In Religion, Philosophy & Ethics (RPE), we take a holistic approach that embraces the complexity and challenges of finding one’s identity within a globalised world. Throughout KS3 students will explore a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews, and their application to a variety of philosophical and ethical questions with the aim of refining critical thinking skills, improving articulation and clarity of judgement, and navigating core moral values. We use a skill-based approach to ensure students are able to successfully engage with the material from an academically sound foundation from the outset. These skills are then consistently revisited throughout the curriculum as more subject specific content is introduced with students regularly being asked to approach theological and philosophical content from a point of critical analysis and utilise solid reasoning and well-evidenced arguments to support a personal judgement.
What will students be studying this year?
Year 7
In Year 7, students will follow the United Learning curriculum which introduces the origins of Abrahamic Faiths and delves further into the beliefs and practices of Judaism and Christianity. Students will explore similarities and differences between the two religions, their perspectives on philosophical and ethical concepts such as environmental responsibility, the validity of miracles, and the interpretation of different religious authorities. Towards the end of the year, students will explore the impact of religious and non-religious beliefs within their local area as well as on a national scale, utilising recent census data to better understand various paradigm shifts within the UK over time. Throughout Year 7 students will have the opportunity to engage in debate and discussion within a tolerant, diverse, and calm environment.
Year 8
In Year 8, students will focus on the Eastern traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism considering any similarities and differences between the two. Year 8 students will also have the opportunity to delve into more traditional philosophical inquiry exploring the notions of truth and reality, considering the scepticism of Plato and Descartes. The Spring term focuses on ‘Ethics’ with students exploring the difference between deontological and consequentialist decision-making theories and homing in on a variety of specific religious and secular ethical theories such as Utilitarianism and Situation Ethics. Students will then apply these theories to moral issues of life and death evaluating their validity in resolving modern ethical problems such as capital punishment and euthanasia. In essence, Year 8 content is an accessible introduction to some core concepts that will be explored in more detail at both GCSE and A Level giving students a confident foundation to begin their GCSE course in Year 9.
Year 9
In Year 9 your daughter will begin studying the full GCSE course which is examined at the end of Year 11. We will be following the AQA Religious Studies (A) GCSE specification (8062). On this course, students will prepare for two exam papers (1) ‘Religions: Beliefs, teachings and practices’ (Christianity and Islam) and (2) ‘Thematic studies’. The ‘Thematic studies’ paper allows students to explore religious, philosophical and ethical studies from a wide range of religious perspectives and also non-religious perspectives such as atheism and humanism. In Year 9, students will focus on Christian Beliefs and Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict.
What are the major assessments this year?
In addition to marked homework, pupils will have an end of unit assessment for each topic. This will take place during lesson time and will be completed under timed conditions. Questions will be structured in a similar style to GCSE questions with a combination of shorter questions and a longer essay response. All Year 7 and Year 8 students will also have an internal exam during the summer term, where they will answer on both units studied so far focusing on shorter 1-mk, 4-mk and 6-mk questions alongside a longer essay response to reflect the GCSE assessment style. The essay response will have an element of choice to ensure students can effectively manage their revision alongside other subjects.
In Year 9 the summer exam will reflect the GCSE assessment with students answering on the two units they will have studied throughout the year. Throughout the year, students will have regular practise of how to structure shorter mark questions as well as the longer 12-mk essay to ensure all can access the assessment.
What will the current performance grade be based on, and what do the levels mean?
The current performance grade is based on all of the assessments and homework that they have completed to date. Students are provided with a clear success criteria and suggested structure for all assessments.
What should my daughter do if she feels she is struggling in the subject?
In the first instance, she should speak to her subject teacher. She should try to identify specific areas of the subject which she is finding a challenge so that we can offer targeted support which may take the form of lunchtime or after school support sessions. In addition she may be assigned a student from the sixth form who can offer help and advice.
How can I support my daughter?
- An important skill that we try to develop in Year 7 is students' ability to justify their opinions, and understand others, so you could challenge them to provide further support for their view, or to look at a topic from an alternative perspective. Discussing any ethical issues (for example, extremism or sexual discrimination) or philosophical issues (such as “why are we here?” or “what evidence is there for God’s existence?”) would be beneficial.
- Newspapers, television and radio are a great source of topical issues and there are often documentaries covering ethical or religious issues which are very accessible.
- The website Home - RE:quest is a great starting point for research and revision.
- Seneca Learning has specific AQA Religious Studies quizzes and exam practice to support your daughter’s content retrieval and exam skills. This will also be set throughout the year as part of their homework tasks.
What kind of independent work should my daughter be completing?
- Students are given regular independent homework to complete. These tasks are usually practice questions or research tasks and should take no more than 30 minutes to complete.
- When students’ homework and assessments are marked, they receive a number of targets and corrections and students should be proactive in working on these.
- Students should also keep abreast of contemporary issues in the news and discuss these topics with their friends and family outside of lessons.
- Students should engage with the recommended KS3 Reading List to widen their understanding beyond that of the specification.
- Students should use the RPE SharePoint for additional revision activities, past papers, and resources.
Who can I contact for further advice and information?
Please feel free to contact the Head of RPE, Ms A Karmock-Golds, at akarmockgold@newsteadwood.co.uk with any specific queries.