Religious Studies

Key Stage 4

Religious Studies is a challenging but extremely rewarding subject to study at GCSE and the Religious Studies department is very proud of its students’ success at this level.

We study OCR’s Religious Studies specification at GCSE, and the elements of the course cover Christianity, Islam and religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Christian perspective.  This focus enables our students to build on their considerable prior learning effectively, and then to stretch themselves to excel.  It is also very important that students explore and learn how to express and justify their own views on issues such as marriage, the pace of religion in the modern world, the existence of God, and ethical issues such as euthanasia and violence and conflict.  At GCSE we want students to look forward to their lessons in Religious Studies each week and to engage in class discussions and debates with enthusiasm. There is a lot to learn, but we work hard to make learning relevant, interesting and fun!  We visit local places of worship to expand our understanding of key beliefs and practices, and also have speakers who come into lessons to give us first-hand insight into topics such as pilgrimage.

There is no coursework for GCSE Religious Studies, and the final assessment is based on attainment in three exams undertaken at the end of the two year course.

Christianity (Beliefs and Teachings, and Practices) – Students examine a number of the fundamental beliefs held by Christians and look in more depth at the impact these have on the life of a Christian. Some examples of topics covered include beliefs about God, life after death, festivals, places of pilgrimage and the divisions between denominations. Students examine how different groups of Christians approach aspects such as worship and family life. They also look at how this contributes to social and global community cohesion.  This unit is examined via a one hour exam.

Islam (Beliefs and Teachings, and Practices) – Students develop their knowledge and understanding of Islam and explore the core beliefs within this faith and the significance these beliefs have for Muslims, as well as examining Muslim practices and how they reflect these beliefs. This unit includes learning about the nature of Allah, prophethood, life after death, the five pillars of Islam, worship, festivals and Jihad. Students will analyse the similarities and differences between different groups within Islam. This unit is examined via a one hour exam.

Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Christian perspective – Over the course of this unit, students learn about different Christian and non-religious attitudes to family roles and relationships, gender roles, equality, arguments for the existence of God, religious experience, war, peace and conflict, forgiveness and dialogues within and between religious and non-religious beliefs and attitudes. They will think about the way in which Christians’ beliefs on these issues affect their life and outlook in today’s world, and as always, must consider and justify the views they express. This unit is examined via a two hour exam.

At KS4 all students study Religious Studies for one period each fortnight as this is a statutory subject. While this ‘Core R.S.’ is not externally examined, the skills developed (including empathy, communication, evaluation and many more) help to support students in their other GCSE subjects and in their lives outside of school. Over the course of Year 10 and 11 students have the opportunity to explore several major religious traditions, atheism and humanism, and to discuss and debate ethical issues and relate them to the world we live in today with a particular focus on business, environmental and medical ethics. Students are encouraged to engage in the Holcombe Debate Society to further enhance their consideration of issues relating to

Religious Studies complements just about any other subject such as Business Studies, History, Sociology, Psychology and Geography. Religious Studies can also be a useful complement to Sciences, particularly for those who wish to follow a career in medicine or psychology, and universities consider it to be a beneficial choice for those who wish to pursue a career in Law. The many valuable skills developed through the subject support students in achieving their potential both academically and pastorally. Students who have studied R.S. at GCSE regularly attain positions of responsibility within school such as Head Boy/Girl or members of the School Captains Team, and are often among those who succeed in obtaining a place at Oxford, Cambridge or other top universities.

Comments from past students include:

“When people ask me what I did at GCSE/A Level and I say ‘Religious Studies’, they always assume it was an easy subject that I sailed through. Nothing has developed me more in terms of how I think and interact with others and it’s the subject I’ll miss and value the most.”

“Studying R.S. at both GCSE and A level was extremely rewarding. It enabled me to discuss current and past ethical issues in a safe environment with dedicated teachers. Being able to debate with fellow students gave me the confidence to have a greater impact on my school in general, helping me achieve my role on the School Captains Team where discussing my views with others was vital. The R.S. department couldn’t have helped me more throughout my time at Holcombe.”

Year 10

Year 10 Core

Year 11

Online Learning Support

There are many useful sources for information and learning support for Religious Studies. Here are some of the ones which we suggest you may find useful:

www.ocr.org.uk

This is the exam board we use for GCSE and A level Religious Studies. On the OCR website you can see the specifications, sample papers, specimen mark schemes, examiners’ reports and sample answers to exam questions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

Very useful for knowledge and understanding of a diverse range of faiths.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/guide/

Useful overview of different ethical issues.

http://request.org.uk/

Lots of useful information about Christianity – also lots of short video clips which are helpful to get a clearer understanding from a Christian viewpoint. This is a good source for KS3 and KS4 students.

https://www.truetube.co.uk/

Useful video clips for students of all ages about religious belief and practice.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zh3rkqt

Knowledge and quizzes for KS3 Religious Studies.

http://www.rsrevision.com/GCSE/

This site is very useful KS4 students –particularly for the ethics topics.

https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/rs-religious-studies/christianity

Most useful content is on the Christianity tab. Gives an outline of different Christian beliefs and the basis of them, and key practices.

https://www.gcsepod.com/

This site support GCSE study in all subjects.

https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/9a96ce9c-fd6c-4461-9dbd-e6f0ac745a97/section/cee74197-fb94-447f-9216-6576521d14e0/session

Seneca enables students to test themselves on key GCSE RS content.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zb48q6f

Knowledge and quizzes for GCSE RS content.

https://divinityphilosophy.net/ocr-a-level-religious-studies-resources/

A level resources including exemplar essays for all three units of the course.

https://peped.org/

A level resources including exemplar essays for all units, sample essay questions and advice.

Careers

The skills and subject knowledge developed in Religious Studies can be of great benefit to those intending to study many Arts subjects at Higher Education, but the subject complements virtually any other. The skills honed in R.S. are especially useful in careers requiring the ability to prepare, present and challenge arguments, good interpersonal skills and cultural awareness. Some of the valuable transferrable skills developed in Religious Studies include:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong skills of evaluation and analysis
• An enquiring mind and problem solving abilities
• Creative thinking
• Empathy and understanding for other perspectives
• Willingness to engage in discussion and debate
• Metacognition in understanding one’s own views
• Persistence and a positive approach to challenges
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines

The development of these skills through Religious Studies equips students for a huge array of career paths including law, education, journalism, social work, politics, medicine, marketing, management, administration, public services, charity work, the civil service, the media and many more!

British Values

Through studying Religious Studies students further develop their understanding of the following British values:

• Democracy: This essential value is modelled by teachers and students are expected to respect the right to be heard of every individual. Opportunities to discuss, debate and share opinions are a key part of Religious Studies lessons and as such students develop the willingness to engage in discussion/argument yet to disagree reasonably and respectfully about religious, moral and spiritual questions.
• The rule of law: Students examine moral decision making and consider different ethical codes for living, (and philosophical theories of ethics at A-level). They look at the concept of equality in the law, particularly in relation to race, gender, religion and sexuality.
• Individual liberty: Students explore questions about identity and belonging, and examine relevant moral issues such as punishment, equality, euthanasia and human rights. Students develop self-understanding and self-awareness enabling them to feel confident about their own beliefs and identity and to develop a realistic and positive sense of their own religious, moral and spiritual ideas.
• Mutual respect: Students learn to appreciate and respect different cultures, worldviews, faiths and beliefs, and that they must be respectful when challenging or evaluating other people’s ideas. Through Religious Studies they develop wonder and awe at the amazing diversity of religious and spiritual belief and practice (both religious and non-religious). Students learn to be sensitive to the feelings and ideas of others and the possible impact of ideas and behaviour on others, to be open to points of view different from one’s own and to discern between what is worthy of respect and what is not.
• Tolerance: Appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures and faiths is a fundamental part of Religious Studies. Students learn to recognise the rights of others to hold their own views.