Religious Education

What is the point of RE?

RE is about learning other people’s beliefs, cultures and traditions. It helps learners to recognise the differences between religions, what people have in common and explore what makes them special as unique individuals. We also spend time exploring about life’s big questions and considering difficult moral dilemmas.

RE also provides a valuable set of skills such as interpreting texts, writing well structured essays, debate, being able to identify similarities and differences, and using evidence to support their own opinions.

How can it help in the future?

RE is fundamentally about people so it is greatly beneficial for jobs in areas such as social work, PR, police, teaching, medicine, politics, journalism and the law.

It can also help any students wishing to study the arts, culture or politics in the future as religion has had a big influence on culture. Many works of art are based on religious themes and many countries have law systems based on religious teachings.

RE will help all learners to know how to interact with those who are different when they go out into the wider world of work.

GCSE - Religious Studies

What do we study?

We follow the Edexcel GCSE qualification in Religious Studies. Students will complete two units. The Edexcel course requires learners to examine these issues from two religious perspectives. The school has chosen to study Christianity and Islam as these are the two biggest religions and therefore the most relevant to today’s world.

Unit 1: Religion and Life where we consider questions such as: Is there a God? Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there an afterlife? What is the point of marriage? How can we get along better with people who are different?

Unit 8: Religion and Society where we consider questions such as: How do I make ethical decisions? Why should I vote? Should I worry about the environment? Why do wars happen? Should we reintroduce the death penalty?

How will I be assessed?

The course is divided into two units; each one is assessed through an hour and a half exam paper. We will work towards completing unit 1 in year ten and unit 8 in year 11.

Time is spent on learning how to answer exam questions and developing good revision techniques during the course. The department also produces a range of resources to aid revision including mind maps and revision guidebooks.

What types of activities do we do?

The department has recently spent some time changing how the GCSE course is taught and there is now a greater focus on practical activities such as: watching films, drama, listening to music, class debates, mock court cases, class presentations, group work, individual projects. We are also organising more workshops and trips within the department.