Department Head: Mr T Lee

Department Members: Mrs Daniels, Mrs Kirkland

Pupils are made aware of the relevance of learning about religion throughout their five years at high school.

“Why do we do Religious Education? I don’t want to be a priest!”

The emphasis of teaching religious education and the importance of promoting religious belief is not to make the children religious but to provide pupils who are growing up in an increasingly multi-cultural society with an understanding and respect for different religious concepts within the wider community.

Why?

Often, it is due to lack of knowledge that we experience racism, discrimination, prejudice and ultimately conflicts between these different cultures and races. 

Aim

Our aim for Religious Education is to provide pupils with information about differences in culture and beliefs so that newly acquired information will create a tolerance and respect, instead of prejudice and discrimination towards those who are perceived as different.

Taking a moral stance

We believe that Religious Education has a positive effect on the pupils’ moral and ethical thought. Children’s morals will be affected by his/her family and upbringing, however, the school and Religious Education develops these morals and a personal, individual moral stance.

How?

Through class discussions and the application of moral dilemmas, the pupil is encouraged to question his/her morals and the reasons for their responses, thus providing the individuals with a moral code that will determine how they behave in the society for the rest of their lives.

Curriculum Organisation:

We have a 50 period timetable that covers 2 weeks

Year 7 - 2x periods taught in tutor groups

Year 8 - 2x periods taught grouped with History/Geog

Year 9 - 2x periods taught grouped with History/Geog

Year 10 - 2x Periods taught grouped with English

Year 11- Periods taught grouped with English

Course content:

Key stage 3

Year 7 - Signs and symbols, Sacred Texts, Festival, Introduction to Buddhism

Year 8 - Moses, Introduction to Judaism, Teachings of Jesus , Faith In Action

Year 9 - Introduction to Islam, Introduction to Hinduism, Proving the existence of God

 

Key stage 4 (Year 10 and 11)

Key stage 4: GCSE

During the GCSE course all pupils work towards a short course qualification.A number of pupils follow a full course, but at present, this is studied in an after school class. It is our intention to offer a full course as an optional subject in the very near future.

Course title: Philosphy and Ethics .

Pupils research the following topics: medical ethics, nature of belief, human relationships, wealth and poverty and war, peace and justice.

Attainment targets: Attainment target 1- Learning about religion.

Pupils are assessed in accordance to their ability to recall key information concerning the belief, cultures and traditions within different World religions.

Attainment target 2- Learning from religion

Pupils are assessed on their ability to reflect upon the ideas that have been introduced, to develop their own informed conclusions in a sensitive and open minded manner.

 

Successes and achievements :

This year a group of pupils raised almost £500 for food aid. The RE department and pupils in year 10 spent 2 weeks educating the whole school about issues surrounding poverty and Charity of Food Aid.

Pupils were given the opportunity to make small donations of loose change. An amazing result.