problems that present in the real world of medicine. Applying theory to real life scenarios will provide learners with the opportunity to examine the strengths and weaknesses of religious and non-religious theories of morality.
3. Religious and Philosophical Question: The Origins of Life
Philosophy has been studied for thousands of years. It involves the use of reason and argument to search for the truth about reality and the nature of things. It is used to explore the complexity of The Human Condition and the nature of existence. In this part of the course learners will explore the relationship between Science and Religion. When it comes to the study of origins two different paradigms of knowledge will be explored. The Christian narrative offers an explanation of the beginnings of life and the universe and this has been challenged by scientific explanations about the origins of life.
4. Assignment: Personal Research Project
The topic and question for this research assignment are selected by individuals from any section of the work covered by the course. Writing a dissertation/assignment requires a range of planning and research skills that will be of great value for future careers or studies. Learners use their own discernment about the choice of topic and are expected to have some understanding and interest in the theory and literature on their chosen area.