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Home | Curriculum | Religious Studies

Religious Studies

Introduction

Students will study the RS curriculum in Year 7, 8 and 9. They will receive one lesson per week. We are really proud of the curriculum as we have aimed to make it exciting, ambitious, and inclusive of all views, religious and non-religious worldviews.

Our curriculum aim is for young people to be able to make sense of and navigate the world around them so that they can become free thinking and critical thinkers around issues about religion and worldviews. This is to help students navigate the complex and diverse world that we live in.

Students examine the impact and influence of religion on worldviews on the way people lived in the past and how it influences and impacts society and thinking today. They explore current issues and debates surrounding religion and worldviews. Students also explore their own values and assumptions and how we as a society construct our knowledge. Students also benefit from developing critical thinking skills, writing skills, and research skills.

Please look at our programme of study for next year.

Please contact the subject lead v.nottingham [at] kscs.org.uk if you have any questions, concerns or require further information. You can also read the policies section about this subject on the school website as you have further rights as a parent/guardian regarding this subject.

Miss Nottingham
Subject Leader
Year 7 - 2022-23

KS3: Year 7

Programme of Study

 

Assessments

Assessments are mid-pint assessment and a summative written assessment. One assessment test is focused on:
-knowledge
-application of knowledge
-explanation/evaluation
The second assessment is focused on: explanation and evaluation. Students can use their skills from their first assessment to apply to their second assessment it is designed as a learning step to progress.

Assessment for Learning it also used regularly throughout lessons with activities such as Do Now and Low Stakes Quizzes. A new focus for this year is to develop more opportunities to be evaluative to think of arguments for and against a statement.

Knowledge Organiser

All units have a knowledge organiser to support lessons and homework.

Homework

Homework opportunities are provided in the form of knowledge organisers for the unit.

Units of Learning

Units are designed so that students can develop a secure understanding of key worldviews and recognise how these traditions have developed overtime. To explore with students how religion changes by different factors such as time, place, culture and how it interacts in the modern world with a wide range of worldviews.

Unit 1
 

Early Beliefs and the development of religion
-What are world views?
-What is animism?
-What is Hindu Dharma?
-What is Shinto and how does it link to Buddhism?
-Why are myths important?
-How did religions develop?
-Where are religions practised in the world?
-How do religions connect?
-How do religions express their faith?

End of Term 1

Assessment

Unit 2

Judaism: Beliefs and Practices
-Who is Jewish?
-What does it mean to be Jewish in the modern world?
-Where do Jewish beliefs come from?
-What is the history of the Jewish faith?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience in the world today of Judaism.

 

End of Term 2

Assessment

Unit 3

Christianity: Beliefs and Practices
-What is the Big Story of Christianity?
-Arguments for the existence of God
-Where do Christian beliefs come from?
-How did Christianity spread and develop?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience of Christianity in the world today.

 

End of Term 3

Assessment

Year 8 - 2022-23

KS3: Year 8

Programme of Study

 

Assessments are mid-pint assessment and a summative written assessment. One assessment test is focused on:
-knowledge
-application of knowledge
-explanation/evaluation
The second assessment is focused on: explanation and evaluation. Students can use their skills from their first assessment to apply to their second assessment it is designed as a learning step to progress.
Assessment for Learning it also used regularly throughout lessons with activities such as Do Now and Low Stakes Quizzes.

 

Knowledge Organiser

All units have a knowledge organiser to support lessons and homework.

Homework

Homework opportunities are provided in the form of knowledge organisers for the unit.

Units of Learning

Units are designed so that students can develop a secure understanding of key worldviews and recognise how these traditions have developed overtime. To explore with students how religion changes by different factors such as time, place, culture and how it interacts in the modern world with a wide range of worldviews.

 

Unit 1
 

Hindu Dharma: Buddhism: Sikhism
-What is Hindu Dharma?
-What is the nature of God?
-Why is following Dharma so important?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience of Hindus in the world today.
-What is the relationship of Hindu Dharma to other world religions?
-Who is Buddha?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience of Buddhists in the world today.
-What is Sikhism?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience of Sikhs in the world today.

End of Term 1

Assessment

Unit 2

Islam: Beliefs and Practices
-What is Islam?
-How did Islam come to Britain?
-What do Muslims believe?
-What is the history of the Muslim faith?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience of Islam in the world today.

 

End of Term 2

Assessment

Unit 3

The Tapestry of Worldviews
-Who are the Humanists?
-What are humanists ethics and beliefs about God?
-Where do the Humanists find meaning?
-What alternative faiths are there?
-Is religion a force for good? Case Studies of key individuals.

End of Term 3

Assessment

 

 

Year 9 - 2022-23

 

Programme of Study

 

Assessments are mid-pint assessment and a summative written assessment. One assessment test is focused on:
-knowledge
-application of knowledge
-explanation/evaluation
The second assessment is focused on: explanation and evaluation. Students can use their skills from their first assessment to apply to their second assessment it is designed as a learning step to progress.
Assessment for Learning it also used regularly throughout lessons with activities such as Do Now and Low Stakes Quizzes.

 

Knowledge Organiser

All units have a knowledge organiser to support lessons and homework.

Homework

Homework opportunities are provided in the form of knowledge organisers for the unit.
Units of Learning

Units are designed so that students can develop a secure understanding of key worldviews and recognise how these traditions have developed overtime. To explore with students how religion changes by different factors such as time, place, culture and how it interacts in the modern world with a wide range of worldviews.

 

Unit 1
 

Philosophy
-Does religion influence the world today?
-Socrates: Why did he upset Greek society?
-Plato: What is the allegory of the cave?
-How do we know the truth?
-Is there a right or a wrong way to approach truth?
-Are religion and science in conflict?
-Arguments for the existence of God

End of term 1

Assessment

Unit 2

Students in Year 9 for September 2022 will complete Islam: Beliefs and Practices as they did not study this unit in Year 8 when Religious Studies was implemented in its own curriculum time.  
Islam: Beliefs and Practices
-What is Islam?
-How did Islam come to Britain?
-What do Muslims believe?
-What is the history of the Muslim faith?
-Raising questions and exploring answers about the lived experience of Islam in the world today.

 

End of term 2

Assessment

Unit 3

Ethics
-Why are ethics important?
-What are different ethical principles?
-What is a trolley problem?
-Why is artificial intelligence an ethical issue?
-What is the banality of evil?
-Is there a right or wrong answer to ethical debates?

End of term 3

Assessment

Ken Stimpson Academy
Staniland Way
Werrington
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