Religious Studies

The religious studies department believe that a wide and varied curriculum is the basis of all progress both personal and academic. We know that a good RS curriculum can be the key to assisting students' development of many of the skills they will need in their life both inside and outside of school, especially if they continue to live in the multicultural society of Luton.

Religious Studies is a statutory subject and must be provided for all students within the school. We follow a broad and balanced locally agreed syllabus that mirrors the multicultural nature of the local communities. This gives students the opportunities to develop both personally and academically with the highest of aspirations and plenty of chances to develop a growth mindset. It challenges students to know more about the world around them and encourages them to become global citizens. We have designed a curriculum at Key Stage 3 and follow an examination curriculum at Key Stage 4 that embraces British Values and encourages students to develop both personal skills and qualities which help a student to not only achieve conventionally in the academic arena but also develop as a whole person.

The principle aim of RS is to explore what people believe and how this impacts on how they live their lives. It should give the students the knowledge, understanding, and skills needed to handle questions of philosophy, morality and religion. They are expected to be able to develop opinions and be able to reflect on their own experiences. No child will ever be asked to change their opinion however, we sometimes guide students on how to best express their opinions in an open and respectful way. We firmly believe that it is our role to encourage students to explore both religious and non-religious philosophies but it is not our place to encourage a child to follow any particular religious tradition. We do however, require our students to explore their own beliefs and encourage them to explore their own justifications for them.  

Our key stage 3 curriculum builds the foundation for GCSE study which is compulsory for all students and develops thinking skills that are required to achieve the best possible grade in that GCSE. We then build upon the concepts and skills covered in the lower year in GCSE classes to prepare for the GCSE exams. 

If you choose to boost the GCSE with the Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE) option, you will study the same topics as students who are in Core RS, together with additional subject matter.

RS is a subject where all people are able to achieve as much of it is about personal response to issues and practices that they see around them. Students are encouraged to develop personal opinions as well as learn others so develop personally alongside achieving a GCSE in Religious Studies.

Key stage 3:

At Key Stage 3 we follow the Luton Agreed Syllabus and focus our learning around enquiry. Each scheme of learning is based around an overarching question that reflects an element of religious practice. 

In Year 7 we consider the following questions:

• What do different people believe about God?
• What is a prophet and why are they important to religious believers
• What are religious festivals and how are they celebrated?
• What are morals and how do we know how to behave?

In Year 8 we consider the following questions:

• What is worship and how does it differ between religions?
• What are sacred texts and why are they important to religious believers?
• What is a sacred space?
• What is philosophy and how do people answer the “Big Questions”?
• Who am I? What influences my identity?

In Year 9 we consider the following questions

• What is a religion? Are some of the wider world views in fact religions?
• What makes a person influential and inspirational?
• How does the criminal justice system work in the UK? How should we treat people who have broken the law?
• What are the biggest ethical and philosophical questions of our time? Can we answer them?
• What happens after we die?

Assessment:

In Year 7, 8 and 9 we assess students in a variety of ways including writing newspaper articles, creating information booklets, designing sacred spaces, writing reports and even asking them to create something to express their identity. 

Key Stage 4:

At Key Stage 4 all students follow the GCSE AQA A short course. This covers the religions of Christianity and Islam and two ethical themes. Students can choose to boost their GCSE by opting for Philosophy, Religion and Ethics as an options subject, where they will study topics like those below in more detail.

Year 10 

Core RS covers;

• Peace and  Conflict - This module looks at the issues surrounding peace and conflict in the modern world and explores the ethics behind the choice made during war. 
• Christianity Beliefs - We cover the main beliefs of Christianity including beliefs in the Trinity, Incarnation and the life and death of Jesus.
• Religion and the Family - This topic explores modern family life including different types of relationships, marriage and divorce.

PRE additionally covers;

• Social Justice and Human Rights - In this topic we cover human rights and social justice and the reasons that these are important for both religious and non religious people. We will also look at cases where these human rights and social justice has been denied to people such as cases of sexism, racism and disability discrimination. 
• Christianity Practices - We look at how Christians show their faith through their behaviour and their actions. We look at rites such as Baptism and Holy Communion and consider the religious festivals of Christmas and Easter. 
• Crime and Punishment - How does our justice system work in the UK? What do religions say about different types of crimes and how should we punish criminals? 

Year 11

Core RS covers;

• Islam Belief - This topic covers the main beliefs of Islam including, Tawhid (belief in one God), Prophets and Angels. 
• Exam Technique and Revision - For the remainder of year 11 we look at how to best answer exam questions and revise the topics covered, in preparation for the exams in May of year 11. 

PRE additionally covers;

• Religion and Life - Why is life important? What are the ethical issues surrounding both human and animal life? Should we be able to end life under certain circumstances? 
• Islam Practices - In this topic we explore the ways in which Muslims show their beliefs in God. We cover the five pillars of Islam, the festivals and Greater Jihad. 

Enrichment:

 There are a number of enrichment activities in RS including:

• The Feast - this is a club that runs both in school and after school helping students to engage in interfaith and inter belief dialogue. We work with a charity to provide this club and it encourages students to develop their own opinions and skills of communication. 
• Religion, ethics and philosophy in the media club - we investigate how issues of religion, ethics and philosophy are portrayed in the media. We look at film, television and literature to explore how theses issues are shown. Students have the opportunity to suggest or present media that they want to investigate.  

Key Skills You will Learn:

1. Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can: 

• identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary 
• explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities  
• recognise how and why sources of authority (e.g. texts, teachings, traditions, leaders) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, developing skills of interpretation.

2. Understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can: 

• examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways 
• recognise and account for ways in which people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world 
• appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

3. Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:

• evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses
• challenge the ideas they study, and consider how these ideas might challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response 
• discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own ways of understanding the world, expressing their critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity and understanding.

The RS GCSE will help students to develop skills including:

• Evaluation - students will be expected to evaluate arguments and justify which arguments are stronger or more convincing. 
• Justification - students will be asked to justify their opinions and points with well written explanations. 
• Tolerance and understanding - the course will encourage students to understand other viewpoints and beliefs. 
• Literacy - RS requires students to be able to express their opinions in writing in their exam papers. This increases their literacy skills. 

Next Steps:

RS is valuable for any person who wishes to deal with people in their career as it explores people’s faiths and beliefs which will be helpful when dealing with people in their professional roles. 

Courses:

• A Levels - religious studies, philosophy and ethics)
• Degrees in the following subjects are natural routes into higher education if you have a passion for RS; theology, philosophy and law.

careers:

• Medicine
• Education
• Law

Contact:

Lead Teacher: Mrs V Cooke - vcooke@qesluton.co.uk