RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

RS is one of the most important subjects on the curriculum.

RS reflects on questions we all face in the 21st century, questions which focus on the environment, equality, wealth and poverty and creation, attempting to find answers to the important questions of human life.

In RS lessons we study the views of Six Major religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We look at important aspects of a religious life and try to understand how religion influences personal decisions.

We develop critical thinking about the world and reflect on things we cannot prove, for example, the afterlife and religious experience. We look at a wide range of worldviews, both religious and non religious, to reflect on our own personal beliefs and to develop an appreciation of the differences and similarities between different communities around the world.

RS challenges us to be inquisitive, while also developing good listening skills and clear, analytical arguments in written work.

What to expect in Y7

Autumn Term:

Introduction / Baseline Assessment

Rights and Responsibilities : Environment, Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Environment : Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Humanism

Assessment ; To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of why and how religious people care about the environment.

Spring Term

Religion and Community-New Malden Walk

Tribes-Examination of What makes a religion/How is it made up/What are the rules, initiation rites etc.

Assessment-Religious Symbols:Test in class

Assessment-Initiation Rites: Group presentation to class

Summer Term

Assessment: End of Year Exam

Beliefs and Practices: Pilgrimage, Christianity, Islam, Judaism

Presentations/Peer/self assessment

Spirited Arts Projects

What to expect in Y8

Autumn Term

Rights and Responsibilities: Wealth and Poverty

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity

Assessment -Advice booklet explaining how religious people have a responsibility to look after the poor

Religious Practice- Rites of Passage : Essay in Class

Assessment : To know the features of a religious Rite of Passage.

To demonstrate an understanding of the importance of religious rites of passage.


Spring Term

Founders of Religion: The Life of Christ and its importance for Christians today ‘The person of Jesus; Human or God?’

Assessment: Agony Aunt letter

What does Justice mean to Christians: To understand how Christians have stood up to defend the rights of others, e.g. Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu

Assessment : Is it ever right to break the law?


Summer Term

Beliefs and Practice: Inspirational Leaders

Malala Yousafzei, Gandhi, Chico Mendes, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama

Assessment: End of Year Exam

Assessment : To demonstrate knowledge of what makes a good leader. To demonstrate understanding of an individual who is a good role model

Spirited Arts Projects

What to expect in Y9

Autumn Term

Ethical Issues – Crime and Punishment

Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, secular views

Looking at the causes of crime, different types of crime, aims of punishment, different types of punishment.

To discuss the effectiveness of the Death Penalty as a deterrent to crime.

Assessment/Peer/self assessment-Presentation ‘The death penalty should be reintroduced in England’

Discuss 2 minute presentation

Ethical Issues : Life and Death

To cover:

When does life begin?

The sanctity of life/the importance of human life

Pro life / Pro choice arguments for and against abortion

Religious views for and against abortion

Christian arguments for and against

Assessment Essay:‘Why do many Christians oppose Abortion


Spring Term

PHILOSOPHY/Evil and Suffering: The Holocaust

Looking at different types of evil in the world, causes of suffering; natural and moral

Understanding the history of the Jewish people:

Why have they been targeted as scapegoats in history?

How the Jewish people were discriminated against during the Second World War, including; laws to segregate the Jewish community, ghettoes, concentration camps

Holocaust project / Assessment

Pros/poetry/artwork

The Jewish response to the Holocaust


Philosophy:Arguments for and Against the Existence of God -Christianity(Assessment :End of Unit Test)

To study : Images of God, key terms used to describe God, Christianity, including The Trinity.

Creation vs Evolution

First Cause vs Big Bang

Design argument

Religious experience : including miracles


Summer Term

Islam: Beliefs and Practices

The Life of the Prophet Mohammed pbuh

To understand how the important events in the life of the Prophet influenced early Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam

To know the importance of worship in Islam

Women in Islam/The Veil

Assessment : The Night of Power/To describe what happened and to understand the importance of this event for Muslims

Assessment ;End of Year Exam

Human Rights : Is it right? Issues of inequality:

Wealth and Poverty, Racism, Sexism, Religion

Spirited Arts Project

Why choose RS for GCSE?

Students consider different beliefs and attitudes to religious and non-religious issues in contemporary British society. They should be aware that the religious traditions of Great Britain are, in the main, Christian, and that religious traditions in Great Britain are diverse. They include Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, as well as other religious and non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the subject content:

Also, you will have the opportunity to travel to Rome!!

(Rome 2020 Photos coming soon)