Religious Education
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things." - Philippians 4:4-9
How can Religious Education help me?
Religious Studies asks the toughest philosophical and ethical questions in the universe like ‘Why are we here?’ ‘What happens when we die? ‘What is it to be a ‘good’ person?’
Religious Studies is highly valued by colleges, universities and employers for the critical thinking skills it develops, and any job in which you work with other people requires religious literacy. The skills developed are particularly useful for careers in law, politics, social work, education and the media. This is a broad and rich subject that links well with other subject areas, for example, English, History, Sociology, Psychology and Politics. It also complements Science, particularly for those who wish to follow a career in medicine.
Course Content
The course outline is varied and rigorous and will give you the opportunity to study Christianity and Islam in depth from philosophical and ethical viewpoints through topics which are engaging and relevant to you, such as ‘Relationships and Family’ and ‘Religion & Life’. During this time we aim to develop your knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Islam and other worldviews that offer answers to challenging questions. These are some of the challenging topics we will look at:
Christian Beliefs and Practises
Religion, Crime and Punishment
Islamic Beliefs and Practises
Religion, Peace and Conflict
Religion and Life
Relationship and Family
"RE is an excellent subject to put as much attention and focus to as possible, because it provides valuable life skills of understanding and being accepting of people regardless of their beliefs"
Methods of Study
Lessons include reading, written work, essays, debates, group discussions, presentations, role-plays, videos and occasionally, outside speakers. There is a focus on critical thinking and deepening your independent understanding of philosophical and ethical ideas within the Christian and Muslim traditions.
Assessment
At GCSE level, all students will study the AQA GCSE full course in Religious Studies. We follow the AQA Examination Board, Option A.
Assessment is by examination only. You will be given regular written assessments at the end of each unit to assess your knowledge and understanding, as well as doing practice exam questions in lessons. There are regular revision sessions to help prepare for final exams.
Useful Links
Find out more about the course via the AQA website
Here are a number of websites that we will direct you to in Year 10, why not have a look and see if you find a topic that interests you?!