RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Overview Of The Subject

As a Catholic school we seek to reflect the values of the Gospel in everything we do. Our RE Department provides a focus for our students to explore these values through Scripture, Doctrine, Liturgy, and opportunities for personal reflection. We aim to help all students develop an awareness of religious and cultural diversity through the study of the major world religions. A mature, reflective, critical and evaluative response to issues studied is encouraged.

Religion is a life skill as well as a belief. We encourage decision-making, an appreciation of self, discovery of talents, faith, and a study of relationships. We offer our young people a belief in their own worth – independent of success or failure and offer them opportunities to reflect on their place in the world as highly valued members of God’s creation.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the mystery of faith which we hear and receive requires us to ‘believe in it’ to ‘celebrate it’ and to ‘live from it’ (CCC 2558). With this in mind, our curriculum seeks to give pupils an understanding of God’s revelation as it is received in Sacred Scripture and sacred tradition.

The Aims Of The Curriculum / Curriculum Intent - Religious Education

The aims of religious education in accordance with the are Religious Education Directory (RED) are

  1. to engage in a systematic study of the mystery of God, of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Church, the central beliefs that Catholics hold, the basis for them and the relationship between faith and life;

  2. to enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively;

  3. to present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching to provide pupils with a sure guide for living and the tools to critically engage with contemporary culture and society;

  4. to give pupils an understanding of the religions and worldviews present in the world today and the skills to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue with those whose worldviews differ from their own;

  5. to develop the critical faculties of pupils so to bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture;

  6. to stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith;

  7. to enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through religious education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum. 

Classroom Religious Education Has As Its Outcome:

“Religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life” RED p.6.

On entry to Year 7, pupils sit a base line test which is marked according to bands which are based on the previously used NBRIA levels. We recognise that some pupils will have substantial prior learning from their primary school, others (who have not attended Catholic primary schools) will come with a lesser knowledge and understanding of R.E. The results of the base line test help to guide the RE teacher in planning the curriculum for their class so that all pupil abilities and backgrounds are taken into account and built on throughout the next five years of school life.

Key Stage 3

KS3 prepares students for KS4 and beyond. Skills of Knowledge, Understanding, Reflection and Evaluation are developed in readiness for GCSE and for life! Topics studied at KS3 are of relevance to KS4 and help to teach the skills and knowledge required.

Year 7 and Year 8

Students’ learning is based on the topics prescribed by the Religious Education Directory. Pupils study a spiral curriculum in which the broad themes are the same but the focus and depth is different in each year. More information about the specifics of what is being studied in each half term is provided in our curriculum newsletters. The Topics studied in both years are

  • Creation and Covenant

  • Prophecy and Promise

  • Galilee to Jerusalem

  • Desert to Garden

  • To the Ends of the Earth

  • Dialogue and Encounter

Year 9

Students’ learning is based on the topics in the ICONS programme of study:

  • Pilgrimage

  • Time challenges – The Christian family tree of church denominations / Introduction to Church history - 15th – 19th Century CE

  • Leadership challenges / Great leaders / Jesus the Messiah

  • Prayer challenges

  • Hope challenges – Advent / Christmas

  • Word made flesh – Jesus as suffering saviour / misereor cloths

  • Love – the meaning and challenge of love

  • Sacrifice

  • Easter

  • Working for the common good / living the Gospel

  • Introduction to Judaism

  • Further study of Judaism – God the Almighty

    • The Shekhinah

    • The Messiah

    • The Covenant with Abraham

    • The Covenant at Sinai

Key Stage 4

GCSE

Students follow the Pearson / Edexcel Specification A – Faith and Practice in the 21st Century. Catholic Christianity (75%) & Judaism (25%).

  • Paper 1 - Study of Religion - Catholic Christianity - Beliefs and teachings / Practice / Sources of wisdom and authority / Forms of expression and ways of life.

  • Paper 2 - Study of Second religion - Judaism - Beliefs and teachings / Practice

  • Paper 3 - Philosophy and Ethics - Catholic Christianity - Arguments for the existence of God / Relationships and families in the 21st century.

Their studies of these topics will start in the final half term of Year 9 and continue through Year 10 and Year 11.

Qualification aims and objectives

The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to:

  • develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and non-religious beliefs, such as atheism and humanism

  • develop their knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings, and sources of wisdom and authority, including through their reading of key religious texts, other texts, and scriptures of the religions they are studying

  • develop their ability to construct well-argued, well-informed, balanced and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of understanding of the subject

  • engage with questions of belief, value, meaning, purpose, truth, and their influence on human life

  • reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs and attitudes in the light of what they have learnt and will contribute to their preparation for adult life in a pluralistic society and global community

  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of two religions

  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key sources of wisdom and authority including scripture and/or sacred texts, where appropriate, which support contemporary religious faith

  • understand the influence of religion on individuals, communities and societies

  • understand significant common and divergent views between and/or within religions and beliefs

  • apply knowledge and understanding in order to analyse questions related to religious beliefs and values

  • construct well-informed and balanced arguments on matters concerned with religious beliefs and values.

Area of Study 1 – Catholic Christianity Overview:

This area of study comprises a study in depth of Catholic Christianity as a lived religion in the United Kingdom and throughout the world. There are four sections: Beliefs and Teachings; Practices; Sources of Wisdom and Authority; Forms of Expression and Ways of Life. Students will be expected to study Catholic Christianity within the context of the wider British society, the religious traditions of which are, in the main, Christian. Students should compare and contrast the areas of belief and practice within Catholic Christianity with wider Christian perspectives as outlined in the content below.

Beliefs about the afterlife and their significance (1.8)

The practice and significance of worship (2.2).

Students should recognise that Catholic Christianity is one of the many religious traditions in Great Britain which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the specified content. Students should also recognise that within Catholic Christianity there may be more than one perspective in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed. Common and divergent views within the wider Christian tradition in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed should be included throughout, including reference to Orthodox, Protestant and other Christian traditions. The significance and importance of the various beliefs and practices to Catholics today, should be explored throughout the four sections.

Area of Study 2 – Judaism Overview:

This area of study comprises a study in depth of Judaism as a lived religion in the United Kingdom and throughout the world. There are two sections: Beliefs and Teachings; Practices. Students will be expected to study Judaism within the context of the wider British society, the religious traditions of which are, in the main, Christian. Students should compare and contrast two areas of belief and practice within Christianity and Judaism:

Beliefs about the afterlife and their significance (1.8)

The practice and significance of worship (2.4).

Students should recognise that Judaism is one of the many religious traditions in Great Britain, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the specified content. Students should also recognise that within Judaism there may be more than one perspective in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed. Common and divergent views within Judaism in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed should be included throughout including reference to Orthodox, Reform and Liberal traditions. The significance and importance of the various beliefs and practices to Jews today should be explored throughout the two sections.

Area of Study 3 - Catholic Christianity Philosophy and Ethics Overview:

This area of study comprises a study in depth of aspects of Philosophy and Ethics in the context of Catholic Christianity as a lived religion within the United Kingdom and throughout the world. There are two sections: Arguments for the Existence of God; Religious Teachings on Relationships and Families in the 21st Century. The significance and importance of the various beliefs, issues and practices to Catholics today should be explored throughout the two sections. This should include reference to how the Bible informs a Christian’s understanding of the topics and how approaches to the issues are underpinned by philosophical arguments and ethical theory as applicable. Students will be expected to study Catholic Christianity within the context of the wider British society, the religious traditions of which are, in the main, Christian. Students should recognise that Catholic Christianity is one of the many religions and world views in Great Britain, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and non-religious views such as Humanism and atheism. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the specified content. Students should compare and contrast the areas of ethics and/or philosophy within Catholic Christianity with wider Christian perspectives and non-religious views as outlined in the content below. Students should also recognise that within Catholic Christianity there may be more than one perspective in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed. Common and divergent views within the wider Christian tradition in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed should be included throughout, including reference to Orthodox, Protestant and other Christian traditions.

The study of topics for GCSE helps pupils to further develop their KS3 learning and encourages them to skilfully evaluate different viewpoints and to reflect on and justify reasons for their own views. The combination of papers studying Roman Catholic Christianity (75%) and Judaism (25%) reflects the instruction of the Bishop of Brentwood that all Catholic schools should study this combination of papers.

Year 10

Catholic beliefs and teachings

  • The Trinity

  • The Trinity in the Bible

  • Creation

  • Creation and the nature of humanity

  • The Incarnation

  • The Paschal Mystery

  • The significance of the Paschal Mystery

  • Eschatology

Jewish beliefs and teachings

  • The sanctity of life

  • Abortion – Jewish, Christian and non-religious views

  • Jewish moral principles and the Mitzvot

  • Life after death

Catholic Christianity – Arguments for the existence of God

  • Revelation

  • Visions

  • Miracles

  • Religious experiences

  • The Design argument

  • The Cosmological argument

  • The existence of suffering

  • Solutions to the problem of suffering

Catholic Christianity practices

  • The Sacramental nature of reality

  • Liturgical worship

  • The funeral rite

  • Prayer

  • Forms of popular piety

  • Pilgrimage

  • Catholic social teaching

  • Catholic mission and evangelism

Jewish practices

  • Public acts of worship

  • The Tenakh and Talmud

  • Private prayer

  • The Shema and Amidah

  • Ritual and ceremony

  • Shabbat

  • Festivals

  • Features of the synagogue

Catholic Christianity – Religious teachings on relationships and families in the 21st Century

  • Marriage

  • Sexual relationships

  • The family

Year 11

Catholic Christianity – Religious teachings on relationships and families in the 21st Century

  • The family

  • Support for the family

  • Family planning

  • Divorce, annulment, marriage

  • Equality of men and women in the family

  • Gender prejudice and discrimination

Catholic Christianity – Sources of wisdom and authority

  • The Bible

  • Interpretation of the Bible

  • The Magisterium

  • The Second Vatican Council

  • The Church as the Body of Christ

  • The four marks of the Church

  • Mary as a model of the Church

  • Personal and ethical decision making

Catholic Christianity – Forms of expression and ways of life

  • Catholic church architecture

  • Catholic church features

  • Sacred objects

  • Artwork in Catholicism

  • Sculpture and statues

  • Symbolism and imagery in religious art

  • Drama

  • Music in worship

Key Stage 5

When pupils move on to other schools in Year 12/13, they will build on the skills they have developed throughout Key stages 3 & 4. For example, good literacy skills and evaluative skills will be learned which will be of benefit across a wide range of KS5 and university qualifications. These skills will also be relevant to a wide range of careers and assist in opening up management opportunities in the workplace. For students who go on to study A-Level Religious Studies, they will find that the topics studied during GCSE are essential and will aid their further studies.