Religious Education Department

Inroduction

The school sees R.E. as having a crucial role to play in the development of the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural values. To this end students are given opportunities to discuss and reflect upon their own beliefs, feelings, opinions and attitudes. This is done explicitly in some topics e.g. Beliefs about God (Year 7). Buddhist Meditation (Year 9). Capital Punishment (Year 10) and The Holocaust and issues of stereotyping and racism (Year 11). It is also taught implicitly through classroom management and teaching strategies which encourage a spirit of respect and tolerance.

To achieve these aims the West Berkshire agreed syllabus is followed.

Year 7
Religious belief (What do we mean by God?)
Christianity

Year 8
Islam
Religious responses to global and personal issues

Year 9
Religion and the environment
Arguments on the existence of God
Buddhism

GCSE

The syllabus followed is OCR Syllabus B Full course 1931

The topics for this course include:

• The Nature of God
• The Nature of Belief
• Religion and Science
• Death and the Afterlife
• Good and Evil
• Human Relationships
• Medical Ethics
• Equality
• Poverty and Wealth
• Peace and Justice

Core students (who do not sit the examination) follow the Short Course syllabus

In R.E. we try to promote open-mindedness, self esteem, sensitivity, respect and tolerance. These skills and attitudes are best nurtured in a mixed ability situation. Throughout the school all students are taught R.E. in mixed ability classes.

A wide variety of teaching methods are employed by the department including the use of:

• Text books and information sheets for research and project work
• Worksheets
• Video
• Role play
• Visits by students to places of interest
• Visits by outside speakers
• IT
• Experiential R.E. e.g. meditation exercises/Seder meal
• Artefacts and pictures.

In 2007, 26 students sat the Full Course examination. 70% of the students attained an A* grade and 92% of students achieved A* - B.

39 students sat the Short Course examination. 70% attained an A*/A grade whilst 95% attained a high grade A* - C result.