Religious Education

The primary purpose of Catholic Religious Education is to come to know and understand God’s revelation which is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

Mrs Otosio

Staff

Mrs Otosio – Assistant Headteacher
Ms A McGarr – Head of Faculty
Mr D O’Sullivan

Miss J Finney

Miss K Allison

Ethos

The primary purpose of Catholic Religious Education is to come to know and understand God’s revelation which is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Religious Education helps the pupil to know and experience the meaning of this revelation in his or her own life and the life of the community which is the Church. Hence ‘the promotion of the human person is the goal of the Catholic school.’ (Religious Education Curriculum Directory)

Aims

The Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools and Colleges in England and Wales aims to ensure that all pupils:

To present engagingly a comprehensive content which is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith
To enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively
To present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society
To raise pupils’ awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them
To develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their Catholic faith to daily life
To stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith
To enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum
To bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture

Progression

GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies provides progression from key stage 3 and through to a number of AS and A Level subjects.

KS3 Curriculum

Year 7, 8 and 9

In Year 7, 8 and 9 all students follow the Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools and Colleges in England and Wales through the People of God scheme of learning. They receive 5 lessons of RE over two weeks.

The outcome of excellent Religious Education is religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.

Subject Content

Pupils are taught about:

Our school
Sacraments
Reformation
Islam
Religion and science
Nature of Suffering
Old Testament prophets
Judaism
Hinduism
Sikhism
Ethics
Sources of authority
The person of Jesus

KS4 Curriculum

Year 10 and 11

Teaching in year 10 and 11, pupils follow the Eduqas Religious Studies Route B programme of study. Following this specification:

develops learners’ knowledge and understanding of religions and non-religious beliefs, such as atheism and humanism
develops learners’ knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings, practices, and sources of wisdom and authority, including through their reading of key religious texts, other texts, and scriptures of the religions they are studying
develops learners’ ability to construct well-argued, well-informed, balanced and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of understanding of the subject
provides opportunities for learners to engage with questions of belief, value, meaning, purpose, truth, and their influence on human life
challenges learners to reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs and attitudes in the light of what they have learnt and contributes to their preparation for adult life in a pluralistic society and global community.

Subject Content

Pupils are taught about:

Foundational Catholic Theology: Origins and Meanings. This includes: creation of the universe, creation of humans, the environment, the Bible, art, charities, interfaith dialogue and Humanist perspectives.

Foundational Catholic Theology: Good and Evil. This includes: origin of evil, suffering, Trinity, Incarnation, example of Jesus, sculptures, pilgrimage and popular piety.

Applied Catholic Theology: Life and Death. This includes: euthanasia, the afterlife, Magisterium, Second Vatican Council, sarcophagi, Music, the funeral rite and prayer.

Applied Catholic Theology: Sin and Forgiveness. This includes: Punishments, capital punishment, forgiveness, loving God and Hell, Salvation, Features of a church, sacraments, evangelisation.

Judaism. This includes: The nature of God, Shekhinah, Messiah, Covenant, Pikuach Nefesh, afterlife, worship at home and at the synagogue, rituals, festivals

Assessment

Examination	Length of Exam	Weighting
Component 1: Foundation Catholic Theology	1 Hour 30 mins	37.5% of Qualification
Component 2: Applied Catholic Theology	1 Hour 30 mins	37.5% of Qualification
Component 3: Study of a World Faith	1 Hour	25% of Qualification

Courses Offered at KS4

Find out about the courses we offer at KS4 including examination and enrichment courses.

Subjects

“Subject leaders have crafted a curriculum which enables pupils to build on their prior knowledge.” OFSTED 2022

CURRICULUM MAPS

Take a deeper look at what our curriuculum covers over KS3 and KS4