Religious Studies

Religious Studies is a lively and vital subject, which aims to foster an understanding of what it means to hold a religious faith in the 21st Century and how religious ideas have an influence in everyday life. Students are encouraged to develop their knowledge of the religious traditions we study, so that they can begin to appreciate the way that these various traditions interpret the world in which we all live. One of our aims is to develop their debating and discussion skills. We therefore encourage the students to consider a wide range of points of view before they arrive at their own opinion on a range of issues.

In KS3 the schemes of work reflect the guidelines of the National Curriculum and lay a firm foundation for further development in KS4 when all students are prepared for Religious Studies at GCSE. The OCR specification offers them the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics including the Family and Marriage, Issues of Life and Death and the Developing World. It is expected that they will gain a sound knowledge of all the areas covered and develop the ability to approach moral issues in an enquiring and critical way. Discussion and debate within the classroom is an integral part of this course. This GCSE course offers the students a sound preparation for further study in the subject, but also makes links with other areas within the curriculum.

The AQA AS and A2 specifications offer our students a wide range of options, ranging from the more traditional biblically based modules to the increasingly popular area of ethics and philosophy. Advanced Level offers the students the opportunity to develop their own personal areas of study and to make links between the modules they have explored.

Spirited Arts Competition
Last summer, three of our students in Year 8 entered the Spirited Arts Competition run by the PCFRE (Professional Council for Religious Education).  Their work was commended and is now on the website under their first names of Chantelle, Oluwakinsola and Sam.  The website is www.natre.org.uk.

The Tree of Life
Oluwakinsola
Age 14
Trees matter in lots of different religions. This one is a tree of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul writes about these fruits. They grow in the lives of Jesus’ followers. I have shown them as apples – love, joy, peace, kindness, hope and so on.

The three dancers around the tree, and the luminous circles of light in the background show that life led by the spirit is full of good things.

Justice for the Children
Chantelle
Age 13

Sayings from the Bible and from a poem about how children learn show what I think about justice for the children. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. Defend the rights of the poor, the orphan and the helpless. People with no regard for others turn their whole lives into turmoil. If a child lives with love and acceptance, he learns to find love.

Moses: The Turning Point
Sam
Age 13

This image shows how Moses was rescued from the river by the Egyptian Princess. Maybe having a baby rescued her as well. In the background, I’ve put the basket he was hidden in, among the bulrushes. But I’ve also shown the burning bush. All that is still to come, but it started here.