RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS
Department Vision
At WGSB, the study of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics is a meaningful and thought-provoking exploration of major world faiths and contemporary moral issues. Carried out in a non-doctrinal and open way, this subject allows learners to gain an awareness of where beliefs come from and how they influence communities. Our guiding aim as a department is to provide all students with a moral grounding and awareness of the impact religious and cultural beliefs have on individuals and wider societies.
We encourage all students to learn from each other in a respectful manner and engage with a challenging curriculum which allows all to gain a deep insight into beliefs and practices alongside philosophical and ethical enquiry. Through a rigorous and systematic study, students develop skills in analysis, critical thinking and developing an informed argument, which prepares students as citizens who are informed about culture and theology and feel confident in applying their knowledge in an interdisciplinary way.
Year 7
Year 7
| Term | Topic | Learning Outcomes |
| Judaism | To explore the traditions and religious practices within Judaism and to consider how they impact the Jewish way of life. | |
| Islam | To understand the importance of rituals and ceremonies in Islam and they are put into action. | |
| Christianity | To understand the life and work of Jesus, the Christian beliefs and to consider the impact it has on believers’ today. | |
| Buddhism | To explore the teachings of the Buddha and its usefulness today. | |
| Hinduism | To compare Hindu ideas about God and worship with alternative religious beliefs. | |
| Sikhism | To investigate key beliefs and practices in Sikhism and analyse the impact these have on a Sikh’s life in Britain today. |
Year 8
Year 8
| Term | Topic | Learning Outcomes |
| 1 | Religion and Animal Rights | To explore the rights of animals and the religious views to caring for animals. |
| 2 | Identity and Diversity | To understand what identity and its importance in the world today. |
| 3 | Human Rights | To have the knowledge and understanding of the Universal Declaration of human rights and its importance in the 21st century. |
| 4 | Religion and the Environment | To explore different religious perspectives and analyse how religious teachings will influence the believers’ behaviour towards the environment. |
| 5 | Prejudice and Discrimination | To understand what prejudice and discrimination means and its effects on people |
| 6 | Influential religious figures | To explore and analyse the lives of influential figures and the impact their work had on the world today. |
Year 9
Year 9
| Term | Topic | Learning Outcomes |
| 1 & 2 | Christian Beliefs and Teachings | To understand key Christian teachings and beliefs about God, life after death and Jesus’ Last Days. To understand the influence on Christians today. |
| 3 & 4 | Christian Practices | To understand how and why Christians perform worship and sacraments and celebrate festivals. To understand their importance to Christians today. |
| 5& 6 | Islam Beliefs and Teachings | To understand the key beliefs about God, Prophets, angels and life after death in Islam. To begin to understand the Arabic terminologies. |
Years 10 & 11
Year 10
| Term | Topic | Learning Outcomes |
| 1 & 2 | Islam Practices | To understand how and why Muslims perform the Pillars and celebrate festivals. To become confident in answering GCSE style questions by explaining and analysing the practices with reference to Islamic scripture and Arabic terminology. |
| 3 & 4 | Relationships and Families | To examine and evaluate religious and non-religious attitudes towards the purpose of relationships and families and beliefs about gender roles and equality. To demonstrate expert ability in applying religious teachings and terminology to a range of ideas and beliefs about family, relationships and gender. |
| 5 & 6 | Religion Crime and Punishment | To explore religious and non-religious perspectives about issues relating to crime and punishment (including forgiveness, forms of punishment and the death penalty) and to analyse ethical implications for individuals as well as wider society. Continue to demonstrate ability in applying religious teachings and scripture to the crime and punishment themes. |
Year 11
| Term | Topic | Learning Outcomes |
| 1 &2 | Religion and life | To examine and evaluate religious and non-religious ideas about the origins of the world and humanity. To explore ethical arguments surroundings life and death issues, including, abortion, euthanasia and animal experimentation. To demonstrate expert ability in applying religious teachings and terminology to ideas about creation and ethical life issues. |
| 3 & 4 | Religion, Peace and Conflict | To examine and evaluate the religious and non-religious views to terrorism, violent protest, weapons of mass destructions and just war. To explore ethical arguments surrounding the use of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons. To be able to apply religious teachings to the themes in peace and conflict. |
| 5 & 6 | Revision and Exam. |
Related Careers
RS, Philosophy and Ethics develops skills of evaluation and analysis which are applicable to almost any walk of life. It is not just about what others think; it is about learning to think for yourself. According to AGCAS – the association of Graduate Careers Advisory Service, RS/Theology graduates go into a wide range of careers. However, they, and employers, feel that it particularly prepares students for the following careers:
· Law
· Social Worker
· Teaching
· Journalism
· Politics
· Financial Services
· Hospitality
· Human Resources
· Community work
