Religious Education

KS3 

Year Group

Areas of Study

7

Hinduism: Origins and development, Beliefs about God, Stories of the Gods, Karma and Samsara, Ceremonies, Festivals

Buddhism: Origins and development, the Buddha’s enlightenment, The Four Sights, The Eightfold Path, Festivals, Buddhism today

Sikhism: Origins and development, Beliefs about God, Gurus, the Gurdwara and worship, Ceremonies, Festivals

8

You will study the origins and development, key beliefs and teachings, sacred texts, festivals and ceremonies of the Abrahamic Faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam

9

Philosophy of Religion: Cosmological and Teleological arguments for the existence of God, Science vs Faith, The Big Bang and Evolution, Creationism, Liberalism and Fundamentalism, Miracles, Faith and Healing

Life After Death: Religious views of life after death, near death experiences, science and the afterlife, humanism, life after death and morality

Holocaust: study of antisemitism, events of the Holocaust, spiritual resistance, the problem of evil and suffering

KS4

Board

AQA

Outline of the Course

  • Component 1: Study of two religions (Buddhism and Christianity) – beliefs, teachings and practices
  • Component 2: Thematic Studies (Themes A, B, E and F) – Different religious perspectives on the issues within our society
  • Theme A: Relationships and Families – Religious teachings about sexuality, divorce and marriage, contraception and gender equality
  • Theme B: Religion and life – The origins and value of the universe and of human life – abortion, euthanasia and animal experimentation
  • Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment – corporal punishment; the death penalty and forgiveness
  • Theme F: Religion, human rights and social justice – the status of women in religion; the uses of wealth; freedom of religious expression

Assessment

 

Type of Assessment

Duration

Weighting

1

Two compulsory five-part questions will be set on each of the two religions in Component 1

1 hour 45 minutes

50%

2

One compulsory five-part question will be set for each of the 4 themes in Component 2

1 hour 45 minutes

50%