Religious Studies

We believe that a Religious Studies curriculum should inspire a sense of awe and wonder through lessons that are broad and balanced, ambitious, and coherent. Religious Studies should provide students with the disciplinary knowledge from the disciplines of theology, sociology, philosophy, and ethics.  Students will use this disciplinary knowledge as lenses to understand the key themes of Religious Studies; beliefs, practices, influences and ethics.  The Religious Studies curriculum should provide students with powerful knowledge that is thought-provoking and encourages critical questions about the world we live in.  Our curriculum should provide explicit opportunities for communication – written and oral.  This should include the explicit teaching of vocabulary. The sequencing of our curriculum and assessment will support students to reflect deeply thus remembering more and being able to do more over time.

Through our curriculum we address common errors and misconceptions that students may have due to the media and society. RS is centred on learning from and about religion. We equip students with the skills to debate, explain, empathise, evaluate and make moral decisions. We engage and enthuse students, so they have a positive experience of RS. Crucially, our students deserve to know the very best of what has been thought, said, and wrote.

They learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully. Teaching therefore equips students with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews, enabling them to develop their ideas, values, and identities.

The RS department aims to develop in students an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society with its diverse religions and worldviews.

Students gain and deploy the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence. They learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values, and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ.

The curriculum for RS aims to ensure that all students:

A) Know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

• describe, explain, and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within and between communities and amongst individuals.
• identify, investigate, and respond to questions posed, and responses offered by some of the sources of wisdom found in religions and worldviews.
• appreciate and appraise the nature, significance, and impact of diverse ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

B) Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

• explain their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities.
• express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues.
• appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion or a worldview.

Right to Withdraw:
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to make their own provision. This alternative will be the parents’ responsibility. This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Students aged 18 or over have the right to withdraw themselves from RE. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE and can do so without giving any explanation.