Curriculum

Religious Studies

Subject Vision

Our main vision of Religious Studies at Hodge Hill Girls’ school is to promote the respect of Article 9: Freedom of thought, conscience and religion. We as a department want to provide our pupils with diverse, enriching and empowering lessons that effectively create a generation which is receptive to difference and prepare them for a culturally diverse and evolving world. Our aim is to encourage an awareness of how Religious Studies is significant to everyday life, to encourage passion for the study of beliefs, practices, lifestyles and worldviews locally, nationally and globally. We thrive to promote shared respect, acceptance and appreciation across varied cultures and communities. 

The staff in RS department have the ambition to nurture pupils spiritually, academically and personally. Finding out about the beliefs and lifestyles of all people will support pupils at Hodge Hill Girls’ school reflect on their own beliefs, the choices they make, character they develop and who they want to be. Learning to express their own beliefs, sharing their own views and respectfully listening to the opinions of others is an important life skill and this is something that we feel passionate about in the Religious Studies Department.

Curriculum Plan

Key Stage 3

The Religious Studies curriculum at Key Stage 3 is well-sequenced and knowledge-rich which enables pupils to have a comprehensive understanding of the multi-cultural and multi-faith society in which they live and develop key skills in which to discover more about the world and their individual place within it. It gives them opportunity to draw parallels to other people's beliefs and leads them to a deeper understanding and respect of a range of religious and non-religious philosophies.

Each unit

  • Each unit in Key Stage 3 consists of 6 lessons and 6 homework's.
  • Year 9 have an early start on their GCSE- the plan is to start Section 1: Christian Belief in the summer term so pupils do not ‘lose the breadth of knowledge they are entitled to’ at Key Stage 3 retrospectively, this enables pupils to familiarise and build confidence earlier on with the GCSE content. Moreover, it keeps pupils engaged with their learning over the summer break.

 

Curriculum hours fortnightly:

  • Year 7- 2 hours
  • Year 8- 2 hours
  • Year 9- 3 hours

 

  •  

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Year 7

Unit 1: What is Belief?

Unit 2: Why are Abraham & Moses special to Jews? 

Unit 3: Why is Pr. Muhammad important to Muslims?

Unit 4: Were and how do believers' worship?

 

Unit 5: Why are sacred texts important to believers?

Unit 6: Why is Gotoma Buddha important today?  

Year 8

Unit 1: What does it mean to mean to be committed Jew?

 

Unit 2: What does the Incarnation mean to Christians?

 

Unit 3: What does it mean to be a committed Muslim?

 

Unit 4: What does the resurrection mean to Christians?

 

Unit 5: What are we doing to the environment?

Unit 6: What does it mean to be a committed Sikh?

 

Year 9

Unit 1: Should humans compete with God?

 

 

Unit 2: Can we make poverty history?

 

Unit 3: How can we challenge unfair rules?

 

 

Unit 4: Where are we going? (Rites of passage)

 

Unit 5: Can humans ever live-in peace?

 

GCSE:

Section 1 Christian Beliefs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4 pupils will demonstrate a deeper understanding of Christian and Muslim beliefs, teachings and practices and how these contrast in the varied denominations amongst these two religions. These areas of studies allow pupils to have a thorough understanding of diverse philosophical and ethical viewpoints. Religious studies is a thought-provoking subject; the selected contemporary themes will help inspire engaging classroom discussions and will help us bring the subject to life and inspire pupils to achieve more. Pupil voice, pupil choice, exceptional GCSE results and the multidisciplinary nature of Religious Studies has enabled it to become a compulsory subject at Hodge Hill Girls’ School.

  • Each unit in Key Stage 4 consists of 8 lessons and 8 homework's.

 

Curriculum hours fortnightly:

  • Year 10- 3 hours
  • Year 11- 3 hours
  • GCSE Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Religious Studies B.
  • The RS GCSE is linear with an examination at the end of the two-year course.
  • Pupils sit two papers, each worth 50% of the qualification.
  • Both exams are 1 hour 45 minutes and worth 102 marks. (Total of two papers 204)

Year 10

Year 11

Paper 3: Area of Study 3 Religion, Philosophy & Social Justice through Christianity

Paper 1: Area of Study 1 Religion and Ethics through Islam

 

There are FOUR compulsory content areas:

  1. Section 1: Christian Beliefs (8 objectives)
  2. Section 2: Philosophy of Religion (8 objectives)
  3. Section 3: Living the Christian Life (8 objectives)
  4. Section 4: Equality (8 objectives)

 

There are FOUR compulsory content areas:

  1. Section 1: Muslim Beliefs (8 objectives)
  2. Section 2: Marriage & the Family Life (8 objectives)
  3. Section 3: Living the Muslim Life (8 objectives)
  4. Section 4: Matters of Life & Death (8 objectives)

Skills development across both Key Stages
  • Research skills support in shaping the future, it will teach pupils new things and helps pupils adapt and progress.
  • Presentation skills to grow self-esteem and confidence.
  • Critical thinking skills to develop unbiased thinking, knowledge and find solutions.
  • Organisational and time management skills to support with completion of class work, homework & revision preparation.
  • Team working to learn to interact with minimum friction and to be most productive.
  • Communication skills developed through intellectual debate, where pupils discuss some of life’s big questions.
  • Writing skills to express opinion, belief with deep levels of analysis and develops ability to construct a reasoned argument.

 

Assessment

The aim of assessment in Religious Studies is so the staff can determine pupil level of attainment and achievement and provide them with feedback on their strengths and areas to improve. For pupils who didn’t master the units or skills, RS staff can use data or findings from the assessments to create a plan for intervention and remediation.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Formative assessment:

  • In lessons through quizzes and questioning- to achieve high quality learning output.
  • Weekly homework- every unit will have 6 homework’s- which will of research, revision, recap, evaluation etc.
  • Self and peer assessment – to look for strengths and areas to improve.

Summative assessment:

  • There will be THREE termly formal papers in the year.
  • Assessments focus: knowledge deployment and skill acquisition.
  • Pupils will be assessed using numerical grading, marks & percentages.
  • Paper will mirror the Edexcel GCSE style questions.
  • Style of questions: multiple-choice (specific in KS3 assessments), outline, explain why/how, evaluation question (mirror GCSE questions).

Formative assessment:

  • In lessons through quizzes and questioning- to achieve high quality learning output.
  • Weekly homework- every unit will have 8 homework’s- which will comprise of research, revision, recap, evaluation etc.
  • Self and peer assessment – to look for strengths and areas to improve.

Summative assessment:

  • During KS4, pupils will sit practice examination questions to demonstrate their knowledge and their progress.
  • Singular assessments after each unit. There will be:
    • Four assessments in Year 10
    • Four assessments in Year 11
  • Style of questions: outline, explain why/how, evaluation question.
  • Mock exams at least 50% of the content delivered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

Outcomes

Religious Studies Department prides itself on the results it achieves. 

Religious Studies

No. of pupils

National average

9-7

9-4

9-1

U

2020

147

81%

42%

94%

100%

-

2019

147

72%

42%

88%

100%

-

2018

148

72%

25%

78%

100%

-

 

What next

Religious Studies is a subject that prepares pupils for any future career pathway. The study of Religious Studies is particularly useful for those young people who aspire to a career in teaching, law, journalism, politics, social work and medicine as it requires pupils to think compassionately and from many different perspectives. Religious Studies enables pupils to gain critical and evaluative skills sought by higher education and employers.

COVID: DUE TO THE SCHOOL CLOSURES BETWEEN MARCH 2020 – JULY 2020 AND ONGOING GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SMALL, TEMPORARY ADAPTIONS TO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM. WE WILL ENDEAVOUR TO RETURN TO A NORMAL CURRICULUM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME.