Religious Education
Inspiring:
The study of Religious Education helps students to make sense of the world around them. It helps students to develop an understanding of different worldviews and religions and to gain a better appreciation and understanding of the communities in which they live. Through the teaching of philosophy we aim to inspire students natural curiosity to search for answers to the big questions and in ethics we seek to promote student understanding of right and wrong and social justice. The Religious Education department supports the school's ethos of developing inspiring, knowledge, enquiring and caring global citizens through academic excellence within our broad & balanced curriculum by promoting our core values, which are summarised below:
Knowledgeable:
We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse beliefs, worldviews and ideas and to promote a deeper understanding of the contemporary world and issues facing society today.
Our curriculum is based around three ways of exploring the rich diversity found within and between faiths. Students will learn to:
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Think like a theologian- this encourages them to focus on understanding the nature of religious belief, its symbolism and spiritual significance
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Think like a philosopher: analysing and debating ideas
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Think like a social scientist: exploring and analysing why people do what they do and how belief affects action.
Enquiring and caring global citizens:
Lessons in each key stage enable students to gain an understanding of the wider world and to comprehend how faith influences their lives and global affairs. are encouraged to develop the knowledge, skills and British values that they need to engage with the world in a way which is responsible, ethical and environmentally aware.
Lessons in each key stage are designed to
Students are expected to perform at the highest possible level in every lesson. The department has high standards of presentation and grammar, challenging vocabulary and contemporary examples of current relevant events.
Excellence in education
Very high expectations are placed upon the students with respect to their precise use of language, learning key words and concepts. Emphasis is placed upon developing thinking skills, including critical analysis and evaluation, and students will be taught to develop their own arguments.
Lifelong Learning: Religious Education students at Hockerill are encouraged to be lifelong learners by fostering an interest in the world in which we live. By providing opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to investigate the way contemporary issues and to ask the “big questions”, we aim to encourage students to take a lifelong interest in the beliefs, values and traditions of others.
Whilst in KS3 the foundations in cognitive understanding are developed, these are subsequently developed to assist students in advancing their knowledge, skills and understanding as they progress through the College. Many of the ideas and concepts delivered in Religious Education form the foundation of subjects in the IB diploma.
Concept-Based Student-led Inquiry
Approaches to Learning The Religious Education department always encourages student-centered learning. Unit Plans and Schemes of Work are designed to give students the opportunities to make decisions, believe in their capacity to lead group activities and take ownership of their own learning. Opportunities are afforded to develop communication skills through discussion based.
Approaches to Teaching: We adopt an inquiry-based learning approach. Students are given a key question at the start of each unit and we adopt a range of strategies to encourage students to discover their answers: from collaborative work, discussion and debate, individual research and through experiential learning.
Interdisciplinary Connection:
Literacy Students are introduced to wide range of texts from different faiths and worldviews. Students are taught the key words for each new unit.
The nature of our RE curriculum allows the promotion of British values, throughout each of the key stages. The topics we teach help to promote students understanding of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and for those without faith. Every opportunity is taken to discuss these themes in the classroom.
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Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
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Unit 1 Title |
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Key Concept time, place, space
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry
Religions have a special place and space to practise their beliefs and show their identity.
ATL Focus communication
Content Focus Sikhism- core beliefs and ideas about equality
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Key Concept change
Global Context Identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry
Faith helps to navigate a world of change
ATL Focus communication
Content Focus Judaism- what does it mean to belong to the Jewish faith? How does a Jew show their identity?
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Key Concept change
Global Context orientation in space and time
Statement of Inquiry
Global changes challenge religious principles on conflict
ATL Focus Research- information literacy
Content Focus Is it right to fight? What cause for wars- holy war, just war, pacifism, Islam and jihad, terrorism
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Unit 2 Title - |
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Key Concept change
Global Context personal and cultural expression
Statement of Inquiry Different Christians have changing perspectives on where to look for God
ATL Focus Thinking
Content Focus An introduction to philosophy Students will explore the different arguments for the existence of good including the design argument and the cosmological argument.
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Key Concept systems
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry Buddhist ideals influence business systems
ATL Focus collaboration
Content Focus Buddhist ideals and how these work in modern business
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Key Concept systems
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry Political systems can either challenge or religious beliefs
ATL Focus icommunication
Content Focus Religious teachings on suffering Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust
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Unit 3 Title - |
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Key Concept systems
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry Local community systems are influenced by the way Christians express their values and beliefs
ATL Focus
Content Focus An investigation into the key teachings of Jesus and how these are manifested in the local community.
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Key Concept global interactions
Global Context globalization and sustainability
Statement of Inquiry Global interactions are putting a strain on environmental stewardship
ATL Focus communication
Content Focus Stewardship Our responsibility to the earth Where does the universe come from? This unit is about the interaction between science and religion and our responsibility to the earth.
Different worldview ideas on protecting the planet
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Key Concept global interactions
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry Interactions between religions has caused disputes locally
ATL Focus communication
Content Focus Why is Jerusalem so disputed? What would a shared city (or school at a local level look like?
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Unit 4 Title - |
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Key Concept global interactions
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry Global interactions have positive and negative impacts on people, places and culture. Religions attempt to solve this
ATL Focus Collaboration communication
Content Focus Christian ideas on justice Faith in action
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Key Concept time, place, space
Global Context identities and relationships
Statement of Inquiry Values and beliefs for Muslims vary across time and place.
ATL Focus communication
Content Focus What are the key principles of Islam? What are the different strands of Islam throughout the world? How have Islamic beliefs changed over time? What is it like to be British Muslim?
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Key Concept time, place, space
Global Context personal and cultural expression
Statement of Inquiry
ATL Focus Critical thinking communication
Content Focus Big ethical questions: Religion and IA Religion and science Religion and sport Are goodness and pleasure the same? Capital punishment
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Year 10
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Christian beliefs: what it means to have a strong faith and are therefore able to understand the commitment belonging to the Christian faith takes.
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Christian practices: Here students will study the key practices within Islam and the significance of these with a Christian’s’s life
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Relationships and family: attitudes towards the role and purpose of the Christian family, marriage and sexual relationships, Christian beliefs and attitudes about the roles of men and women as well as equality and the influence of culture on these views.
Year 11
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Islamic beliefs: what it means to have a strong faith and are therefore able to understand the commitment belonging to the Islamic faith takes.
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Islamic practices: Here students will study the key practices within Islam and the significance of these with a Muslim’s life.
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Religious dialogue: As one of the Philosophy and ethics units' students should and do already understand the Christian faith from Year 10 so they are able to apply Christian teachings to this unit.
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Existence of God: a philosophical unit exploring response to the question of God including different understandings of what God is like and his relationship with the world and humanity. The nature of reality and how Christians believe God may be experienced.
Spirited Arts- NATRE
Visit- Ilford gurdwara (Year 7)
Visit: Ilford Islamic centre- GCSE
Visist: Northwood synagogues for Holocaust Memorial day (Year 9)
VI form students- Lessons from Auschwitz