Religious Studies

Part 1: Opening ambition and philosophy 

 

Religious Studies involves introducing students to religious ideas from a variety of perspectives in order to equip them with the knowledge and skills to answer deep and challenging questions concerning religion and the human condition of existence. Our curriculum has been designed to develop our students’ understanding of the role that religions and cultures play in the pluralistic world we live in today which, in turn, will encourage them to see the world not just through one lens but multiple lenses. The value ‘nobody stands nowhere’ is embedded throughout our curriculum to show that there is no neutral standpoint with regards to ultimate questions and the purpose of life. The aim is to engage students, both religious and non-religious, to generate well informed opinions in order to support their religious literacy. This will allow them to hold balanced and informed conversations about religion and worldviews, and support their understanding of the complex world they live in. Rather than merely accepting differences, students are encouraged to value the opinions of others as they learn to understand the nature of human existence and the right for all to express their views. 

 

Our curriculum is one rooted in a multi-disciplinary understanding of religion which ensures that our students explore religion and worldviews through the lenses of theology, philosophy and human/social sciences. Our intention is to provide a rich and broad programme of study, so that students are able to think critically, collaborate and establish their own truth in order to equip them for life beyond the classroom. Theology is described as ‘thinking through believing’ which involves exploring the world ontologically, such as, questioning the notion of existence, being and reality. Studying through the discipline of theology enables pupils to grapple with questions that have been raised by religions and worldviews over time. Philosophy is considered as ‘thinking through thinking’ which is primarily concerned with exploring the world epistemologically, logically and ethically by focusing on issues concerning the nature of knowledge, existence and morality. The process of reasoning lies at the heart of the discipline of philosophy. Students’ understanding will focus less on finding answers to difficult questions and more on the process of how people have tried to answer these questions. The final discipline of human/social sciences includes the notion ‘thinking through living’. This requires students to think like human and social scientists, exploring questions and answers raised in relation to the impact of religions and worldviews on individuals, communities and societies. By adopting a balanced approach to all three disciplines, our curriculum provides students with the opportunity to gain a real breadth and depth of understanding and the ability to use a range of different ways to validate knowledge. This, in turn, promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness in order to maintain social cohesion and develop an understanding of different worldviews. 

Part 2: Year by year synopsis 

Key Stage 3 

 

The Religious Studies curriculum at HACH follows a worldviews approach, with a focus on those that are consciously held as well as those that may be unreflective, unconscious and implicit in order to demonstrate the complex, diverse and plural world that we live in. At HACH, we believe that it is important for our students to understand the many ways that patterns of belief, expression and belonging may change across and within different worldviews and how they may impact our interactions with others and perception the world around us. Our curriculum allows students to have a broader, deeper and more inclusive understanding of worldviews that maintain complex beliefs regarding concepts such as ethical decision making, morality, the nature of reality, culture and traditions. By the end of Key Stage 3, all students will have had the ability to harness and cultivate their understanding and approach towards the three main academic disciplines: theology, philosophy and human/social sciences. 

 

Year 7 

 

All students begin their study of Religious Studies with a focus on the many ways that religion may interact with human life and our understanding of the world as we experience it. Students will contemplate ultimate questions that challenge them to think about their position in the world and their own beliefs regarding truth as well as the reliability and validity of sources of authority and wisdom. Students will develop an understanding of the connections between different worldviews, as well as differences, and will explore concepts such as power and authority by addressing key religions leaders and sacred texts. By the end of year 7, students will have mastered skills such as the ability to explain beliefs and practices of religions, source comprehension and inference and gain grammatical and scholarly knowledge of religious literacy. 

 

Year 8 

 

Beginning year 8, students will take a theological and philosophical approach in the exploration of the notion of whether a God is necessary in how we interact with the world. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of beliefs of worldviews in order to determine different interpretations of how we came to exist. Throughout year 8, the skills of deep and critical thinking are continuously embedded through ultimate questions such as how/why does God exist; is it possible to experience God; do we need God to be morally good; and what happens when we die? Students will begin to interpret sources and arguments that offer differing reasons and explanations towards these ultimate questions. This will give students the opportunity to reflect on and develop their own values, belief, meaning, purpose, truth and understanding of their influence on others. 

 

Year 9 

 

Students will finalise their KS3 journey in Religious Studies by examining the purpose of religion, its relevance in contemporary society and the nature of the reality in which we find ourselves. This will enable them to question and challenge the lived and diverse reality of religion and worldviews and the impact this may have on individuals, communities and society. In year 9, students will build upon their theological study of how and why God interacts with the world in order to focus more philosophically on how religion as an institution may form the basis for the existence of most societies and social structures. They will also be introduced to the notion of the secularisation of society in order to establish the level at which religion as a source of authority and power is still evident in society today. Students will use dialogue, discussion and debate to refine the way in which they think about the world and their place in it. By the end of year 9, students will have learnt how to construct well-reasoned, informed and balanced arguments which will allow them to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their understanding of Religious Studies.  

 

Key Stage 4 

 

As students progress to KS4 and begin their study of Religious Studies at GCSE, they will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning and truth which will allow them to develop their own attitude towards specific religious issues. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills which will prepare them for further study. 

 

Students are required to study the beliefs and practices of two religions which we have chosen as Christianity and Buddhism. Students will be able to explore the importance of the beliefs and practices of each tradition and how they impact the lives of those that follow them in contemporary society. They will obtain knowledge and understanding of sources of authority and wisdom that underpin and connect the teachings, beliefs and practices in order to refer to them in responses. 

 

In addition, students will apply their knowledge of the fundamental beliefs and practices of religions and worldviews to four religious, philosophical or ethical themes. These include Relationships and Families, Religion and Life, Religion, Crime and Punishment, and Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice. Students will demonstrate their understanding of religion through the application of core teachings and beliefs. They will be able to make specific references to sources of wisdom and authority including scripture/sacred texts in order to highlight the impact and influence of the issues on the modern world. 

 

Year 10 

 

• Christian Beliefs – the nature of God, the problem of evil, the importance of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, the concept of salvation, the afterlife.  

• Buddhist Beliefs – the Buddha’s life and its significance, the concept of Dhamma, the concept of dependent arising, the Three Marks of Existence, the Four Noble Truths, human destiny, afterlife, different denominations of Buddhism (Mahayana/Theravada). 

• Christian Practices – forms of worship, significance of prayer, the role and meaning of the sacraments, the role and importance of pilgrimage, celebrations, the role of the church in the local and worldwide community. 

• Buddhist Practices – the nature and importance of places of worship, the role and significance of puja, the aims and methods of meditation, the practice and significance of ceremonies and rituals, festivals, Buddhist ethics. 

• Religion, Crime and Punishment – good/evil actions and intentions, reasons for crime, views about criminals, views about different types of crimes, the aims of punishment, the treatment of criminals, forgiveness, arguments related to the death penalty. 

 

Year 11 

 

• Religion and Life – the origins of the universe, the origins of life, the value of the world, abuse of the environment, animal experimentation, the concept of the sanctity of life, abortion, euthanasia, beliefs about death, the value of human life. 

• Relationships and Families – human sexuality, sexual relationships before and outside of marriage, contraception and family planning, the nature and purpose of marriage, same-sex marriage and cohabitation, divorce, the nature of families, the purpose of families, contemporary family issues, the role of men and women, gender equality and inequality. 

• Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice – prejudice and discrimination in religion, issues of equality, freedom of religion and belief and religious expression, social justice, racial prejudice and discrimination, wealth and the responsibilities of wealth, exploitation of the poor, responsibilities of those living in poverty, charity. 

 

Key Stage 5 

 

Year 12 

 

Year 12 builds on the foundations that students have secured at GCSE level, with this being said, it is not compulsory for students to have studied RE at Key Stage 4, though it does assist in the acquisition of the philosophical language and abstract thought. In year 12, we study components of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics making up the components of paper 1 at AS. This entails exploring philosophical arguments about the existence of God and their various strengths and weaknesses as well as how the existence of evil challenges claims of an all-loving and powerful deity. This is coupled with an in-depth analysis of ethical conduct, learning a range of ethical theories from across religion and secular societies from Catholic Natural Moral Law to Virtue Ethics of Ancient Greece and Aristotle. Here, we are challenged to apply theory to every changing ethical parameter of the modern-day world such as that of abortion, euthanasia, vivisection, xenotransplantation and the treatment of criminals. We are aiming to assess and critique what it means to be ‘morally good’ and whether there can truly be a universal standard of morality. Students will also learn components of paper 2, this is a study of religious themes within society. For example, we explore both traditional and non-traditional conceptions of the nature of God, debate the authority and nature of scripture, assess the importance of religious identity in a multi-cultural and ever more secular society and analyse the importance and role faith has for people with a particular focus on afterlife. 

Year 13 

Year 13 builds further onto the year 12 knowledge and sees us develop our understanding of the overall themes that run through our modules. Here, we start to work on synoptic knowledge in which students envision the modules that they have learnt, not as separate and unrelated but as a linked continuous flow of knowledge. For example, in Year 13 we continue with more complex modules of paper 1. Philosophy modules include Miracles and their credibility, in which students relate this content back to the Nature of God and the existence of evil from year 12. We also explore the meaningfulness of language and how it is used, we build on our afterlife knowledge with views of the Ancient Greeks such as the Realm of the Forms and modern philosophers such as Hick’s Replica theory. In Ethics, we challenge the concept of ethical theories through the study of Conscience as either a religious, sociological or psychological phenomena. We also explore the concept of moral responsibility through an investigation of free-will and learn the ethical processes of Kant and Utilitarianism. In the paper 2 component we assess the challenges of Science, debate Gender and Sexuality, multiculturalism and the rise of secularisation. During this two year course we will link to a range of sociological and psychological perspectives, question the merits of absolutism and develop an ability to construct well informed and articulate debate responses that reflect the changing cultural and religious context in which we live.