Subject Lead - Mrs Annie Sparrow, 01805 623531 Ext. 352 or asparrow@gts.devon.sch.uk

Teachers - Miss Elizabeth Cox

Intent

• To provide the knowledge to enable pupils to develop their own World Views and sense of identity through examination of a range of religious and non-religious World Views, in a local, national and international context.
• To provide the necessary knowledge to facilitate challenging discussions about the meaning and purpose of life, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.
• To encourage pupils to critically examine their own and others viewpoints within a climate of respect and dialogue.
• To equip pupils with the skills and knowledge to pursue a range of further education and career opportunities.

Curriculum & Qualifications

KS3

There is no national curriculum for Religious Education so in Key stage 3 we broadly follow the Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus. Pupils investigate four of the main world religions throughout this key stage; Christianity, Sikhism, Islam and Buddhism. Each module focuses on the key elements of each religion; founder, key beliefs and worship, with a particular focus on the opportunities and challenges that may affect believers in Britain today.

Pupils also consider non-religious views, such as humanism and explore a range of ethical ideas and issues throughout the course. In year 9 we spend a term exploring the theological and ethical issues surrounding the Holocaust, which involves many  opportunities for interesting discussion and reflection. Pupils are also encouraged to make a creative response to religious themes so in year 7 all pupils participate in the NATRE ‘Spirited Arts’ competition in the summer term.

KS4

World Views - Core

All pupils have compulsory RE lessons in key stage 4.  In year 10 pupils explore issues of diversity and inclusion with a key focus on disability and anti - racism, using  NATRE resources. A range of ethical issues such as capital punishment, abortion and euthanasia are also explored, with an emphasis upon discussion and debate. Pupils also explore the nature of religion and investigate a number of New Religious Movements through a balanced and critical lens.

GCSE RE – AQA Specification A (8062)

Pupils who opt for GCSE RE follow the AQA specification A route. This involves an in depth study of two religions, Christianity (the main religion in Great Britain) and Buddhism. In addition pupils study four thematic areas ; Relationships, Crime and Punishment, Life Issues and War and Peace. The issues are of great relevance to young people today and involve an emphasis on critical thinking, thoughtful articulacy and well structured written responses. Pupils of all abilities perform well in this subject. Whilst there is a large knowledge element for the religious components, pupils of all religious backgrounds or none perform equally well in this subject and value the opportunities for cultural capital that GCSE RE provides.