Religious Education

Head of department: Mrs Janet Smith: smithj@wellandparkacademy.com

Our RE Curriculum

Religious Education is a vital subject that fosters understanding, tolerance and critical thinking about the diverse world we live in. It encourages students to explore various beliefs, cultures and ethics, helping them to develop respect for different perspectives.

KS3 Curriculum

The Religious Education Curriculum at KS3 is structured to introduce students to a wide range of religious beliefs, practices and ethical issues, while encouraging critical thinking and personal reflection.

In Y7, students study:

• An introduction to RE

• Buddhism

• Christianity

• Ethics based topic: animal rights

In Y8, students study:

• Judaism

• Sikhism

• Islam

• Ethics based topic: wealth and poverty

In Y9, students study:

• Christianity (with a focus on ethics)

• Crime and Punishment

• Hinduism

• Philosophy based topic: arguments for and against the existence of God

Within these topics we consider the core beliefs of the 6 major world religions, an understanding of sacred texts and stories, how we can answer ethical issues and moral questions, religious festivals and practices, philosophical and theological questions, alongside encouraging personal reflection and development.

KS4 Curriculum

In KS4, students focus on two of the main world religions: Christianity and Sikhism as part of their GCSE course. Course: AQA 8062: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/gcse/religious-studies-8062/specification

The GCSE Religious Studies course is studied in two main components:

Throughout the GCSE course students apply knowledge of Christianity and Sikhism to beliefs and practices and to various themes, utilising religious teachings from the Bible and Guru Granth Sahib to support their answers.

RE in Citizenship

All students continue their learning around the main religions, cementing their understanding. Students focus on religious festivals, including why and how do we celebrate them, and how they affect peoples’ lives.

Key celebrations for Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism are taught in two sections within Citizenship to match their timing in the year, to make it more relevant to the students. Lessons are linked to local community celebrations in Leicester where possible. As they move into Year 11, students are then asked to apply their knowledge on ethical questions, including applying religious viewpoints. These include animal rights and testing, capital and corporal punishment, sanctity of life, abortion and population control.

Careers with RE

There are many careers that can lead on from studying GCSE religious studies. Religious Education equips students with knowledge of the beliefs, practices and values of people around the world.

Career paths can include: business (particularly international business or international relations), counselling and social work, education, journalism, law and medicine, event planning and hospitality, service industry, foreign service, non-profit or non-governmental organisations and publishing.