Welcome to the RS Department

 

Religious Education and Religious Studies make a vital contribution to the development of every student. It encourages them to think about the spiritual, moral and ethical questions which challenge human beings. Primary resources are fundamental to this approach and the department seeks to provide interesting experiences for the pupils such as educational visits to places of worship, the Imperial War Museum in London, Auschwitz, Amsterdam and Rome as well as meeting people of different faith positions and survivors of the Holocaust.

The RS department encourages students to become more aware of themselves, of others and of the natural world. It helps students to understand that there is another element of life other than the purely physical and materialistic – the spiritual. The department seeks to encourage sensitivity, empathy and respect.

The RS department have enabled and supported the students over the last few years to achieve excellent results at GCSE.

We endeavour to educate our pupils to become confident, articulate, clear thinking, inquisitive, happy and caring adults. Our broad aims are to:

  • encourage a pupil’s search for meaning and purpose;
  • develop through a reflective approach appropriate skills for exploring, responding and expressing;
  • develop problem-solving and team-working skills;
  • encourage students to think deeply, ask questions and discuss moral and ethical issues;
  • provide insight into religion, cultures and traditions of the major world religions, and in so doing, develop students’ awareness, knowledge and understanding of their own beliefs, practices or opinions, as well as fostering positive attitudes towards other belief systems and a sensitive awareness of the different beliefs, customs and opinions of other traditions

The department has a suite of 3 specialist teaching rooms that are colourful and stimulating environments for learning. We have 4 specialist RS teachers: Mrs C Matthews (HOD); Miss N Simpson, Miss J Williams, Mrs L Bees as well as Miss H Cartlidge, Humanities Specialist. We have a resource room that has computers and a library of books and DVDs for students to access as well as religious artefacts from the 6 world religions. 

 

Key Stage 3

The core programme of study for KS3 through Christianity, Sikhism and Hinduism are:-

  • Worship and Celebration
  • Journey of Life
  • Looking for God

Topics taught in Year 7 are Festivals of Light (Divali and Christmas); An Introduction to Sikhism and Journeys of Life (Baptism and Sacred Thread ceremony). Pupils actively learn about these topics through the use of drama; hot seating; video clips; group discussion and research. Topics taught in Year 8 include Peace and Conflict and Looking for Meaning (Christianity and Hinduism).

 

Key Stage 4

At GCSE we study the WJEC Units 1 & 2 course which focuses on Ethics and Philosophy and the religions of Christianity and Judaism. There are 2 examinations which are sat across Years 10 and Year 11 and there is no coursework.  Students will examine moral and ethical issues such as Crime and Punishment; War and Peace; Medical Ethics; Prejudice and Discrimination; Relationships; Existence of God and Looking after the Planet.

Students are required to discuss the issues covered and develop their knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and teachings concerning them. Students are provided with the opportunity to visit relevant places of interest such as The Imperial War Museum in London and the Concentration Camps in Poland and in The Czech Republic. Visiting speakers such as survivors of the Holocaust and religious leaders are invited to speak to pupils throughout the year. 

Key Stage 5

At Key Stage 5 we study Ethics and Philosophy (WJEC). This popular course examines the Existence of God and Ethical Theories such as Situation Ethics and Natural Law. There are 2 examinations and no coursework. In Year 13 we again look at Ethics and Philosophy with the study of Judaism.