Religious Education
Intent & Implementation
Our Curriculum Intent
Our vision for our RE curriculum:
- We want our students to be critical and reflective thinkers who give consideration to the views of others and formulate their own views.
- We want students to gain the knowledge, understanding and skills to consider questions raised by religion and belief.
- We want to develop students’ capacity to ask and consider challenging questions about how people think and live their lives.
- We want students to understand what a worldview is and develop their own worldview throughout their time at school.
- All this should develop an understanding of others and an aptitude for dialogue so that students can participate positively in our diverse society.
How our subject curriculum is sequenced and why we plan it this way:
- We meet to agree on the order. We discuss the rationale for the order as it enables us to help the students build on prior learning and see connections with other aspects of the 3 year course. We meet regularly to discuss progress, address student misconceptions, mark and standardise and to support each other with the delivery of the curriculum.
- The aim of the RE curriculum is to develop pupil’s own worldview and how they see the world, RE is planned and sequenced to allow pupils to develop their own viewpoint in comparison to religious and non-religious beliefs and practice. Through each unit studied pupils will gain a greater depth of religious and non religious viewpoints with greater analysis and evaluation. They will also be able to talk about their own views with greater justification after considering differing viewpoints.
- In KS3, they will be introduced to the following worldviews: humanist, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist. They will use these worldviews to answer questions on topics and concepts such as life after death, making moral decisions, purpose of life and suffering. Whilst learning about a range of worldviews and their attitudes to a variety of topics, pupils will also be reflecting and evaluating their own worldview and how this has changed or developed from year 7. Using their worldview they will consider their own stance on the topics and concepts covered in KS3 and will be able to express their worldview as well as comparing other worldviews.
- In KS3, Pupils study two topics per term:
- A depth study of a religion using a unit question provided by the Agreed Syllabus. For example in year 8 pupils have a indepth study of Islam based on the unit question ‘What is challenging about being a Muslim today’.
- A unit based on philosophical and ethical issues for example, using a unit question provided by the Agreed Syllabus. For example, ‘How do I decide what is right and wrong’.
It is sequenced in this way to enable pupils to use their knowledge of different religious and non religious viewpoints (taught in the in-depth study of religion units) to understand these moral issue questions.
How we connect the knowledge over the key stages (deliberate connections):
All schemes of work show links and connections with other units of work.
For Example, the first unit in year 7 is Unit 3.13 What difference does it make to be an atheist or agnostic in Britain today?
- This links with: Y7 Autumn Term 2 - How can people express the spiritual through the Arts: Pupils will study a humanist viewpoint in this unit to compare with other non religious and religious viewpoints
- Y7 Summer Term 1 - Life after Death: Pupils will study a humanist viewpoint in this unit to compare with other non religious and religious viewpoints.
- Y8 Autumn Term 1 - Good and bad: Pupils will study a humanist viewpoint in this unit to compare with other non religious and religious viewpoints
- Y8 spring Term 1 - Is Happiness the purpose of life? Pupils will study a humanist viewpoint in this unit to compare with other non religious and religious viewpoints
- Y8 Summer Term 1 - Suffering Pupils will study a humanist viewpoint in this unit to compare with other non religious and religious viewpoints
- GCSE Modern Issues Pupils are required to use a humanist viewpoint.
How we make our subject knowledge stick:
- Through regular retrieval activities at the start of every lesson and through careful planning and questioning to highlight the links with other aspects of the curriculum.
- This is supported by the homework schedule which is designed to complement the curriculum taught in lessons. Weekly tasks help students to learn key vocabulary and information to support and reinforce their learning in lessons.
- Homework tasks require students to learn the vocabulary and information and marks are recorded, enabling teachers to identify gaps and support students.
- Concepts and themes run through the course and the curriculum is planned to build on previous learning within the same year and previous years
- Key skills are planned and taught through each year and become more complex over time, although more able students are challenged to go beyond
- Key aspects of knowledge are repeated through retrieval practice to help enable progress through the units
- Regular retrieval practice including repetition
- Design of the homework tasks including repetition
How We Allow All Students to Succeed ( included SEND and disadvantaged )
How we allow all students to reach our ambitious subject end points:
- Carefully planned and sequenced curriculum
- Homework is carefully planned and assessed to embed key vocabulary and knowledge (paper copies are are available and provided for students)
- Careful seating plans and use of prior data such as Classcharts, pupil passports and reading ages
- Parental contact to communicate students’ progress
- Planned intervention for targeted Year 11 students after school
- Department spreadsheets enable recording and monitoring of students’ progress and identify where support is required
- Differentiated revision booklets at GCSE to reduce cognitive load and support and challenge students of all abilities
- Reference is made to the SEND document to support teaching and learning: Click here
Our Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Overview KS3 (Click here)
Curriculum Overview KS4 (Click here)
Our Curriculum Learning Pathway
KS3 and KS4 Subject Curriculum Pathway (PDF)
Our Curriculum
KS3 This is based on the Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus 2019-2024.
Year 7
Term 1:
- Students will start by exploring their own Worldview and what this could be based on and explore a range of worldviews. This will extend to what it means to be an atheist or agnostic in Britain today (Unit 3.13)
- Spirituality: How people express the spiritual through the arts (Unit 3.18)
Term 2:
- Study of Christianity, with a focus on the Trinity (Unit 3.1)
- Looking at the need for prophets in the world today (Unit 3.4)
Term 3:
- Study of Sikhism, with a focus on equality and service (3.12)
- Belief in life after death (3.15)
Year 8
Term 1:
- Making moral decisions: Unit 3.14
- Study of Islam, with a focus on the challenges of being a Muslim teenager in Britain (Unit 3.10)
Term 2:
- The pursuit of happiness as a purpose of life (Unit 3.17)
- Study of Buddhism with a focus on the Buddha’s experience and teachings (Unit 3.8)
Term 3:
- Suffering (3.16)
- Study of Christianity: with a greater focus on Jesus (more indepth then year 7 study) (Unit 3.7)
Year 9
Term 1
- Depth Study of Christian Beliefs
- Depth study of Christian Practices
- Depth study of Sikh Beliefs
Term 2:
- Depth study of Sikh practices
- Unit 3.3 - Why are people good and bad
Term 3:
- Unit 3.5 What do people do when life gets hard
- Unit 3.2 Should Chistians be greener than everyone else?
KS4
This is based on the WJEC EDUQAS Religious Studies Route A syllabus and overlaps with aspects of the Year 9 Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus.
Year 10
Term 1: Christianity: Beliefs, teachings and practices:
- Nature of God, Creation, Jesus Christ, Salvation Afterlife Forms of worship
- Sacraments, Pilgrimage and Celebrations, Christianity in Britain, The World Wide Church
Term 2: Sikhism: Beliefs teachings and practices:
- The Nature of God, The oneness of Humanity, Gurmukh, The Sangat, Afterlife
- The Gurdwara, Worship, Ceremonies, Amritsar, Festivals
Term 3: Modern World: Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world.
- Issues of Relationships
- Retrieval/Revision of Component 2 and 3
- Introduction to Life and Death
Year 11
Term 1:
- Issues of good and evil
- Issues of life and death
Term 2:
- Issues of human rights
- Revision
Transition & Building on KS2 / KS3
CCC has worked closely with our primary partners during 2021/22. We have shared knowledge on the curriculum intents at key stage two and key stage three to enhance student transition and the sequencing of learning.
Key Stage 3
In Key Stage 3, student learning starts with a focus on worldviews introuducing pupils to the terms: atheist, agnostic, theist and humanist. These terms are taught first so pupils can reflect on a variety of viewpoints whilst studying religious beliefs and practices. Pupils are also expected to use non religious viewpoints during the moral question units.
During the spring term of year 7 students have a study on Christianity and then a moral questions unit on the topic ‘Does the world need prophets today?’. Students are required to use the knowledge they have learnt in the study on Christianity throughout the moral question unit reflecting a Christian viewpoint in detail as well as others learnt during the unit and their own.
During the summer term, pupils have a study on Sikism and then a moral questions unit on the topic ‘life and death’. Students are required to use the knowledge learnt on Christianity last term and Sikhism in the moral question unit reflecting both viewpoints in detail as well as others learnt during the unit and their own.
This is the same structure in year 8, for example in the autumn pupils begin with a moral question unit on ‘Good and Bad, how do I decide’, during this unit pupils are required to reflect on Christian and Sikh viewpoints. The next unit is a indepth study of Islam. Pupils will use the subject knowledge learnt in this topic throughout year 8 to answer the moral question units.
Key Stage 4
At KS4, students build on the foundations laid in KS3 and further develop their knowledge and understanding of history. Connections are made between the KS4 and KS3 programmes of study, for example, the study of Sikhism and Christianity in KS3 will be used in Component 2 and Component 3. In addition, the philosophical and ethical issues topics in KS3 link to the topics in Component 1. For example, life and death taught in year 7 links to the topic of Issue of life and death in the GCSE spectification.
Students also develop their RE skills with increasing complexity in areas such as analysis, evaluation, explanation, substantiating conclusions and formulating arguments based on a variety of viewpoints. By the end of the 5 years, they have become more independent and have been prepared for further study.
Christianity is studied as the first unit at GCSE to build a foundation for the study of religion at KS4. Students will study Christian beliefs first, where they will build on knowledge from KS3. Students will then use this developed knowledge and understanding to support their study of Christian practices. This supports students being able to explain “Why?” Christians participate in these practices.
Students will then study Sikhism, using the model of beliefs before practices. Students will develop their understanding and knowledge of Sikh beliefs. Students will then use this developed knowledge to understand and support their study of Sikh practices.
Following this, students will then study the moral issues component. This will use the knowledge about beliefs and practices developed in components 2 and 3, and apply this knowledge to the units within Component 1.
By the end of component 2: Christianity, students will have a deep knowledge and understanding of Christian practices and beliefs. Students will be able to identify the impact of beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, communities and societies. By the end of Component 3: Sikhism, students will have a deep knowledge and understanding of Sikh practices and beliefs. Students will be able to identify the impact of beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, communities and societies. By the end of Component 1: Religious, Philosophical, and Ethical Studies in the Modern World, students will apply the knowledge and understanding from Component 2 and 3, to evaluative and analytical scenarios. Students will be able to identify differing beliefs and how they link to different religious traditions.
What Examination Course(s) do we follow?
Students study: Religious Studies Route A WJEC EDUQAS GCSE 9-1:
Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies Specification (p.7)
The exam consists of three papers:-
Component 1: Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world.
- Issues of relationships
- Issues of life and death
- Issues of good and evil
- Issues of human rights
Component 2: Christianity
Students will be asked four questions about Christian Beliefs and four questions about Christian Practises
Component 3: Sikhism
Students will be asked four questions about Sikh Beliefs and four questions about Sikh Practises
Curriculum Impact- How we measure attainment and progress:
In RE, assessment happens in many ways:
- Books are marked in-line with our marking policy and strengths and targets (WWW and EBW) for improvement are highlighted
- Assessments are planned with increasing complexity as KS3 and KS4 progresses and focus on knowledge and skills taught over a series of lessons
- Weekly homework tests
- During lessons: retrieval tasks to test retention of knowledge, questioning, factual tests, true/false activities
- End of year assessments requiring revision
- At KS4, students are required to revise content for their assessments
Assessment of learning over time in measured in a variety of ways - in each lesson, from lesson to lesson and at the end of units of work:
- Silent Do now tasks at the start of every lesson - these revisit the key knowledge that has been acquired over different time periods, for example, last lesson, lesson month, last week, last year etc. This helps students learn, and make connections with, the current lesson.
- Knowledge quizzes/low stakes tests measure the knowledge and understanding acquired in lessons
- MWBs are used regularly in lessons for a quick and effective measure of pupil understanding
- Short and extended writing tasks. Examples are explaining causes and effects, making and supporting inferences from evidence, writing narratives.
- Summative assessments which assess various skills and also the learning throughout a unit of work
- Challenge is planned through the 3 year course to introduce, consolidate and extend understanding of concepts, skills and writing skills. Assessments are designed to assess skills with increasing complexity as they progress through the key stages. For example, we assess shorter writing tasks with a focus on knowledge and understanding of religion and belief in the autumn term of year 7. For example, pupils may discuss a single viewpoint (their own worldview) with another religious or non religious point of view in the autumn term of year 7.
- After year 7, students are introduced to additional skills such as analysing and evaluating aspects of, and approaches to religion and belief.
- By the middle of Year 9, students are assessed through writing essays based on a range of viewpoints both religious and non-religious viewpoints and pupils are required to compare and evaluate viewpoints instead of simply giving a description.
- By the end of Year 9, students are required to provide a balanced answer to a GCSE style question to test their understanding of the topic and develop their analytical and evaluative skills. For example, ‘Jesus was an ordinary man’, student’s responses should include a variety of viewpoints including religious and non religious beliefs discussing both sides of the argument.
- Feedback is verbal and written, identifying strengths and areas for development and we adjust our planning accordingly
- We meet to standardise and discuss the quality of students’ learning and identify areas of strengths and weaknesses to inform future planning.
How do we enrich our subject outside the classroom?
RE teaches critical thinking, tolerance and resilience. It promotes curiosity, acceptance and open mindedness - skills that are vital beyond the classroom, equipping students to thrive in the outside world. This is highlighted in the school’s Amnesty International Group. RE teaches students the value put on human life, as well as social responsibility and ideas of helping others. There is also a specific unit in Component 1 of the GCSE specification on Human Rights which links to Amnesty International’s work.
In RE, we
- Have a homework schedule to reinforce vocabulary and knowledge to support learning of the curriculum
- Offer additional homework tasks to broaden students’ knowledge of the subject