The RS department provides an environment which creates a pleasant learning and working atmosphere for both staff and pupils. It is our intention to ensure the subject is inspiring, engaging and challenging. Students are encouraged to be active and responsive in their learning of Religious Studies.

Through a variety of resources including film, books, use of ICT and music, the religions explored at KS3 are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism students learn ABOUT religion and FROM religion.                                                                                

Learning about develops the ability to:

• begin to build a coherent picture of individual religions
• explain similarities and differences between and within religion

Learning from develops the ability to:

• make an informed and considered response on religious and moral issues
• identify and respond to questions of meaning
• reflect on what is learned from religions in the light of one’s own beliefs and experiences.

There are key links with both history and citizenship at KS3. When studying Buddhism for example students identify the role of communist China and the effects in that region. For Christianity and Judaism students look at different views on women’s roles and find out about campaign groups who advocate change for the 21^st century. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are significant figures in history whose contributions students learn about in the area of leadership and issues of justice. Views about environmental issues are also explored from all religious perspectives. 

Religious Studies is a compulsory subject and all students go on to study it at KS4. 

At KS4 the units covered are: The nature of God; The nature of belief; The problem of evil and suffering; Scientific and religious theories of creation; Sex, marriage and divorce; Prejudice and discrimination; Poverty and wealth; War and peace. 

These will be studied from Christian, Islamic and Buddhist perspectives 

• The themes are really interesting, providing lots of opportunity for discussion.
• The topics explore some of the ultimate philosophical questions of human existence and are therefore highly relevant. 
• Students will develop their understanding of the world in which they live and of the people with whom they work.
• Students will develop skills in clear thinking, communication and in the ability to formulate logical arguments
• Students will develop skills in how to express their thoughts in their written work.

Year 9 students have now completed the first half of the Short course GCSE and the recent end of year exams have produced some excellent results. The course has been successful and students have been asked to consider a wide-range of current moral issues from various religious viewpoints.

Students have been studying arguments for and against the existence of God and have become familiar with important philosophers and their theories.

They have also been asked to consider the morality of things like the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and whether these could be considered 'just' to religious believers.

In year 10 students will continue to link their learning with current issues of national and global importance and they will continue to develop their debating skills as well as their knowledge of world faiths.