Welcome to the Religious Education Curriculum
Religious Education Department:
Head of Faculty: Mrs M Doolan (Maternity)
Primary Subject Lead: Mrs C Wilson
Teacher of RE: Mrs M Doolan
Teacher RE: Mr M.Lynch
Curriculum Journey from EYFS to KS4
Reception:
Autumn 1: What makes people special?
Autumn 2: What is Christmas?
Spring 1: How do people celebrate?
Spring 2: What is Easter?
Summer 1: What makes stories special?
Summer 2: What makes places special?
Year 1:
Autumn 1 & 2:
Christianity – Creation Story
Q – Does God want Christians to look after the world?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – What gifts might Christians in my town have given Jesus if he had been born here rather than in Bethlehem?
Spring 1 &2:
Christianity – Jesus as a friend
Q – Was it always easy for Jesus to show friendship?
Christianity – Easter (Palm Sunday)
Q – Why was Jesus welcomed like a king or celebrity by the crowds on Palm Sunday?
Summer 1 & 2:
Judaism – Shabbat
Q – Is Shabbat important for Jewish children?
Judaism – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Q – Are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur important to Jewish children?
Year 2:
Autumn 1 & 2:
Christianity – What did Jesus teach?
Q – Is it possible to be kind to everyone all of the time?
Christianity – Jesus as a gift from God
Q – Why do Christians believe that God gave Jesus to the world?
Spring 1 &2:
Islam – Prayer at home
Q – Does praying at regular intervals help a Muslim in his/her everyday life?
Christianity – Easter (Resurrection)
Q – How important is it to Christians that Jesus came back to life after His crucifixion?
Summer 1 &2:
Islam - Community and belonging
Q – Does going to a Mosque give Muslims a sense of belonging?
Hajj - Q-Does completing Hajj make a person a better Muslim?
Year 3:
Autumn 1 & 2:
Hinduism – Divali
Q – Would celebrating Divali at home and in the community bring a feeling of belonging to a Hindu child?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q- Has Christmas lost its true meaning?
Spring 1 & 2 :
Christianity – Miracles of Jesus
Q – Could Jesus heal people? Were these miracles or is there some other explanation?
Christianity – Easter (forgiveness)
Q – What is ‘good’ about Good Friday?
Summer 1 & 2:
Hinduism – Hindu beliefs
Q – How can Brahman be everywhere and in everything?
Hinduism – Pilgrimage to River Ganges
Q - Would visiting the River Ganges feel special to a non-Hindu?
Year 4:
Autumn 1 & 2:
Buddhism – Buddha’s teachings
Q – Is it possible for everyone to be happy?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – What is the most significant part of the nativity story for Christians today?
Spring 1 & 2:
Buddhism – 8 fold path
Q-Can the Buddha’s teachings make the world a better place?
Christianity – Easter (Salvation)
Q – Is forgiveness always possible for Christians?
Summer 1 & 2:
Buddhism – 8 fold path (continued)
Q - What is the best way for a Buddhist to lead a good life?
Christianity – Prayer and worship
Q- Do people need to go to church to show they are Christians?
Year 5:
Autumn 1 & 2:
Sikhism – Belief into action
Q – How far would a Sikh go for his/her religion?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – Is the Christmas story true?
Spring 1 & 2:
Sikhism – Beliefs and moral values
Q- Are Sikh stories important today?
Christianity – Salvation
Q- How significant is it for Christians to believe God intended Jesus to die?
Summer 1 & 2:
Sikhism – Prayer and worship
Q- What is the best way for a Sikh to show commitment to God?
Christianity – Beliefs and practices
Q – What is the best way for a Christian to show commitment to God?
Year 6:
Autumn 1 & 2:
Islam – Beliefs and Practices
Q – What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – Do Christian celebrations help Christians understand who Jesus was and why he was born?
Spring 1 & 2:
Christianity – Beliefs and Meaning
Q – Is anything ever eternal?
Christianity – Easter (The Gospel)
Q – Is Christianity still a strong religion 2000 years after Jesus was on earth?
Summer 1 & 2:
Islam – Beliefs and moral values
Q – Does belief in Akhirah (life after death) help Muslims lead good lives?
Year 7:
Autumn 1: How do we know what we know? An introduction to BPE, with a focus on Philosophical questions. (Philosophy) Big Questions- Pupils look at a variety of questions through a philosophical lens. (philosophy)
Autumn 2 and Spring 1: What does Belief look like? Students will explore a variety of themes, beliefs and worldviews through NATRE's A-Z of Religion. (Belief)
Spring 2 and Summer 1: What is important to Muslims? Students will gain an understanding of key features of Islam before applying this knowledge to our society today. They will consider what is good and what is challenging about being a Muslim in Britain. (Beliefs)
Summer 2: How can belief be expressed through the arts? Students will explore theme of their choice and create their own response through various mediums. The best in school will be submitted to NATRE's national competition. (Belief, Philosophy and Ethics)
Year 8:
Autumn 1 &2 : What lessons can we learn from the Bible? Students will study key themes within the Bible, building upon their knowledge from Primary and applying it's teaching to how Christians live their lives. (Belief and Ethics)
Spring 1: How did we get here? Students will explore the debate between Evolution and The Creation Story. (Belief)
Spring 2: Was Siddartha right to leave the Palace? Students will learn the founding story of Bhuddism and the key features of the religion. They will explore how Buddhists live their lives today and also the links to our local area through a study of the local Buddhist Temple. (Beliefs)
Summer 1: How important are Human Rights? Students will investigate a range of issues and debated relevant to today's society, (Ethics)
Summer 2: How can belief be expressed through the arts? Students will explore theme of their choice and create their own response through various mediums. The best in school will be submitted to NATRE's national competition. (Belief, Philosophy and Ethics)
Year 9:
Autumn 1: What is religion? Students will explore alternative belief systems to gain an understanding of the diverse nature of religion around the world. (Belief)
Autumn 2 and Spring 1: Does suffering make belief in God impossible? Students will grapple with the question of whether an all-loving, all-powerful God would allow suffering in the World. (Belief, Philosophy, Ethics)
Spring 2 and Summer 1: What does it mean to be a Humanist? Students will study key features of the Humanist worldview and apply their learning to the modern world (Belief and Ethics)
Summer 2: How can belief be expressed through the arts? Students will explore theme of their choice and create their own response through various mediums. The best in school will be submitted to NATRE's national competition. (Belief, Philosophy and Ethics)
KS4 -Year 10 & 11 - GCSE Course Overview:
Exam Board: AQA Religious Studies Short Course
Exam Requirements:
Religious Studies Short Course: 1hr 45mins
Section A and Section B
96 marks, plus 6 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar
100% of GCSE short course
Course Syllabus:
Section A: The Study of Religions
Students will study the beliefs and teachings of Buddhism and Christianity.
Section B: Thematic Studies
Students will study religious, philosophical and ethical approaches to two themes:
- Relationships and families
- Religion, peace and conflict
Exam Questions:
Section A:
Students answer questions on two religions.
The questions within each religion have a common structure made up of five-part questions of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.
Section B:
Students answer questions on both themes.
The questions within each theme have a common structure made up of five-part questions of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.
All questions are marked out of 24.
Click the link below to view the full specification:
GCSE Religious Studies Short Course: Specification