Religious Studies forms a core part of the spiritual development of our pupils; encouraging them to engage in critical thinking which allows for a more well rounded view of the world around us.  Through the study of shared human experiences, pupils are able to discover the purpose, identity, origins. value and authority which exist within faiths - experiences which encourage deeper thinking within pupils.  Pupils are further challenged to think independently and reflect upon their own personal viewpoints encouraging an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect.  RS is an essential part of learning, it encompasses a great many skills in both written and verbal communication; students write at length to follow through a line of argument, they debate in a respectful manner, displaying the ability to listen and process alternate viewpoints.

We follow the Lancashire Agreed syllabus and the main areas of enquiry which all units of study encompass are as follows: ‘Shared human experience’ - the nature of being human,  ‘Living Religious Traditions’ - the way in which people of different faiths follow their religion, ‘Beliefs and Values’ - religious practices of the faiths studied - the theology that lies at the heart of the field of enquiry, ‘The search for personal meaning’ – a lifelong quest for understanding.  Through these four elements we aim to secure for our pupils an experience of learning which is conducive to the current climate we live in, both locally and globally.

Furthermore, the RS curriculum at KS3 intends to fill in the gaps in knowledge from Primary school.  Often different schools teach different religions and some are not covered at all.

Key skills are developed from Year 7 and assessments are based upon key knowledge, understanding and analysis.  Summative assessments are three times a year, however pupils are continually assessed on knowledge, keywords etc through tasks in class.

GCSE

At KS4, questioning encourages deeper thinking and students must understand in order to be able to attempt GCSE questions.  We follow the AQA A syllabus and study Christianity and Islam.  In addition, we study four themes. 

Theme B - Religion & Life Issues

Theme C - Existence of God & Revelation

Theme D - Peace & Conflict

Theme E- Crime & Punishment

Pupils demonstrate a deeper understanding of Christian and Islamic beliefs, teachings and practices and how these can differ depending on denomination.  They  learn how to articulate justified opinions on ethical issues, giving personal, religious and non-religious views. Pupils will be able to explain in detail how religious teachings in both Christianity and Islam can be applied to contemporary moral issues such as euthanasia, abortion, abuse of the world and the use of capital punishment. 

There are three mock exams which take place throughout year 10 and 11.

The final exam is in two parts

Paper 1 - Beliefs, Teachings & Practices - Christianity and Islam

Paper 2 - Themes