The aim of the curriculum is to offer students an understanding of some of the major world faiths and world views whilst allowing students to reflect on their own beliefs and views. Students should understand the lens in which they view the world and where this sits in relation to others. Students are also undertaking a curriculum, that not only helps them to understand key religious and non-religious beliefs, but also to tackle some challenging philosophical and ethical questions which helps to embed challenge within the curriculum. It is important that students understand the impact of the religious and philosophical ideas throughout history, helping to comprehend how society has been shaped by such beliefs. Students are also asked to develop subject specific skills. Assessments are formatted so that students can practice the skill of evaluation which requires them to engage with both sides of an argument and form their own judgement. Other subject skills they will practice include:
- Explaining
- Summarising
- Comparing and contrasting
- Justifying
- Analysis of religious/ non-religious texts
The curriculum focuses on just some of the major world faiths and views to ensure that a suitable amount of depth can be gone into, avoiding superficial understandings of a broader range of worldviews. Themes have also been revisited across the three-year curriculum plan to ensure that depth can be built on across the time of study. Opportunities have been taken to also create cross curricular links with subjects like history, English literature, art and geography. The aim here is that students can understand how the worldviews and philosophical ideas they are studying have impacted and influenced society; illustrating the relevance of the subject.
Key Stage 3 - Years 7, 8 and 9
| Year 7, Terms 1-6 |
| 7.1 |
Exodus |
| 7.2 |
The Gospels |
| 7.3 |
What does it mean to be Sikh? |
| 7.4-7.5 |
What does it mean to be Muslim? |
| 7.6 |
Heroes and Leaders |
| Year 8, Terms 1-6 |
| 8.1 |
Humanism |
| 8.2 |
Belonging |
| 8.3 |
What does it mean to be an active member of society? |
| 8.4-8.5 |
Pilgrimages |
| 8.6 |
Does religion promote equality? |
| Year 9, Terms 1-6 |
| 9.1 |
War and Peace |
| 9.2 |
Ethics |
| 9.3-9.4 |
Who owns life? |
| 9.5-9.6 |
Philosophy |
Religious Studies GCSE - Years 10, 11
| Year 10, Terms 1-6 |
| 10.1 |
Religion Crime and Punishment - Looks at religious views on crime and punishment including capital punishment, the causes of crime and the aims of punishment. |
| 10.2 |
Christian Beliefs and Teachings |
| 10.3 |
Christian Practices |
| 10.4 |
Theme A: Religion and Life |
| 10.5 |
Islam Beliefs and Teachings |
| 10.6 |
Islam Practices |
| Year 11, Terms 1-6 |
| 11.1 |
Religion Peace and Conflict |
| 11.2 |
Relationships and Families |
| 11.3-11.4 |
Revision |
Philosophy, Religion and Ethics A Level - Years 12, 13
| Year 12, Terms 1-6 |
| 12.1 |
Philosophy of Religion- Ancient Influences/ Soul, Mind and Body/ Arguements for the existence of God/ Religious Experience/ Problem of Evil |
| 12.2 |
Arguments for existence of God continued/ Religious experience/ Problem of Evil |
| 12.3 |
Ethics- Normative ethical theories |
| 12.4 |
Ethics - normative ethics continued Applied Ethics - Euthanasia and Buissness |
| 12.5 |
Developments in Christian thought- Augustine on human nature/ Death and afterlife/ Knowledge of God's exitence/ Jesus Christ |
| 12.6 |
Christian moral principles and action |
| Year 13, Terms 1-5 |
| 13.1 |
Philosophy of Religion Nature of God/ Religious Language |
| 13.2 |
Religious language/ Meta- ethics/ Concsience |
| 13.3 |
Pluralism/ Gender |
| 13.4 |
The challenge of secularism/ Liberation theology |
| 13.5 |
Revision |
