Religious Education reflects the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teachings and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain. This means that students will study Christianity and will also be investigating the world religions of Buddhism and Islam. In addition to the study of world religions students are also introduced to atheism, philosophy and ethics and a range of philosophical and ethical issues are examined throughout all key stages.
All students in Year 9 study a course that combines RE and PSHEE. This course covers the study of Islam, sex education and mental health. Students also have the option, as part of their Year 9 subject choices, to study RE further and receive an additional double lesson. Within this double lesson students are introduced to the AQA GCSE course and examine a range of religious beliefs and practices connected to Christianity alongside studying thematic issues such as Marriage and Relationships.
In Key Stage 4 students who have previously opted to study the introduction to the GCSE course in Year 9 can opt to continue to study for the AQA Full Course qualification. This course builds on the units that have been studied in Year 9 and examines a range of religious beliefs and practices connected to Islam alongside studying thematic issues such as Crime and Punishment and Peace, Conflict and War.
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In Key Stage 5 students who have successfully completed the Full Course can opt to study the Edexcel A Level in Religious Studies. The two year course covers Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Islam. Students are required to examine a range of issues and study scholars who have contributed to debates about the existence of God, religion and ethics.
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