Religious Studies - Routes to Remarkable

Festivals

Overview

Students will investigate the features of festivals, both religious and non-religious. They will then explore key religious festivals across the faiths, including why and how they are celebrated.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Festivals studied in the UK
• How people celebrate differently
• Knowledge of 5 major religions

New Learning

• Subject terminology within religions e.g. Wesak, Hanukah etc,
• Symbolism within Religious Festivals.
• How festivals link to religious beliefs.

Islam

Overview

This unit focuses on the key features of Islam, including the Five Pillars and why Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca as part of Hajj. Contemporary issues surrounding Muslims are then explored.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of Islam
• How people are stereotyped and how this can be harmful
• How Islam is a popular religion in the UK.

New Learning

• Challenging misconceptions about Islamic beliefs i.e. religious clothing, the meaning behind the religion.
• Specific Islamic beliefs and why they are important to Muslims
• Subject terminology e.g. Qur’an, Hajj etc.

Sikhism

Overview

This unit focuses on newest religion of Sikhism, including its origins and the 5 K’s. It includes a case study of the Golden Temple of Amritsar in India and an investigation into Sikhs in Britain today.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• How beliefs influence action within religion
• Knowledge about Vaisakhi
• Sikhism as a major world religion

New Learning

• Specific beliefs that separate Sikhism from other religions
• Sikhism in Britain and the History of Sikhism
• The importance of their place of worship within the wider community.

Christianity (Life of Jesus)

Overview

This unit focuses on the Christian teachings surrounding Jesus; miracles, teachings, his death and his resurrection.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of Christianity
• Basic knowledge on the importance of Jesus for Christians
• Important events for Christians.

New Learning

• Reading and interpreting religious texts
• Inferring meaning behind stories about Jesus
• Connecting the links between Christianity and other religious beliefs.

Religious Founders & Leaders

Overview

This unit focuses on key religious leaders and questions the attributes of a good leader… along with the attributes of a notorious leader! There is also an exploration of female leaders.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of the religious leaders involved
• Knowledge of the religion behind the leaders
• Knowledge on important qualities for leadership

New Learning

• Ability to reason for another perspective
• Comparisons between leaders.
• Difficult Philosophical questions e.g. “Can a bad person be a good leader”

Just War

Overview

Students investigate ‘just war’ principles, and apply these to examples of conflicts. Christian views of war are also explored, along with protest songs during the Vietnam War.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to form a reasoned judgement
• Ability to argue from another perspective
• Understanding of Christian views.

New Learning

• Understanding of case studies of war
• Knowledge of key concepts such as Pacifism and the Just War Theory
• Examples of key figures such as Desmond Doss, Martin Luther King.

Prejudice & Discrimination

Overview

This unit largely focuses on the civil rights movement in the USA, but broadens out to methods of protest and other key individuals who have fought for civil rights around the world.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of MLK/ Rosa Parks
• Understanding of British Values
• Understanding of types of Discrimination.

New Learning

• Specific examples within the Civil Rights Movement
• Development of empathy to those who suffered injustice/ discrimination
• Skills of evaluating and forming reasoned judgements.

Morality

Overview

This unit focuses on morals and how the main religions guide followers in key moral dilemmas. The question of whether a person can lead a morally sound life without religion is also explored.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Certain knowledge on moral dilemmas
• Knowledge on 5 major religions
• Interpreting religious texts.

New Learning

• Introduction to Ethics, and different approaches to ethical issues
• Subject terminology
• How to make reasoned judgements on ethical topics whilst being sensitive to others.

The Holocaust

Overview

This unit focuses on Jewish life and identity prior to the Holocaust, then the persecution Jews experienced in Germany / Europe in the build up to the Holocaust. It also examines the role of rescuers such as the Kindertransport scheme and Oskar Schindler.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of Prejudice and Discrimination
• Empathy skills
• Knowledge of Jewish beliefs.

New Learning

• Detailed knowledge of the events of the Holocaust.
• Introduction of subject terminology such as Rehumanise, Rescuers etc.
• The importance of learning about the Holocaust and what we should learn from the events.

Medical Ethics

Overview

After a brief introduction to medical ethics, students study religious and non-religious attitudes to key issues in society. Attitudes are compared and students debate these key issues in the classroom.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of Ethics and Moral Dilemmas
• Religious approaches to ethical issues
• How to form a reasoned judgement

New Learning

• Case studies within the Medical field.
• Religious and non-religious approaches to these issues
• The law in the UK and around the world on these contemporary issues.

Crime

Overview

This unit focuses on why people commit crime with the ‘nature vs nurture’ argument. It also focuses on the criminal justice system, with custodial sentencing and the ethics of prisons explored. Christian attitudes to crime and punishment are also investigated.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Evaluation skills
• Knowledge of Christian views.
• Subject terminology

New Learning

• Introduction of case studies to provoke students debating skills
• Focus on Christian and Buddhist teachings on Crime and Punishment
• Introduction of key terms needed for GCSE e.g. Retribution, Deterrence, Reformation.

Christianity

Overview

An in-depth study of the diverse traditions and beliefs of Christianity, both traditionally and in the 21st Century. Students focus on how the faith influences their actions, and how sources of wisdom and authority are interpreted.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Analysing religious texts
• Basic of Christianity
• Subject terminology used throughout KS3.

New Learning

• Comparison of denominations within Christianity
• Traditional and Liberal views
• How faith influences actions

Thematic Studies: Relationships and Families

Overview

A study of religious and Philosophical arguments to issues such as Contraception, Sexuality and Relationships, Gender Equality and the purpose of Families. Students are encouraged to give their own opinions and compare with religious and non-religious views.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic of Christianity
• Subject terminology used throughout KS3.
• Evaluation skills on how to form reasoned judgments

New Learning

• Evaluation of religious and non-religious views on this topic
• Specific terminology of references and sources of authority.
• Comparison of Buddhist and Christian approaches to these issues.

Thematic Studies: Religion, Peace and Conflict

Overview

Students study how to explain contrasting beliefs on Violence, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Pacifism, with reference to Christianity, Buddhism, and Athiest views. There is a focus on Conflict in the 21st Century and responses to victims of war.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Evaluation skills on how to form reasoned judgments
• Basic of Christianity and key thinkers from the Just War topic
• Subject terminology used throughout KS3.

New Learning

• Evaluation of religious and non-religious views on this topic
• Specific terminology of references and sources of authority.
• Comparison of Buddhist and Christian approaches to these issues.

Buddhism

Overview

• Retrieval of Buddhism from Y7 Festival and Y8 Founders and Leaders
• Analysing and interpreting religious texts
• How to compare beliefs branches of the religion

Prior Knowledge and Skills

An in-depth study of Buddhism, including its history and how it has become more popular in Western Society. Students study a range of Buddhist perspectives including Theravada, Mahayana, Zen and Pure Land.

New Learning

• In depth study of Buddhist beliefs and practices
• How Buddhism has developed up to the 21st century
• Specific terminology of references and sources of authority.

Thematic Studies: Crime and Punishment

Overview

• Analysing religious texts
• In depth knowledge of Christianity and Buddhism
• Retrieval from Y9 Crime and Punishment

Prior Knowledge and Skills

This unit explores the ethics of crime and punishment, and how different perspectives respond to it. For example, a debate is had about the death penalty, corporal punishment and forgiveness. Students will also study the causes of crime, and what the purpose of punishment should be; to deter, bring justice or to rehabilitate?

New Learning

• Introduction of case studies to provoke students debating skills
• Focus on Christian and Buddhist teachings on Crime and Punishment
• Introduction of key terms needed for GCSE e.g. Retribution, Deterrence, Reformation.

Thematic Studies: Religion and Life

Overview

• Analysing religious texts
• In depth knowledge of Christianity and Buddhism
• Retrieval from Y8/Y9 introduction to Ethics topics.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

This unit covers a wide range of ethical issues that are apparent in contemporary society. Students debate over Abortion, Euthanasia, Animal experimentation and the origins of human life. Alongside their own views, students are asked to evaluate religious, and non-religious views to these ethical dilemmas.

New Learning

• Evaluation of religious and non-religious views on this topic
• Specific terminology of references and sources of authority.
• Comparison of Buddhist and Christian approaches to these issues.

Philosophy of Religion

Overview

• Ability to form a reasoned judgement based on evidence
• Ability to analyse and interpret texts
• Ability to question assumptions and identify errors in theories.
• Strong ability in essay writing

Prior Knowledge and Skills

In the first year of this Unit, Students are introduced to a wide range of Philosophical issues. Students develop their understanding of significant figures in Philosophy such as Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas and Kant and learn how to form a conclusive argument. Student also consider responses to Evil and Suffering in the world, and analyse the credibility of accounts of Religious Experiences.

New Learning

• Introduction to key Philosophical thinkers through History.
• Skills in Critical Analysis
• Subject terminology to help form a Philosophical argument.

Ethics & Religion

Overview

• Skills of Empathy and tolerance
• Knowledge of Contemporary ethical issues
• Strong ability in essay writing

Prior Knowledge and Skills

In the first year of this unit, students study Normative Ethics. Students are introduced to Natural Moral Law, Situation Ethics and Virtue Ethics. After this, the conversation turns to application of these theories to ethical issues concerning both humans and animals.
Students also study the concept of Free Will and moral responsibility, and deliberate over the existence of the Conscience.

New Learning

• Introduction to key Ethical thinkers through History from Ancient Greece to 21st Century.
• Skills in Critical Analysis
• Subject terminology to help form a Philosophical argument when approaching Ethics.

Study of Religion and Dialogues A : Buddhism

Overview

• Ability to analyse and interpret texts
• Ability to form a reasoned judgement based on evidence
• Skills of Empathy and tolerance

Prior Knowledge and Skills

In Year 1, the focus is on Buddhism. Students study aspects of the religious beliefs, teachings, values and practices of Buddhism, and the different ways these are expressed in the lives of individuals, communities and societies.

New Learning

• In depth study of the foundations of Buddhism
• Ability to analyse and interpret Buddhism texts from a wide range of sources
• Ability to compare scholarly views on Buddhism and form own judgments.

Philosophy & Religion

Overview

• Knowledge of key Philosophical thinkers through History.
• Skills in Critical Analysis
• Subject terminology and ability to form a Philosophical argument.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

In Year 2 Philosophy, Students use their newly acquired skills in Meta-Physics. There is an exploration of Religious Language, and how meaningful it is. There is also a topic of Self, Death and the Afterlife in which students are faced with questions about the existence of the Soul, it’s relationships with the physical body, and what happens after death.

New Learning

• Exploration of the use of Religious language and a comparison/ evaluation of thinkers in this topic
• Knowledge on Psychological, Sociological and scientific views on the Soul, death and the afterlife.
• Imbedding the terminology further within essays and using prior knowledge to compare ideas and form own conclusions.

Ethics and Religion

Overview

• Introduction to key Ethical thinkers through History from Ancient Greece to 21st Century.
• Skills in Critical Analysis
Subject terminology to help form a Philosophical argument when approaching Ethics.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

An introduction to Meta-ethics and the meaning of right and wrong. There is a critical analysis of Ethical theories both Contemporary, and Traditional. Students also compare ideas from two key philosophers; Bentham and Kant, and consider how far these theories are consistent with moral decision making.

New Learning

• Knowledge on Psychological, Sociological and scientific views on the the conscience and concept of Free Will.
• Imbedding the terminology further within essays and using prior knowledge to compare ideas and form own conclusions.
• Critically analysing new ethical theories.

Study of Religion B: and Dialogues: Buddhism

Overview

• In depth study of the foundations of Buddhism
• Ability to analyse and interpret Buddhism texts from a wide range of sources
• Ability to compare scholarly views on Buddhism and form own judgments.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

After studying both Philosophy and Ethics and Buddhism, the conclusive part of this course is the Dialogues between the two. Students use their knowledge to focus on the connections between various elements of the course to develop breadth and depth in their understanding. There is a study of the dialogue between Buddhism, and Philosophy including how developments in belief have, over time, influenced and been influenced by the philosophical studies of religion. Secondly, the dialogue between Buddhism and Ethics: how developments in belief have influenced and been influenced by ethical studies

New Learning

• Applying knowledge of Buddhism to contemporary topics such as Migration and Pluralism, Science, and Religious Identity
• Using all prior knowledge and skills to create a Dialogue between Philosophy and Ethics, and Buddhism.
• Applying knowledge and skills to form essays demonstrating knowledge, and critically analysing concepts in order to make an informed judgement.

Religious Studies – Routes to Remarkable

Year 7

Festivals

Islam

Sikhism

Christianity (Life of Jesus)

Year 8

Religious Founders & Leaders

Just War

Prejudice & Discrimination

Morality

Year 9

The Holocaust

Medical Ethics

Crime

Year 10

Christianity

Thematic Studies: Relationships and Families

Thematic Studies: Religion, Peace and Conflict

Year 11

Buddhism

Thematic Studies: Crime and Punishment

Thematic Studies: Religion and Life

Contact Us