“The UK has a rich heritage of culture and diversity. This is continuing today in an era of globalisation and an increasingly interdependent world. Religion and belief for many people forms a crucial part of their culture and identity.
Religion and beliefs have become more visible in public life locally, nationally and internationally. The impact of religion on society and public life is constantly brought to public attention through extensive media coverage. The rapid pace of development in scientific and medical technologies and the environmental debate continue to present new issues, which raise religious, moral and social questions.”
From: Religious Education in Schools: Non-Statutory Guidance 2010
The aims of RE at Great Marlow School are therefore those of the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus. These are to enable students to:
Complementing this, our curriculum statement intends to:
The Wider Curriculum allows students to take a further interest in their subjects and subject related material they study at school. The Wider Curriculum also enables parents and carers to actively engage with the opportunities offered by each department. Each PDF is hyperlinked, so when you click on them, the links will take you to areas where you may read, view, listen, visit and be creative.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES WIDER CURRICULUM KS3 | RELIGIOUS STUDIES WIDER CURRICULUM KS4 | |
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.
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
Jesus Christ and Salvation
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:
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.