Religious Studies

Head of Department: David Phillips

 

Department Background
 Religious education is a process which begins long before formal schooling and continues long after it. The process does not end with examinations at 16 or 18 and our teaching can only help to develop the process. Throughout our teaching, and implicit in the syllabus, are the two attainment targets of the Enfield Agreed Syllabus:

    *         AT1 - learning about religions
    *         AT2 - learning from religions


We aim to give knowledge about religions: to help the pupils to understand the ideas involved in religious phenomena; the feelings reflected in religious phenomena and the actions through which religious phenomena are externalised. We believe that it is important to nurture respect towards religious positions and tolerance of the ideas of others. We are concerned to promote a critical and analytical approach whilst also encouraging students to make a thoughtful, personal response in the sphere of beliefs, values and morality.

We aim to offer a broad and balanced curriculum that is relevant to our students. We have a number of faiths represented in the school, so we spend time studying a range of religions, although due to the special place it has in this country, there is a special emphasis on Christianity. There is continuity within the courses and progression both within and between courses. In Year 8 we build on the groundwork laid down in Year 7, and then in Year 9 the students are introduced to more difficult religious ideas of a philosophical nature. The key focus in the study of moral and social issues in Years 10 and 11 is critical evaluation. The question of what is true and how to live is finally left to the individual student to decide in response to the knowledge and understanding they will have acquired.

The approach adopted is one of explicit and effective neutrality, which is based upon the insistence that the beliefs and values of each tradition or individual are presented (by the teacher) as truth-claims and not as truths per se. Simply stated, this means that those statements which are regarded as 'truths' by an adherent are dealt with as 'beliefs' in the classroom.

Year 7 - 9
 During the first three years we introduce them to basic themes found in many world religions, consider the varieties of religious faith by looking at monotheistic faiths, (Judaism and Christianity Yr8, Islam Yr9), a panentheistic faith, (Hinduism Yr7) and an atheistic religion (Buddhism Yr9). We also encourage them to explore questions and concepts of a more philosophical nature (Symbolic language Yr7, Ethics Yr 8, Philosophy Yr9).

    * Year 7   Introduction to the six major world religions; symbolic pictures, actions, stories, and language; significant people in religion; Hinduism; festivals
    * Year 8       Judaism, Introduction to Ethics, Christianity
    * Year 9   An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion (including Issues in Science and Religion); Use of Art in Worship; Islam; Buddhism
Year 10 - 11
 In Years 10 and 11 we consider religious and non-religious responses to a variety of moral and social and philosophical issues.

    * Non-examination:   Religious and non-religious responses to a range of moral, philosophical, personal and social issues.

 GCSE: AQA Syllabus B - Two Units

    * Unit 3: Religion and Morality (medical ethics, care of the elderly, drug abuse, crime and punishment, rich and poor in Britain, world poverty)
    * Unit 5: Religious Expressions in Society (religion and art, architecture, literature, media, music, religion in contemporary society)

 Sixth Form

 There is no compulsory RE. Students are able to choose to study ‘AS’ and ‘A’ levels if they wish to.

    * ‘AS’ Level   OCR – Philosophy and Ethics  (taken at the end of  Yr 12)
    * ‘A2’ Level   OCR -  Philosophy and Ethics  (taken at the end of  Yr 13)

    
Curriculum Enrichment options
We offer a Medical Ethics course for those Yr 13 students wishing to follow medicine at university. We also offer a short introductory course on New Testament Study. Due to timetabling difficulties these usually take place after school for an hour a week.

In the Summer Term we run a Yr 12 Ethics Conference morning for a large percentage of the year group. This helps the Yr 12 students to engage with relevant contemporary ethical issues and also helps us to fulfil the requirement for RE to Key Stage 5 students.

 Activities
    * Theatre trips for sixth formers.
    * Attendance at sixth form conferences with excellent speakers on relevant and interesting topics.
    * Year 10 GCSE trip to Bhaktivedanta Manor.
    * Year 7 trips to the local church, All Saints.