Religious Education
What is religious studies?
The study of religions is a fascinating and varied subject. It enables our pupils to further broaden their knowledge of life, how different people across the globe live their lives, and about the sacred beliefs and practices that have shaped mankind and how these lives will be shaped in the future.
What are we studying?
Year 7
TERM 1
Year 7 will begin by looking at the six major world religions in depth (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism), assessing and comparing the beliefs, practices, differences in denominations as well as the history of each religion and its origin.
TERM 2
Year 7 will continue their journey through the world’s religions by assessing different components within religions, such as extremism, how religions are spread across the globe, how religion affects sport and how religions have led to conflict. Pupils will complete two terms of Religious Studies before rotating with IT and Design and Technology.
Year 8
The current year 8s are following the same
pathway as year 7.
TERM 1
Year 8 will begin by looking at the six major world religions in depth (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism),
assessing and comparing the beliefs, practices, differences in denominations as well as the history of each religion and its origin.
TERM 2
Year 8 will continue their journey through the world’s religions by assessing different components within religions, such as extremism, how religions are spread across the globe, how religion affects sport and how religions have led to conflict.
Pupils will complete two terms of Religious Studies before rotating with IT and Design and Technology.
Years 9-11
Pupils will complete several lessons of religious content delivered through their personal development hours by their mentor. The topics covered include; How are beliefs put into action in sport, abortion, euthanasia, life after death, examples of faith in everyday life, as well as assessing how religious beliefs are expressed through dress and art.
Post 16 study
Our sixth form students will assess different religious practices through a series of exploration days, visits from religious leaders and trips to local places of worship.
The importance of RE
Although RE is statutory, it justifies its place in the curriculum on purely educational grounds. It is the opportunity to explore a major and distinctive dimension of what it means to be a person: the search for meaning and value in a wondrous but also often confusing and sometimes threatening world. It offers pupils: the chance to raise and reflect on perennial questions about life; insights into the development of different human cultures. In doing this, RE draws on the major religious traditions in Britain, giving due prominence to Christianity to reflect the fact that these traditions are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the other principal world religions, and non‐religious beliefs that may form the family background of many children in our schools.
Thus, there are two main educational purposes to RE:
- For pupils to learn about religions and beliefs which have influenced the lives of millions of people and heavily influenced the development of different human cultures. Pupils apply academic skills such as analysis and critical and creative thinking, approaching the study of religion with different disciplines as they mature.
- For pupils to recognise and develop their own perspective from their increasingly academic and creative exploration of religions and other worldviews. RE is therefore both rigorously academic and personally significant.
Parental Right to Withdraw their child from RE
Under the current legislation (School Standards and Framework Act 1998 s71, as amended), a parent may request that their child may be wholly or partly excused from receiving RE given at the school in accordance with the school’s basic curriculum, and if so, the pupil shall be excused until the request is withdrawn. We also recognise the right to provision of alternative forms of RE under current legislation. If you wish for your child to be withdrawn from RE please put your request in writing to the Principal.
CONTACT DETAILS
Head of Humanities
Mrs Katherine Maggs
KMaggs@Wykhampark-aspirations.org
Helpful Websites
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zh3rkqt
Please download the Ethics/Religious Studies Overview for 2022-23
For further information see the PSHCEE and Wider Learning page.
WEBSITES
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3lKZp31jBVJ2v3C2h1V03kz/a-to-z-of-religion-and-beliefs
KEY VOCABULARY
- Deity – A God or Goddess.
- Monotheism – A belief in only one God (such as Christianity or Islam)
- Polytheism – A belief in more than one God (such as Hinduism – but this is up for debate)
- Sacrament – A spiritual ceremony
- Devout – Deep religious faith or commitment
Everything you need to be successful in Ethics
- A basic awareness of any relevant current events going on in the world.
- An ability to listen carefully to the view and opinions of others.
- A willingness to articulate your own opinion based on reason, evidence and examples.