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Religious Studies
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“Differences were meant not to divide but to enrich.”
- J. H. Oldham
The study of religion and the elements within it is imperative to a holistic education.
In the RS department, we develop students' ability to examine, talk about and understand the world’s major religions as well as the skills required to discuss ethical issues and philosophical concepts. In doing so, students are encouraged to develop a sense of self-worth, duty, responsibility and respect for others. Nurturing lively and enquiring minds, the subject encourages pupils to appreciate diverse and contrasting beliefs and to develop the ability to argue cogently and rationally.
Learning outside the classroom and inspiring pupils to engage with the broader subject area is vital. Understanding the way in which we behave in society, how we believe, the questions of morality and faith are all subjects discussed daily in our newsfeeds.
From Year 7 to 8, we deliver an in-depth inquiry of the six major religions, starting with the oldest, Hinduism, and chronologically teaching up to the creation of Sikhism as the youngest. This covers a fascinating 5,000 year period and embeds opportunities to talk about the 85% of people on planet Earth who follow a religion.
At Year 9, our curriculum covers philosophy and ethics, with a series of ‘big questions’ including: Is there a God? Do we possess free will? What does the afterlife look like? What are the rights and responsibilities of UK citizens? Is capital punishment justified? Tackling these questions using the foundation of religious knowledge built upon in early KS3 gives our students invaluable critical thinking skills for life-long learning.
At GCSE we address issues of current debate ranging from philosophical questions over the existence of God and religion versus science through to ethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia, war, poverty and sexual ethics. Students enjoy the opportunity to debate important philosophical and ethical issues and apply their understanding of both Christian and Islamic viewpoints to key questions, as well as exploring non-religious and secular responses.
AQA GCSE Religious Studies Specification
Revision and Research Resources
BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies
Curriculum Maps
Intent, Implementation and Impact: The 3 l's
Curriculum Intent
Our purpose is to make the difference for all students by providing them with a philosophical knowledge and understanding of the six main world religions. Our curriculum teaches religious beliefs and teachings, practices and moral issues so that the six religions can be compared and contrasted, challenging our own beliefs and those of others. Gaining knowledge and understanding of each world religion will provide students with the resilience to study RS at GCSE level as they can continue to build on the skills developed during KS3. The Religious Studies curriculum aims to strongly encourage a respect for the diversity of others within our school and beyond, whether it be cultural, social or religious. For this reason, the Religious Studies curriculum links closely to our Personal Development programme by encouraging respectful discussion within a diverse environment, underpinned by our school values as well as British Values in order to build good relationships both inside school and in the wider community. The curriculum also complements History and Geography as we consider the impact of religion both in the UK and throughout the world. We believe our curriculum helps support our students in taking responsibility to make positive contributions to society both now and in the future.
Curriculum Implementation
Religious Studies teaches pupils how to understand, respect and celebrate the six main world religions, learning over 5,000 years of religious and cultural history from around the globe. Identifying key concepts that span each religion, plus helping pupils to make connections between them, teaches important skills to make life-long learners of our pupils.
In Year 7, we start with Hinduism, focusing on polytheistic beliefs and delving into how Hindus worship, including a fascinating exploration of the River Ganges - making cross-curricular links to Geography and climate studies. In Spring term, we study Judaism as the second-oldest faith, again building an understanding of belief and worship but in the context of a monotheistic religion. Finally, Year 7 study Buddhism in Summer term, and this completes a detailed investigation of the world’s three oldest religions.
Extending their religious knowledge further, Year 8 starts by looking at ‘Younger Religions’, beginning with Christianity - we also incorporate a hands-on lesson into the Nativity story around Christmas time to help bring our curriculum outside of the classroom and make links to Drama and Art. In Spring term, the focus turns to Islam, and again bringing in extra-curricular opportunities by offering trips to a local mosque. Similarly, the final unit on Sikhism offers the opportunity to visit a Gurdwara.
Moving into Year 9, our inquiry shifts to Philosophy and Ethics, which offers a fascinating exploration around a series of ‘Big Questions’, including: Is there a God? Do we possess free will? What does the afterlife look like? What are the rights and responsibilities of UK citizens? Is capital punishment justified? Tackling these questions using the foundation of religious knowledge built upon in early KS3 gives our students invaluable critical thinking skills for life-long learning.
At KS4 students will use their foundation knowledge from KS3 together with their skills in relation to analysis and a consideration of diversity. Christianity and Islam are the religions studied at GCSE because they reflect the school’s demographic where they are the two most practised religions among students at Southborough. Due to Christianity being the state religion in the UK and Islam’s growing popularity, both make them popular choices to study at GCSE. Each year group has subject-specific vocabulary that is taught, embedded and tested through careful session planning. Regular planning will link current learning to past studies and where it fits in the big picture. Modelling of responses and targeted feedback will also be a key feature across all the key stages. All these strategies will ensure that students possess a solid grounding on which to support students in their summative KS4 examinations and beyond into Sixth Form. We envisage students, from Year 7 onwards, being keenly aware of the purpose of their learning and how it fits into the overall programme of study. The efficacy of the delivery of this will be evaluated by learning walks, book-looks, lesson observations, department meetings and student dialogue.
Curriculum Impact
Outcomes in Religious Studies at GCSE have been successful with 100% pass rate last year and a high number of students have achieved above their target grades. Uptake for GCSE Religious Studies has significantly improved in the past two years. The Humanities Faculty has sent a number of students to Russell Group universities to study relevant courses to Religious Studies, such as politics, journalism and philosophy, and numerous students have gone on to work in industries where the benefits of studying religion and diversity in the modern world is of fundamental importance. We run a popular lunchtime ‘History and RS club’ as well as ‘Youth Alpha’ in partnership with Insight, which helps students explore and continue to develop their religious beliefs. Trips to a local mosque and gurdwara helps build our students’ cultural capital.