The Religious Studies Department

What happens here? - an overview

In Years 7 and 8 you will study ideas from the six main world religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism) as well as reflecting on your own ideas about life and the world.  In Years 9 and 10 you will do a short course GCSE RE in Religion and Society, covering aspects of both RE and Citizenship and focusing specifically on the beliefs and practices of Christianity and Hinduism (if you are currently in Year 9) or Islam (if you are currently in Year 10).  If you are currently in Year 11 you will be following the same course as the current Year 10.  In Year 11 students will follow a Work-Related RE course in Year 11.  (If you are currently in Year 11 you will follow the same course as the current Year 10). 

What exactly will we be studying?

Year 7

Term 1 - Worship - What do we worship?  What's important in our lives and how do we show this?  How does this compare to the ways religious believers worship?

Term 2 - The Yearly Cycle - How do we see the shape of our year?  What are its high points and low points?  How are these marked?  And how would these questions be answered by religious believers?

Term 3 - Life Events - How do people mark the key events in life (birth, marriage and death) and what beliefs do these ceremonies show?  Commitment Ceremonies - What are we committed to and how do we show this?  How do religions mark commitment?

Year 8

Term 1 - Jesus - Who was he, what did he say and do and why is he still important to Christians?  How useful are his ideas in the twenty-first century?

Term 2 - Belief Into Action - How do people's beliefs affect the way they act?

Term 3a - Does God Exist? - What are some of the main philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God and how useful are they?

Term 3b - Evil And Suffering - If God exists then why do people suffer?  How have religionsresponded to this question?  How do we deal with suffering?

Year 9 (2009-10)

Term 1 -Crime and Punishment - What is justice and why is it important?  How and why do we punish people; what are these punishments intended to achieve?  Should the death penalty ever be used?  Should people ever be imprisoned for their beliefs?

Term 2 - Peace and Conflict - How has warfare changed?  What are the issues surrounding the possession of nuclear weapons?  How can conflict be resolved?  How useful are the approaches of pacifism, Just War, Jihad and forgiveness?

Term 3 - The Environment - What are the current and future threats to the environment and what are the religious and nonreligious responses to these?  Do animals have rights?

Year 10 (2009-10)

Term 1 - Religion and Social Responsibility - How do people make moral decisions?  How does our political system work?  What is the Christian basis of the Welfare State?  Should religion and politics be kept separate?

 Term 2 - The Environment - What are the current and future threats to the environment and what are the religious and nonreligious responses to these?  Do animals have rights?

Term 3 - Revision, GCSE exam, then Work-Related RE course.

Year 11 (2009-10)

Term 1 - Crime and Punishment - What is justice and why is it important?  How and why do we punish people; what are these punishments intended to achieve?  Should the death penalty ever be used?  Should people ever be imprisoned for their beliefs?

Term 2 - Medical Issues - Infertility treatments, genetic engineering and transplant surgery - what are these, what are some of the moral issues surrounding them, and how do Christianity and Islam respond to these issues?  How can we respond?

Term 3 - Revision, then GCSE exam.