Welcome to the Religious Education Department

Subject Overview
Teaching Aims and Objectives
Course Information
Marking and Assessment
Homework Policy
Examinations
Department Resources
Department Policies

Subject Overview

Religious Education is a statutory subject which all schools must provide. It provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops students’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity as well as other religious traditions. At Waddesdon School, it plays a key role in promoting the values of dignity and respect for all as well as developing an awareness of the unique nature of the Anglican tradition.

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Teaching Aims and Objectives

Students are taught to:

• Understand the nature, role and influence of religion in the world
• Pursue a personal quest for meaning, purpose and value
• Formulate reasoned opinions and arguments
• Understand and respect different beliefs and life-styles

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Course Information

At Key Stage 3, students follow a scheme of work based on the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus and the QCA Non-statutory National Framework for Religious Education.

The topics covered are:

Year 7

Is there a God?

Why worship?

Similarities and differences between worship in Hinduism and Christianity.

What does Jesus mean to Christians?

• Jesus – Man or God
• Jesus – His life, death and beyond
• Are the teachings of Jesus relevant today?

Year 8

What does it mean to be a Muslim?

Why is there suffering?

How Christianity and Buddhism deal with the questionM

Who am I?

• Aspects of being human
• The Journey of life
• The beginning - birth ceremonies
• Growing up
• Where does it end?

Key Stage 4

All students follow a three-year course leading to a Short-Course GCSE qualification. There is also the possibility of choosing Religious Studies as an option and completing Full Religious Studies GCSE.

Topics include:

• The Existence of God
• The Problem of Suffering and Evil
• The Nature of God
• Ways of Making Moral Decisions
• Abortion
• Sex, Marriage and Divorce
• Prejudice and Discrimination
• World Poverty
• War and Peace
• The Natural World

A-level

Students explore aspects of the Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. Topics include:

Ethics:

• The Nature of ‘Good’
• Medical Ethics
• Ethical Theories such as Utilitarianism and Natural Law
• Sexual Ethics
• Environmental Ethics
• War and Peace

Philosophy:

• Plato and Aristotle
• Arguments For and Against the Existence of God
• Challenges to Religion
• The Nature of Body and Soul
• Religious Language

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Marking and Assessment

Marking and assessment play a key role in enabling the students to make progress. Students need to be aware of the level they have reached and what they need to do in order to improve. Criteria for assessment are made clear to the students and activities such as self-assessment and peer assessment are used in order to involve students in the process, so that it is a learning experience.

Key Stage 3

Students are set a termly assessment at the end of the module which is level marked with comments by the teacher. Weekly work is commented upon and given an assessment from 1 - 4 in accordance with school policy.

Key Stage 4

Students are assessed at the end of a topic module with examination-type questions and are given a mark and a grade, as well as a comment. Other work, such as presentations, is also given an assessment from 1 - 4 and a comment.

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Homework Policy

Homework is crucial to learning as it enables students to take responsibility for their own learning and gives them the opportunity to do research, prepare presentations and develop their writing skills. It is essential in preparing for the final exams. Homework is set weekly and consistently followed up.

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Examinations

Core Course: GCSE AQA B, Paper 1 - God and Morality
Option Course: Paper 4 - Truth, Spirituality, and Contemporary Issues

A Level
OCR Philosophy of Religion + Religious Ethics

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Department Resources

The Department uses a variety of visual resources such as DVDs, videos and CD ROMs. There is also a selection of up-to-date text books. The key text books used at Key Stage 3 are:

• Key Christian Beliefs, Lion Educational Publishing, 1995
• Some Hard Questions, OUP, 2002
• This is RE! Hodder Murray, 2002
• Think RE! Heinemann, 2005

At Key Stage 4 the key textbook is:
Thinking about God and Morality, Heinemann, 2004

There is also a range of books aimed at A Level, including Vardy’s Puzzle of Ethics and Puzzle of God.

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Department Policies

Exercise Books

All students are issued with at least one exercise book to work in. They are expected to treat this book and their work with respect. The RE Department expects all students to follow these guidelines:

• Exercise books should be covered in clear plastic film
• All writing should be in blue or black ink
• All work should have a title and be dated
• All titles and dates should be underlined using a ruler
• Diagrams and pictures should be drawn in pencil, labelled in ink, given a title and have a border drawn round them.

Writing

All students will be taught to use a variety of written styles, from formal extended writing to note-taking. The RE Department believes that it is vital for students to be able to write effectively if they are going to succeed academically. Extended writing is a key skill that helps students to develop their thinking. When writing, the following guidelines should be followed:

• All writing and notes should be titled to explain what it is
• The beginning of each paragraph should be indented, and all other text should be written next to the margin
• Students should not miss a line between paragraphs
• Students should always try to write clearly, setting their work out with care and with pride

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