Religious Studies

Key Stage 3

Intent

At Brayton Academy, Religious Education (RE) encompasses Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics. This includes the study of some of the key beliefs and practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, well as the examination of both religious and secular views on a variety of philosophical themes. The primary goal of the RE curriculum is to provide students with both the knowledge and the skills they need to engage with questions of utmost importance to human experience, e.g., ‘Is there a God?’, ‘Is death really the end’?, ‘ ‘What is the right thing to do?’, ‘What is the meaning of life?’, ‘Is it ever morally justifiable to perform an abortion?’, ‘Do animals have rights?’ and more. Pupils are taught to think critically about the reasons supporting both religious and secular responses to these and other related questions and are encouraged to find their own voice.

The aims of the Religious Education Department are:

• To teach intellectually challenging lessons that allow pupils to stretch their minds and think ‘outside the box’.
• To facilitate the development of key analytical skills and argumentative techniques as they have been traditionally practiced in Western Philosophy (e.g., the ability to identify assumptions and hidden tensions between ideas, trace conceptual distinctions, formulate counterarguments and other important skills).
• To promote cultural capital, allowing pupils to expand their horizons by reflecting on their values, beliefs and attitudes.
• To help pupils to become independent thinkers.

 

Year 7

In Year 7, pupils have one RE lesson a week. Students begin by looking into the monotheistic concept of God. This is followed by a brief introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with a special focus on key moral teachings underpinning those religious traditions. Students then progress to explore some key questions in the Philosophy of Religion, such as the contrast between religious and secular accounts of creation and the intelligent design argument.  Towards the end of the school year students will be introduced to P4C (Philosophy for Children) and will explore a range of metaphysical and ethical questions.

Year 8

In Year 8, students have one lesson a week. We begin by studying the importance of religious festivals in both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic faiths. This is followed by the study of pilgrimage and holy places within the same religious groups. We then move on to the study of big questions about how societies are organized and governed. We will start by asking what a state is and imagine what life would be like without one—a “state of nature”—through the ideas of philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Students will also examine different forms of government—democracy, monarchy (including the idea that kings rule by divine right), and dictatorship—and discuss who should have the power to rule. The last unit ‘Meaning and Value’ invites students to think deeply about what gives life meaning and what we value. They will explore what it really means to ask about the meaning of life and whether believing in God changes the answer. The class will also consider whether living forever would be something we should want. Other topics include thinking about the value of the world around us and understanding the "tragedy of the commons," a concept that shows how shared resources can be overused and damaged when people act only in their own self-interest.

Year 9 (Pre-Option GCSE Religious Studies)

In Year 9, students have two lessons a week as part of their RS GCSE Pre-Option. We will explore important and challenging moral questions about life and death. They will consider whether animals deserve moral consideration and what that might mean for how we treat them. The class will also discuss difficult issues like abortion—when, if ever, it is morally acceptable to end the life of a human foetus. Other topics include euthanasia and whether people with terminal illnesses should have the right to choose when to die. Students will also examine whether the death penalty can ever be justified, and they’ll reflect on the nature of death itself—whether it is always a bad thing, and whether our fear of death makes sense.

Key Stage 4 - GCSE Religious Studies

Intent

At Brayton Academy, the GCSE specification in Religious Studies covers the in-depth study of the main beliefs and practices of Christianity and Islam, as well as four philosophical and ethical studies themes (Relationships and Families, Religion and Life, The existence of God and Crime & Punishment). The GCSE course will deepen their knowledge and understanding of questions about belief, values, meaning and truth. Its main goals are:

• To enable pupils to develop their own attitudes towards religious issues.

• To gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture.

• To develop analytical and critical thinking skills, such as the ability to work with abstract ideas.

• To develop exam skills through constant practice and formative feedback.

 

The rigorous study of religious beliefs and philosophical themes allows pupils to engage with the big questions of life in a rational way, enabling them to develop their interpretive and argumentative skills.

Year 10 & Year 11 (one year GCSE course)

Pupils have six lessons per week. This course is delivered over one year.

Right to Withdraw:

In the UK, parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to make their own provision. This alternative will be the parents’ responsibility. This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE and can do so without giving any explanation.

If you would like to withdraw your child from RE, it would be useful for parents to notify the Principal in the first instance for a brief discussion in order to ensure that any requests to withdraw can be met promptly.