Religion Philosophy & Ethics

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT GREAT MARLOW SCHOOL

The aims of RE at Great Marlow School are therefore those of the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus. These are to enable students to:

1. Understand the nature, role and significance of religion and belief in the world
2. Pursue their personal quest for meaning, purpose and value
3. Formulate reasoned opinion/argument and handle controversial issues and truth claims
4. Enter into meaningful dialogue with people of different beliefs and backgrounds, being able to appreciate and celebrate diversity, recognising what we hold in common and maintaining a respect for shared human values that can be experienced, expressed and responded to in diverse ways

Complementing this, our curriculum statement intends to:

1. Explore and engage with the world’s main religions from a range of broad perspectives
2. Learn about religions and beliefs that have influenced the lives of millions in our world
3. Enable students to reflect more deeply on their own and others’ identities
4. Appreciate wider British values, such as freedom of speech and tolerance

Religious Education KS4 & KS5

KEY STAGE 3 RELIGIOUS STUDIES

At Key Stage 3, students are taught about Christianity, Sikhism and Buddhism, as well as building on the understanding of Muslim, Jewish and Hindu religions studied in primary schools.

There are a number of concepts investigated through the study of these world religions.  These include: ideas of God; the problem of suffering and evil; authority; and science and religion.

PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Year 7

Half term 1 – What are my beliefs and values? 

Half term 2 and half term 3 – How do people express their spirituality? 

Half term 4 and half term 5 – How and why does religion have authority over people? 

Half term 6 – How can we answer life’s ultimate questions? 

Year 8

Half term 1 – Why is love, hope and resilience so important?

Half term 2 Why is Jesus important?

Half term 3 and half term 4 – How should we respond to wealth, poverty and abuses of human rights?  

Half term 5 and half term 6 – How can I represent my views creatively?  

Year 9

Half term 1 and half term 2 – Science and religions – friends or enemies? 

Half term 3 and half-term 4 –  Why is Jesus important?

Half term 5 and half term 6 – Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

KEY STAGE 4 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Religious Studies is an options subject for Years 10 and 11. Those students studying the course will do Religious Studies GCSE AQA Specification A 8062. It consists of two components.

Component 1: The study of religious beliefs, teachings and practices

Within this unit we study core beliefs and teachings of Christianity and Islam, as well as the influence of their beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, communities and societies.

For example, these are the beliefs, teachings and practices that are studied in Christianity:

Beliefs and Teachings – Key Beliefs

• The nature of God: God as omnipotent, loving and just, and the problem of evil and suffering; the oneness of God and the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3).
• Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.

Jesus Christ and Salvation

• Beliefs and teachings about: the incarnation and Jesus as the Son of God; the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension; sin, including original sin; the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit; the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement.

Practices

Worship and festivals

Different forms of worship and their significance: liturgical, non-liturgical and informal, including the use of the Bible; private worship.

Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.

The role and meaning of the sacraments: the meaning of sacrament; the sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians; infant and believers’ baptism; different beliefs about infant baptism; the sacrament of Holy Communion/Eucharist and its significance for Christians, including different ways in which it is celebrated and different interpretations of its meaning.

The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including: two contrasting examples of Christian pilgrimage: Lourdes and Iona; the celebrations of Christmas and Easter, including their importance for Christians in Great Britain today.

The role of the church in the local and worldwide community

The role of the Church in the local community, including food banks and street pastors.

The place of mission, evangelism and Church growth.

The importance of the worldwide Church including: working for reconciliation; how Christian churches respond to persecution; the work of one of the following: Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian Aid, Tearfund.

Component 2: Thematic studies

This unit encourages students to consider different religious, philosophical and ethical arguments and their impact and influence in the modern world. They analyse different perspectives on the issues studied, within and/or between religions, as well as non-religious views.

We study four units within this component from a choice of:

• relationships and families;
• religion and life;
• the existence of God and revelation;
• religion, peace and conflict;
• religion, crime and punishment;
• religion, human rights and social justice.

A sample unit is Religion and Life:

The origins and value of the universe

The origins of the universe, including: religious teachings about the origins of the universe, and different interpretations of these; the relationship between scientific views, such as the Big Bang theory, and religious views.

The value of the world and the duty of human beings to protect it, including religious teaching about stewardship, dominion, responsibility, awe and wonder.

The use and abuse of the environment, including the use of natural resources, pollution.

The use and abuse of animals, including: animal experimentation; the use of animals for food.

The origins and value of human life

The origins of life, including: religious teachings about the origins of human life, and different interpretations of these; the relationship between scientific views, such as evolution, and religious views.

A sample unit is Religion and Life:

The origins and value of the universe

The origins of the universe, including: religious teachings about the origins of the universe, and different interpretations of these; the relationship between scientific views, such as the Big Bang theory, and religious views.

The value of the world and the duty of human beings to protect it, including religious teaching about stewardship, dominion, responsibility, awe and wonder.

The use and abuse of the environment, including the use of natural resources, pollution.

The use and abuse of animals, including: animal experimentation; the use of animals for food.

The origins and value of human life

The origins of life, including: religious teachings about the origins of human life, and different interpretations of these; the relationship between scientific views, such as evolution, and religious views.

The concepts of sanctity of life and the quality of life.

Abortion, including situations when the mother’s life is at risk.

Ethical arguments related to abortion, including those based on the sanctity of life and quality of life.

Euthanasia.

Beliefs about death and an afterlife, and their impact on beliefs about the value of human life.

Assessment

There are two written papers (each worth 50%). Each examination paper requires a mix of shorter response answers and more extended responses requiring specific religious and philosophical knowledge.

Both components are examined at the end of Year 11.