Religious Education

RE Key Stage 3 Curriculum Plan September 2023

RE Key Stage 4 Curriculum Plan September 2023

Rationale

Religious Education contributes to the education of young people by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. In RE pupils learn about and from religions and worldviews in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. The reasoning is to learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from a variety of different sources, to develop and express insights in response and to agree or disagree respectfully. 

RE is a vital subject to study as we live in such a diverse society with differing faiths and beliefs therefore it is important that pupils are encouraged to respect all people. This subject challenges prejudice, discrimination, racism and stereotypical views. At St. Aidan’s we want our pupils to leave the academy as tolerant, respectful individuals who accept differing beliefs, opinions or behaviours to their own and encourage inclusiveness. 

RE makes a significant contribution to the academic and personal development of pupils. It plays a key role in promoting community cohesion and the virtues of respect and empathy which are important within our diverse society. 

RE makes a significant contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development. It also plays a key role in promoting social cohesion and the virtues of respect and empathy, which are important in our diverse society. RE allows opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development which enable pupils to develop curiosity; allowing them to explore spiritual and ethical issues. 

  

Intent

 

 The aims and purposes of Religious Education within a Church school: 

• To enable pupils to know about and understand Christianity as a living faith that influences the lives of people worldwide and as the religion that has most shaped British culture and heritage 
• To enable pupils to know and understand about other major world religions and non-religious worldviews, their impact on society, culture and the wider world, enabling pupils to express ideas and insights. 

• To contribute to the development of pupils’ own spiritual/philosophical convictions, exploring and enriching their own beliefs and values. 

  The intent of the RE curriculum is to provide pupils with the opportunity to develop their understanding of Christianity through the exploration of theological concepts. It is also to develop the skills and knowledge in making sense of Biblical texts and understanding their impact on the lives of Christians. The aim is to additionally develop the ability of pupils to critically reflect, evaluate and apply their learning to their own growing understanding of religion and belief, of themselves, the world and human experience. 

 

The aim of RE is to also ensure that pupils have an informed understanding of a range of religions and worldviews so that our pupils show an informed and respectful attitude and can engage in meaningful dialogue with those of other faiths or none. 

The purpose is to develop key skills through Religious Education including investigating, reflecting, expressing, interpreting, empathising, applying, discerning, analysing, synthesising and evaluating. Fundamental attitudes which are also core to the intent include curiosity, commitment, fairness, respect, self-understanding, open-mindedness, critical mindedness and enquiry. 

At St. Aidan’s we aim to equip pupils to be able to think for themselves as they study theological, philosophical and moral issues. We encourage young people to be open-minded towards different points of view and to make positive contributions to the local community within Darlington. 

 

Implementation 

All Christianity units within RE are based on the resource ‘Understanding Christianity’ and are explored across core concepts and the ‘big story’ of the Bible. Pupils study key theological concepts within Christianity including God, creation, the fall, people of God, incarnation, the gospel, salvation and the kingdom of God. The syllabus within RE is underpinned by three core elements which are woven together and include making sense of beliefs, making connections and understanding the impact. 

Pupils also learn about other religions including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and non-religious worldviews (humanism). Each unit has an in-depth scheme of work to support staff with the delivery of this subject including power points and key information. Curriculum resources are planned carefully and are reviewed. RE teachers have access to professional development or training in order to develop subject knowledge or skills. 

Assessments are designed to be cumulative and assess prior knowledge. A key focus of assessments is to develop evaluative skills that enable pupils to evaluate different beliefs or teachings in order to reach justified conclusions. The assessments are designed to build the necessary skills so that they are equipped for GCSE Religious Studies. Assessments are moderated and standardised in order to ensure accuracy and consistency across the department. 

Broader learning experiences are included within the curriculum such as guest speakers from other faiths and visits to places of worship. 

 

Impact

Pupils will gain a knowledge and understanding of Christianity as a living faith that influences the lives of people worldwide which will help them to appreciate how this has shaped British culture and heritage. Learning about other major religions and non-religious world views will develop our pupils into respectful individuals who are tolerant of different beliefs and views. 

From studying RE pupils will be able to reflect critically and responsibly about their own spiritual, philosophical and ethical convictions. They will have an appreciation from studying different views; the value of all humans and learn to value them. Pupils will have the confidence to participate within debates on moral issues and act responsibly listening to the views of others. They will appreciate ideas of right and wrong and be able to respond to moral dilemmas. 

 

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Overview - RE

Rationale

Religious Education has never been more relevant, engaging or challenging as religion and religious issues are in the news every day. For pupils to be able to understand our constantly changing world they need to be able to interpret religious issues and evaluate their significance. Religious Studies helps with pupils’ own personal development and supports an understanding of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural questions. In tackling difficult questions it provides an insight that can work to challenge stereotypes, promote cohesion, and tackle extremism. Religious Studies does important work encouraging young people to value themselves and the communities within which they live. 

The GCSE course studied allows pupils to develop skills which are transferrable to future studies or future job prospects. Skills such as the ability to evaluate are important to this course. Pupils will develop the ability to argue for and against given statements leading to judgements supported with knowledge and understanding in order to reach justified conclusions. The topics that pupils study are contemporary issues which adults debate hence promoting cultural capital 

  

Intent

The goal is for pupils to extend and deepen their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews (including non-religious worldviews), explaining local, national and global contexts. Building on their prior learning they should be able to research and investigate the influence and impact of religions and worldviews on the values and lives of both individuals and groups, evaluating their impact on current affairs. They should be able to appreciate and appraise the beliefs and practices of different religions and worldviews with an increasing level of discernment based on interpretation, evaluation and analysis, developing and articulating well reasoned positions. 

The intent is for pupils to investigate and analyse the beliefs and practices of religions and worldviews using a range of arguments and evidence to evaluate issues and draw balanced conclusions. They will learn to incorporate their own and the arguments of others about sources of wisdom and authority using coherent reasoning. 

AQA Religious Studies was chosen at Key Stage 4 due to the content and assessments. It is an inspiring and challenging course that develops valuable skills that are sought after by higher education and employers. The AQA course Specification A was chosen due to the nature of the relevant and contemporary themes to ensure that pupils have a diverse choice of intriguing subjects to explore and discuss. The course allows study to learn how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture and the skills developed prepares pupils for further study. 

 

Pupils will study the two core religions of Christianity and Islam learning about the different beliefs and practices within them. They will also study four themes which are: Relationships and Families, Religion and Life, Crime and Punishment and Human Rights & Social Justice. 

Pupils will develop their knowledge and understanding of both religious and non-religious beliefs and will study sources of wisdom and authority across key religious texts and scripture. The ability to construct well argued, well-informed, balanced and structured arguments is a key skill that will be developed throughout the course. Pupils will reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs and attitudes in light of what they have learned which contributes to their preparation for adult life in a pluralistic society and global community. 

 

Implementation

The GCSE course involves an in-depth study of two major world religions and contemporary ethical themes to ensure that the pupils have a diverse choice of intriguing subjects to explore. Pupils are challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious issues. Pupils will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills. All these skills will help prepare them for further study. 

Impact

Pupils will be able to develop their own attitudes and responses towards religious issues. They will appreciate the world that they belong to and develop respect for others within our diverse and global community. The transferrable skills developed include independent thinking, analytical thinking, the skill of interpretation and writing to support and evaluate different opinions. The issues studied within RE are contemporary issues that pupils will encounter within adult life therefore they will have developed the confidence to debate about moral issues and listen to the views of others respectfully. 

The transferable skills developed will open doors to many occupations. In an increasing global economy the skills of vision, creativity and religious sensitivity means that this is an excellent qualification for roles such as lawyers, teachers, civil servants, business analysts’, politicians, social workers, charity workers, journalists and the public sector such as the Police force. 

Religious Studies GCSE is a valuable qualification for anyone wishing to work in sectors of the employment market where communication skills are important. Jobs in the caring professions such as nursing, nursery work, social work or teaching require skills of empathy and tolerance that Religious Studies fosters. People who study Religious Studies also go on to careers in politics, the civil service, journalism, the media and the charity sector. As an academic subject, Religious Studies complements other Humanities subjects such as History, as well as social science subjects like Sociology and Psychology.