Religious Studies
Religion Studies is an integral subject in developing students’ knowledge and understanding within the multi-cultural and diverse world in which we live.
Our vision is to allow students to develop key skills for learning and life beyond education. Students will gain a deeper understanding of religions and explore philosophy and ethics in the modern world. Our subject develops students’ skills such as critical thinking and reasoning; it encourages them to participate through in-depth debates.
Studying Religion helps us to understand other people’s beliefs, what their beliefs and values are and why they do the things they do. It helps us to think about our own beliefs as well as looking at alternative belief systems we might want to find out about in the future. Religion helps us to think about big questions which people sometimes ask about life. We can look at some of the answers philosophers have come up with over the last five thousand Years.
We have high expectations of our students and provide a variety of opportunities for them to engage with the subject through our teaching and learning methods. Students are able to enjoy and achieve in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics through activities such as group work, role play, research and debate. We also focus on developing the students to become independent students by encouraging them to have a growth mind-set and foster a love of learning for the subject.
Some of the most important figures in history, and in the modern-world, have studied Religious Studies such as T.S.Elliot, Carol-Ann Duffy and Martin Luther King Jr. Our aim is to inspire our students to understand the importance of Religious Studies in today’s world whilst ensuring they gain the best possible results at all key stages.
KS3 Religious Studies
Our Curriculum
Students receive two hours per fortnight in Religious Studies. All sets are mixed ability.
Course Description
During the course of Key Stage 3 Religious Studies is looked at from a perspective of all the major six religions; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Students follow the Hertfordshire Agreed syllabus, a recent change from the QCA Key Stage 3 specifications. The syllabus is intended to be a foundation providing a wider understanding for the Key Stage 4 GCSE. Each topic lasts for half a term and is assessed by an end of module assessment.
Examples of topics studied are:
- Year 7: Introduction to Religion, Philosophy and Ethics; The Island; Questions of Life: An introduction to Philosophy; Jesus (Man or God?); Sikhism (Individual and Community); Christian Justice.
- Year 8: Judaism; Life after Death; Is there peace in power? (Gandhi and Martin Luther King); Christianity; Islam.
- Year 9: Buddhism; Suffering and Evil; Is it ever right to fight?; A Life for a Life?; GCSE RS: AQA – Introduction: Diversity within Judaism
Homework/Extended Learning
Homework is set on a fortnightly basis, alternating between written tasks and literacy specific tasks to widen knowledge through reading and vocabulary extension
