RELIGION AND WORLD VIEWS 

(All students, to be completed and examined in summer 2024)

Course description

GCSE Religious Education gives students the opportunity to study two world religions in detail. Throughout the course students will examine the key features of Christianity and Islam and will be able to compare their similarities and differences and the role they have in the world today.  Students will study the values and traditions that form the basis of these religions and will also learn how they approach the moral issues which are evident in modern societies. In addition to these religious beliefs, the course enables students consider non-religious and humanist views.

Course structure

GCSE Religious Education is a compulsory course. Students study units during Year 9 and Year 10 and sit the GCSE unit papers at the end of Year 10, enabling more time to be spent on other core subjects in Year 11. The units studied are:

Unit 1: Philosophy and Ethics in Religion: Students will study four compulsory themes.

·       Issues of Relationships

·       Issues of Life and Death

·       Issues of Good and Evil

·       Issues of Human Rights

Unit 2: Study of Christianity: Students will study the beliefs, teachings and practices of Christianity

Unit 3: Study of a World Faith – Islam: Students will study the beliefs, teachings and practices of Islam

Students will sit 3 exam papers at the end of Year 10. One for each unit:

Unit 1: 2 hour paper making up 50% of the final qualification

(This unit will be assessed by compulsory questions focusing on knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the identified themes)

Unit 2: 1 hour paper on Christianity making up 25% of the final qualification

(This unit will be assessed by compulsory questions focusing on knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the subject content)

Unit 3: 1 hour paper on Islam making up 25% of the final qualification

(This unit will be assessed by compulsory questions focusing on knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the subject content)

Qualification: GCSE in Religious Studies

Director of Learning:  Mrs M Gillam

melina.gillam@riddlesdown.org