Religious Studies

Welcome to the Religious Education Department

Croeso i’r Adran Addysg Grefyddol

Aims of the subject

Religion plays an important role in our society and can influence what people think, feel and believe.  Through studying Religious Education, pupils receive a broad overview of how religion and spirituality form the basis of our culture.  It aims to introduce pupils to the challenging and varied nature of religion, and helps them explore questions about the meaning of life.  Religious Education also helps pupils to appreciate and recognise the contribution of religion in the formation of beliefs and behaviour – which is vital in understanding the growth and development of our culture and society.

Teaching staff in the department

Mrs C Rees   -   Subject Leader

Key Stage 3

Pupils are given the opportunity to develop their skills, as well as their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other main world religions.  They will use these skills to raise and respond to fundamental human and religious questions.

The course is taught through the three core skills:-

*Engaging with fundamental questions

*Exploring religious beliefs, teachings and practices

*Expressing personal responses

Pupils learn about other cultures by concentrating on:-

Personal Identity and belief

Meaning and purpose of life

Religious expression

The existence of God

Rules for living

Human rights and responsibilities

Prejudice and discrimination

Relationships

The natural world

Celebrations, fasts and festivals

Ultimate questions

Authority

Exploring, responding and expressing meaning

We encourage the development of Key skills within Religious Education. ICT skills are developed in research based tasks and for presentation of completed work.  Numerical and problem solving tasks are given to the pupils along with communication and working with others, and the study of curriculum Cymraeg. Pupils’ tasks will be assessed and levelled according to government requirements. Pupils at key stage three will complete extended tasks.  They receive two lessons per fortnight at Key Stage 3.

Key Stage 4

At Year 10 and 11 all the school’s pupils will follow the WJEC GCSE Short Course syllabus with the opportunity of obtaining half a GCSE in Religious Studies. The course studied is called ‘Religion and Life Issues’.  There is no coursework to complete.  The full range of grades is available to pupils form A* - G.

Pupils will study 4 topics over the two years:-

1.  Relationships

2.  Is it fair?

3.  Looking for meaning

4.  Our World

Pupils will be involved in a thematic study of some central questions and issues in human life.  They will explore the relevance of religious beliefs, teachings and practices to these questions and issues. They are required to study Christianity and at least one other main religion.

All pupils are taught in mixed ability form groups, and receive one lesson per fortnight in Key Stage 4.

Useful resources

Key Stage 4 students can access the Religious Studies GCSE section of the WJEC website at: http://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/religious-studies/religious-studies-gcse/. This has past papers, marking schemes, specifications and other resources. It is the main launch page for Religious Studies at the WJEC.