Progamme in Key Stage 3

Progamme in Key Stage 4

Progamme in Sixth Form

The academic programme in key stage 3

This programme is very new one designed to present students with the material in the Curriculum Directory prepared by the Bishops of England and Wales presented via the Icons text books, which first become available for year 7 in September 2000 and have been introduced for all classes at key stages 3. These textbooks are colourful and designed to build upon student' own experience in developing their religious understanding. As well as developing the knowledge and concepts that students need as a firm foundation for their work in Religious Studies in key stage four, the books also provide regular lists of keywords to enable students to improve their vocabulary and learn the specialists term they will need for future study of Religious.

The academic programme in key stage 4

Students take a full GCSE course in Religious Studies using the AQA Examination Board’s specifications. In year ten the course focuses on the Christian Life, as it can be understand from the Gospel of Saint Mark. In year eleven the study broadens out to consider Christian views on and responses to a range of contemporary issues which face modern society. These includes issues related to the care for the environment, responses to third world poverty, development and aid issues affecting people's relationships with each other including marriage and the family. The value of human life is considered and the range of Christian responses to issues such as abortion and euthanasia, discrimination, the impact of war and justifications for it, crime and punishment, terrorism, nuclear threat and war, pacifism and disarmament. Throughout the consideration of these issues Christian values concerning justice, forgiveness, and views on authority are considered.

An aim of the course is to make students articulate and well informed about issues of concern to Christians and to ensure that they have considered the biblical and religious foundations on which Christian moral views are based.

The academic programme in the sixth form

Students are able to take Religious Studies and an A Level or AS Level Option. In addition to the compulsory modules for the AQA specification students in the sixth form Centre study the New Testament in depth and study the Philosophy of Religion.

The New Testament study is designed to be academically challenging and interesting so that students not only come to know the New Testament better, but also begin to think about its development and what type of writing it is. They develop an understanding of the early church in which the books of the New Testament developed and consider the difficulties of interpreting the text so long after it was written.

The Philosophy of Religion enables students to consider the challenges that science makes to Religion and to develop an understanding of the key forms of argument and evidence that are at the heart of true religion debate. Issues such as the status of miracles, creation theories, the problem of evil and the evidence for life after death are considered. At the heart of the philosophy modules students also have to deal with the arguments that Christians have used over the centuries in their attempts to prove the existence of God. Debating the arguments helps to develop one’s powers of critical thinking and analysis and is a useful background for study at university level in many areas, including law and social sciences as well as the humanities.

In additions to the A Level programme there is also a programme of General R.E designed to enables all students in the sixth form to consider a range of religious issues. Students are encouraged to develop their key skills, especially those of communication, as they consider religious matters in appropriate depth for students of the sixth from age group. They are encouraged to moves beyond their key stage four understanding of religious issues in an attempt to develop adult levels of response in their evaluation of religious debates.