Religious Education
RE at FCC is not a static subject. It is a subject of purpose and relevance, reflecting our ever-changing society that hosts a wide range of different beliefs, practises and traditions. Students take time to explore a variety of these different religious beliefs, practices, and traditions, as well as considering how these have influences on individuals, communities, societies and cultures. In turn, students also respond to different ethical and philosophical questions related to their own beliefs and values. The subject is just as much as an opportunity to learn about different beliefs, practices, and traditions, as it is to reflect and consider our own beliefs and values. It is also just as much for a believer, as it is for a non-believer.
In such a multicultural society it is crucial that all students are given the opportunity to explore and understand some of the many different beliefs, practices and traditions held within society today. Through their studies students are encouraged to build a sense of empathy and understanding of other people’s views. The subject encourages students to think for themselves and to consider the sources of information on religions comes from at a time where misinformation is easily accessed. Students are encouraged to develop the confidence to be able to reflect and understand their own beliefs and values, and in turn, reflect on how their views may vary to others. All of these skills, we believe are essential ingredients which our students at FCC should be given time to develop and nurture.
Key Stage 3
The rationale behind the KS3 curriculum is to engage a love of learning within the subject as well as laying the foundations for RE GCSE.
Key philosophical and ethical questions are explored within this two-year curriculum. Topics include; What is the problem of evil? Who is God? How did it all begin? All of these topics are explorative in nature, encouraging students to learn and consider a range of different beliefs, practices and tradition as well as reflecting on their own beliefs and values.
As well as written work, the RE KS3 curriculum also places emphasis on creative art based tasks. When completing topics such as ‘How did it all begin’ (Yr 8) and ‘Answers through Art’ (Yr 7), students are encouraged to respond to big philosophical and ethical questions with creative art based responses. By giving students the opportunity to respond to challenging philosophical and ethical questions through art they are given time to reflective and express their ideas in a different remit. Class discussions and debates are integral in our KS3 curriculum, they offer another route to encouraging students to develop their confidence to express their beliefs and values as well as being able to reflect on the variation of beliefs and values expressed by their peers. It is also a time for students to consider how it is possible to express your own views and be critical of others appropriately.
Key Stage 4
All students start their RE GCSE course at the beginning of year 9. Within year 9, as part of the school’s GCSE options process, students will decide whether to continue their RE GCSE studies in year 10 to follow the full, or short course, curriculum. All students end their RE GCSE programme at the end of year 10 by completing either the full or short course GCSE RE exams.
For the AQA Religious Studies specification, philosophical and ethical topics are studied with teaching focusing on the religions of Christianity and Islam. Topics also covered here include issues as far ranging as marriage to the use of weapons of mass destruction, environmental responsibility to the issues surrounding euthanasia. Students are given the opportunity to express and reflect on their own beliefs and values and to compare these to the different religious, ethical and philosophical ideas explored within the GCSE specification.
Key Stage 5 Philosophy and Ethics Curriculum
Students complete the AQA Religious Studies A level. The two-year course covered in years 12 and 13 include a range of different philosophical and ethical topics with a focus on Christianity. Various ethical and philosophical topics are covered within the A level such as: Arguments for the existence of God, The Problem of Evil, Free Will and Moral Responsibility, Situation Ethics and Virtue Ethics.
Assessments
Assessment across all three key stages is both formative and summative. Regular feedback is given both in lesson and written. Students follow the school marking policy which encourages our students to become reflective learners who self-assess and DIRT to improve their work as a habit as opposed to an optional task.
All of our curriculum SOWs follow the school progress monitoring points. Flightpaths with student lead KPI terminology is integral within our KS3 curriculum. Explicit use of the exam objectives and outcomes is explicit within the KS4 and KS5 curriculums. End of unit tests, formal mock exams, recall tests and formal assessment tasks are completed within KS3.