Welcome

Welcome to the R.E Department, R.E is offered to all students form Year 7, those who enjoy the subject can take it at GCSE Level. R.E teaches Students about the religions around the world and how diversity and inclusivity effects us all.

 

What is taught each academic year?

Each year four topics are introduced, it is expected for all students to understand each topic at a level where they feel comfortable to apply what they have learnt to any case study presented.

Year 7 

• Topic 1- What is God like?
• Topic 2- How and why do people worship?
• Topic 3 – Symbolism
• Topic 4 – What are we doing to the environment?

Year 8 

• Topic 1- Why is hard to believe in God?
• Topic 2 – Festivals
• Topic 3- What does justice mean to Christians?
• Topic 4 – Faith in action (charity)

Year 9

• Topic 1 – Has science ditched God?
• Topic 2- Pilgrimage
• Topic 3 – Human rights and social injustice
• Topic 4 – Religion, peace and conflict

GCSE

The content, students are expected to know and understand at GCSE level is compromised into two components.

Component One

The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices

• • Christianity
  • Islam

Component Two

Thematic Study

• • Religion and Life
  • Religion, peace and conflict
  • Religion, crime and punishment
  • Religion, human rights and social justice

The text book that GCSE Students use is:

Religious Studies A Christianity, Religious Studies A Islam published by Oxford

 

A Level

At A Level, students are expected to understand the concepts of R.E deeper and will feel confident in critically analysing and debating religious issues.

Component One: Philosophy of religion and ethics

Section A: Philosophy of religion

• • Arguments for the existence of God
  • Evil and suffering
  • Religious experience
  • Religious language
  • Miracles
  • Self and life after death.

Section B: Ethics and religion

• • Ethical theories
  • Issues of human life and death
  • Issues of animal life and death
  • Introduction to meta ethics
  • Free will and moral responsibility
  • Conscience
  • Bentham and Kant.

Component 2: Study of religion and dialogues

Section A: Study of religion – the following topics are covered:

• • Sources of wisdom and authority
  • God/gods/ultimate reality
  • Self, death and the afterlife
  • Good conduct and key moral principles
  • Expression of religious identity
  • Religion, gender and sexuality
  • Religion and science
  • Religion and secularisation
  • Religion and religious pluralism.

Section B: The dialogue between philosophy of religion and religion.

• • How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on philosophy of religion in relation to the issues studied.

Section C: The dialogue between ethical studies and religion.

• • How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on ethical studies in relation to the issues studied.

The textbook which is used at A Level is: Textbooks: Religious Studies for A- Level  Year 1, Religious Studies for A-Level Year 2 published by Hodder Education