RE Curriculum Intent

Religious Education is an academic subject which gives pupils the opportunity to address challenging questions about the meaning & purpose of life; beliefs about God; ultimate reality; issues of right & wrong and what it means to be human.   

In RE pupils learn about religious and non-religious worldviews in order to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. They learn to interpret, analyse, evaluate and critically respond to the claims that religious & non-religious worldviews make.   

 

South Tyneside has a long and proud history of being a diverse and tolerant community, with people of all religions and those with none, living together in unity. RE at Hebburn Comprehensive School reflects our diverse community, providing opportunities for our young people to explore their own and other people’s beliefs, values and traditions. It gives young people the opportunity to challenge racism, discrimination and stereotypical views and encourage respect and tolerance of others. Throughout the key stages, opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, critical thinking and personal reflection.   

The curriculum is planned to ensure that the range of enquiry questions are explored – philosophical, theological, phenomenological, sociological and ethical enquiries – using the South Tyneside Agreed Syllabus. Christianity is systematically taught as the main religious worldview in Britain, alongside Islam; Buddhism and Humanism. Other religions and worldviews, such as Hindu Dharma, Judaism and Sikhi are taught through thematic studies across KS3 and KS4 Core RS. 

Key Stage 3

Throughout Key Stage 3, pupils are taught using a combination of the 3 main elements of RE from the Agreed Syllabus: Knowledge & Understanding; Critical Thinking and Personal Reflection. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Humanism form the basis of the Key Stage 3 curriculum and are taught through both systematic and thematic topics such as:  

Year 7:  

What is religion & worldviews?  

Why do some people believe in God?  

What does it mean to be Buddhist?  

Year 8: 

What does it mean to be a Muslim?  

What is Humanism? 

Is it the duty of religions to fight against prejudice and discrimination?  

Year 9: 

What does it mean to be a Muslim? (Catch-up curriculum)  

Is death the end? 

How do Christians make moral decisions? 

Key Stage Four  

Students opting for GCSE Religious Studies will study the Eduqas Route A specification. The religions studied are Christianity and Islam, in accordance with the South Tyneside Agreed Syllabus. Students will study topics which include:  

Christian Beliefs and Practices  

Muslim Beliefs and Practices  

Issues of Relationships  

Issues of Life & Death  

Issues of Good & Evil  

Issues of Human Rights  

https://www.eduqas.co.uk/media/wpojjvm0/eduqas-gcse-rs-spec-full-from-2016-e-14-05-2020.pdf    

All KS4 pupils study core Religious Education for one hour a fortnight; the course is plannedusingthe South Tyneside Agreed Syllabus, with Christianity taught as the main religious worldview, predominately through thematic topics designed to maintain engagement in Core RE, whilst remaining academically rigorous. The CORE RE course examines the big question ‘Can taking a life ever be justified?’ with topics including:  

*The Death Penalty  

*Abortion  

*Euthanasia  

*Just War 

There is no formal assessment for KS4 CORE RE.

Key Stage 3

Students will be assessed formally as part of the whole-school assessment windows. All pupils will complete the following formal assessments over the academic year: 

    • At least two Knowledge Check Tests – assessing subject knowledge 
    • At least one formal written exam following the define; describe; explain and evaluate format.  

Students will also complete describe; explain and evaluate tasks at specified points throughout the curriculum.  

Key Stage 4

Students will be assessed formally as part of the whole-school assessment windows. These formal assessments will be set as mock exams following the Eduqas exam-style questions or using past papers and mark schemes.  

Students will also complete exam question assessments at specified points throughout the course, marked in line with the exam board mark schemes.  

Regular knowledge recall tasks are completed, with quizzes set using Microsoft forms, Seneca and GCSEPod for homework.  

Religious Education is a subject that fits into almost every aspect of life and can form a fundamental part of most career pathways.  

Some of the main careers that will benefit from a qualification in Religious Education are: 

  • Doctors & Nurses 
  • Judges & lawyers 
  • Police Force 
  • Armed Forces 
  • Journalism 
  • Care workers 
  • Social Workers 
  • Teachers 
  • Catering 
  • The Arts 

Being religiously literate helps you understand the world around you and the society you live in. Being tolerant and someone who embraces our differences are all qualities that employers value, regardless of the job.