In Year 7, students have an introduction to some of the main beliefs and practices in the world faiths. They study rites of passage, holy books and beliefs.
Year 8 students develop their Year 7 learning by looking at the founders of the world faiths and the main acts of worship carried out in these religions. They then move on to look at moral issues, studying the problem of suffering, the life of Anne Frank, attitudes to war and animal rights. In Year 9, students begin the GCSE course. They follow AQA Religious Studies GCSE A 8062: AQA | Subjects | Religious Studies
In the first year of their studies, students look at Christian beliefs and practices.
In Year 10, the focus shifts to studying Jewish beliefs and practices. Students then begin Paper 2 and study Christian responses to relationships and the sanctity of life.
Year 11 concludes Paper 2 with students studying Christian attitudes to war and peace then human rights.
- The content of the curriculum your school follows in each academic year for every subject, including the mandatory subjects such as Religious Education even if it is taught as part of another subject or subjects or is called something else.
- How parents or other members of the public can find out about the curriculum your school is following.
- A list of the course available to pupils at key stage 4, including GCSE’s.
All staff comply with our duties under the Equality Act 2010 in that we treat everyone as a unique person with their own thoughts and beliefs. We actively encourage participation in discussions as it allows students to understand and explain their own worldviews.
Staff know the students with SEND and adapt resources and lessons so that every student achieves every lesson. This can include printing out PowerPoints, providing scaffolding worksheets, using coloured paper, scanning in information which is then uploaded to Teams. For students who use computers, PowerPoints are uploaded onto Teams. Staff are aware of the needs of the individual students that they teach.
Where students have allocated Teaching Assistants, staff liaise with them and utilise them to maximise student progress.
Intent
Religious Education should enable pupils to:
- Learn about the religions and world views which have influenced millions of people and heavily influenced the development of different human cultures.
- Apply academic skills such as analysis and critical thinking, to their approach to the study of religion.
- Learn more about themselves and their place in the world through an academic exploration of religions and world views.
Religious Education aims to help pupils to:
- Understand the nature, role and influence of religion in the world.
- Formulate reasoned arguments and handle controversial issues and conflicting truth claims.
- Approach sensitively and respectfully the beliefs and behaviours of others, so that they can make informed contributions to discussions about religious, philosophical and ethical issues suitable for the public sphere.
RE has an important role to play in promoting SMSC and the fundamental British Values within our school and this is built into our curriculum plans. RE contributes to pupils’ personal development and well-being and to building integrated communities by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. Studying RE helps develops a knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and values which have shaped and continue to have an important influence on the world that we live in. It provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. The RE curriculum is planned to develop knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings and practices. Students have opportunities to develop their religious literacy and to master the skills needed to analyse and interpret expressions of faith. The core beliefs and teachings of the religions studied spiral through the curriculum so that pupils develop a depth of understanding over time. The planning and delivery of RE aims to young people to understand the narrative of the religion as opposed to a collection of sayings and generalisations.
Impact
Students are assessed six times over the course of an academic year. The checkpoint in each term is a 12-mark question. This is then followed by a full assessment which consists of a GCSE style question at KS3 and a past question at KS4.
By the end of their time at Stanley, students will be able to understand the beliefs and practices of the main world faiths. They will be able to evaluate different points of view within those faiths. Students will able to articulate their own opinions about the moral issues studied. They will be prepared to enter our multicultural society and be religiously literate, with empathy for the many different worldviews that will be encountered.
Implementation
RE is taught by three qualified RE teachers: Miss Kent, Mrs Fraser-Orr and Mrs Rawcliffe.
Non-specialist teachers are supported by meetings with specialist staff. PowerPoints are created for each lesson by subject specialists.
In Years 7, 8 and 10 students have two lessons per fortnight. In Years 9 and 11 students have three lessons per fortnight.
In Year 7, students undertake a broad study of the six world faiths. This includes the main beliefs, the holy books and rites of passage. In Year 8, students study the problem of suffering, Anne Frank and the Holocaust, war, peace, animal rights and the main acts of worship.
Students in RE visit both Cathedrals and the Jewish Synagogue in Year 9. This enables them to see religion in action. Revision sessions for GCSE students are available at lunchtime and after school.
KS3 supports KS4 as students are given an introduction to the beliefs and concepts studied at KS4.
The main concepts studied revolve around the importance of religion for many people in our world. Students are taught the beliefs and practices of the six world faiths. Evaluation is a key skill for our students: we want them to think about their own beliefs and those of others.
Our examination board is AQA. We use AQA because the syllabus is straightforward and easy to access for students of all abilities. Additionally, one member of staff is a senior marker for the RE specification.
Students at Stanley come from all backgrounds, ability levels, religious beliefs or none. The RE Department actively welcomes this broad mix and it is always a delight to have students with a faith describe why it is important to them. Similarly, students of no faith are able to discover the importance of faith from those who do believe.
The Scheme of work follows the Sefton Agreed Syllabus for RE in Years 7 and 8. At KS4 the scheme of work follows the AQA website resources and AQA-endorsed textbooks.
SEND students are supported in the classroom with differentiated materials. These include key words, shorter sentences and guidelines for writing. Revision guides are bought for all Pupil Premium and Free School Meal students in Year 11. More able students are given extension tasks, for example considering alternative opinions and discovering other Bible passages.
Homework is set on a regular basis. This can include the completion of classwork, research, revision for assessments and past examination questions.
RE Curriculum Maps
Suggested post-16 pathways and possible careers
A qualification in Religious Studies can lead to a variety of pathways. ‘A’ level Religious Studies is available at Runshaw College. Philosophy ‘A’ level can be studied at either Runshaw or Southport College.
As Religious Studies involves the world that we live in and the beliefs and values that people follow, any occupation that involves working with people means that a Religious Studies qualification is an asset. This can include the Police, teaching, law and health and social care.
Additional information
Year 9 students are all offered the opportunity to take part in a day trip to the two cathedrals and the synagogue in Liverpool.
Students from Year 9 and above can also go on the Auschwitz trip.