Religious Studies
Why is the subject important?
The Religious Studies curriculum equips students with a strong command of explicit knowledge surrounding the main faiths around the world. This is important because around 84% of people globally identify with a religious group, therefore we must ensure our students understand the beliefs and practices of all people. The Year 7 and 8 curriculum will equip students with the key theological understanding of 5 main religions; Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Once students have a strong theological understand of the 5 main religions, they will put these theological understandings into practice. They will examine religious and non-religious perspectives on contemporary issues such as business ethics, war, justice and the care for our environment. This will begin to teach them where their own ethical opinions come from, beginning to understand their own views on the world around them. This is in line with the national curriculum that also has a clear focus on the wider world. The curriculum is designed to build and develop skills within our students, such as, critical thinking and reasoning skills. We want our students at Trinity Academy to leave school being able to understand the world around them and being able to articulate their views in an educated manner.
Year 7
What will I be studying?
- Does God Exist?
- How is God portrayed in the Old Testament?
- Why was God needed on Earth?
- How is God worshipped in contemporary society?
- What are the main beliefs in Islam?
- How do beliefs impact Muslims today?
Career Links
Careers – Journalist, social worker, community development worker, Muslim chaplain officer.
Employability links – Enables students to develop empathy skills as they learn about a range of different religions and viewpoints.
How will I be assessed?
Students will be assessment using three assessments throughout the year, these will take place in November, March and June. The assessments will cover the content students learn within the lesson and will be both knowledge and skill based.
Students will also take part in the Masters of Recall assessments which take place at the end of each term to assess the retention of new knowledge covered within the term. This will assess the retention of knowledge from the knowledge organisers.
Knowledge Organisers
- Term 1 – Does God Exist?
- Term 2 – How is God portrayed in the Old Testament?
- Term 3 -Why was God needed on Earth?
- Term 4 – How is God worshipped in contemporary society?
- Term 5 – What are the main beliefs in Islam?
- Term 6 – How do beliefs impact Muslims today?
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zb48q6f
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1pYRg2f202rqWHrp3ywhTyX/religions-of-the-world
Year 8
What will I be studying?
- Understanding Hinduism – What are the main beliefs in Hinduism?
- How does Dharma influence the Life of a Hindu?
- Understanding Buddhism – What are the main beliefs in Buddhism?
- How can we reach Enlightenment?
- Understanding Sikhism – What are the main beliefs in Sikhism?
- Is Langar more than food?
Career Links
Careers – Journalist, festival coordinator, environmentalist, spiritual advisor, probation officer, police officer, food bank coordinator.
Employability links – Enables students to consider the challenges of an event coordinator from the point of view of sustainability.
How will I be assessed?
Students will be assessment using three assessments throughout the year, these will take place in November, March and June. The assessments will cover the content students learn within the lesson and will be both knowledge and skill based.
Students will also take part in the Master of Recall assessments which take place at the end of each term to assess the retention of new knowledge covered within the term. This will assess the retention of knowledge from the knowledge organisers.
Regular knowledge recall will take place at the beginning of every lesson.
Knowledge Organisers
- Term 1 – Understanding Hinduism – What are the main beliefs in Hinduism?
- Term 2 – How does Dharma influence the Life of a Hindu?
- Term 3 – Understanding Buddhism – What are the main beliefs in Buddhism?
- Term 4 – How can we reach Enlightenment?
- Term 5 – Understanding Sikhism – What are the main beliefs in Sikhism?
- Term 6 – Is Langar more than food?
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zb48q6f
- https://request.org.uk/
Year 9
What will I be studying?
- Does God exist?
- What is Ethics?
- How are ethical theories applied?
- Should we decide who lives & who dies?
- What is Justice?
- What happened after Abraham?
Career Links
Careers – NHS ethical advisor, climate change advisor, HR manager, CEO, military personnel.
Employability links – Enables students to think critically and understand ethics and how this impacts the workplace.
How will I be assessed?
Students will be assessment using three assessments throughout the year; these will take place in November, March and June. The assessments will cover the content students learn within the lesson and will be both knowledge and skill based.
Students will also take part in the Masters of Recall assessments, which take place at the end of each term to assess the retention of new knowledge covered within the term. This will assess the retention of knowledge from the knowledge organisers.
Regular knowledge recall will take place at the beginning of every lesson.
Knowledge Organisers
- Term 1 – Does God exist?
- Term 2 – What is Ethics?
- Term 3 – How are ethical theories applied?
- Term 4 – Should we decide who lives & who dies?
- Term 5 – What is Justice?
- Term 6 – What happened after Abraham?
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z9khfrd
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9r4wmn/revision/1
Who to contact about Phase Two Religious Studies:
Miss Woolford – Deputy Curriculum Leader Humanities – s.woolford@halifax.trinitymat.org
Religious Studies GCSE
What will I be studying?
Full Course Religious Studies students will study:
Paper One:
- Christian Beliefs
- Christian Practices
- Muslim Beliefs
- Muslim Practices
Paper Two:
- Theme A: Relationships and Families
- Theme B: Religion and Life
- Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict
- Theme E: Religion, Crime and Punishment
Short Course Religious Studies students will study:
Paper One:
- Christian Beliefs
- Muslim Beliefs
- Theme A: Relationships and Families
- Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict
Career Links
Year 10
Careers – Civil servant, charity worker, community development worker, social worker, army officer, police officer, solicitor, judge, healthcare professional.
Employability links – Enables students to develop critical thinking skills and use and analyse evidence to support an argument.
Year 11
Careers – Healthcare professional, civil servant, charity worker, community development worker, social worker, army officer, police officer, solicitor, judge.
Employability links – Enables students to broaden their communication, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
How will I be assessed?
Full Course students will be assessed across two 1 hour 45 minute GCSE examination papers.
Short Course students will be assessed across one 1 hour45 minute GCSE examination paper.
Which examination board am I following?
Students study the AQA Religious Studies Specification A – Christianity & Islam – Themes A, B, D & E.
Which websites should I use to support my learning?
- https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/gcse/religious-studies-a-8062
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/zm9pd6f
Who to contact about Phase Three RS:
Miss Woolford – Deputy Curriculum Leader, Humanities – s.woolford@halifax.trinitymatorg
