Religious Education

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Why study Religious Education?

Religion has always been with us, throughout History, it has expressed the deepest questions human beings can ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of virtually all civilizations and cultures. As we think all the way back to the dawn of human consciousness, we find religion everywhere we turn.’ Studyreligion.org.

At Rainford High,  we explore a broad range of various religious aspects including beliefs and practices of specific religion. We also investigate moral and ethical issues.
Our aim is to engage, inspire and educate our students  within thought provoking and  challenging lessons which enable them to discuss and justify opinions, analyse beliefs, and think ‘outside of the box’.

Religious Education at KS3

(All students receive x1 hour lessons per week.)
In Year 7, students follow Schemes for Learning which includes: An introduction to Philosophy, Creation Myths, Moses, Abraham, Judaism and Festivals.

In Year 8, students explore the religion of Islam, Inspirational role models, The belief in Jesus, Buddhism and within our last term we explore the concepts of Radicalisation and Terrorism.

In Year 9, students complete a Year of study focusing Ethics and Religion including Capital Punishment, Abortion, Forgiveness, Business Ethics and The Holocaust.

Religious Education at KS4 – RED DAY (Religious Experience Days)

All students in Years 10 and 11 participate in RED DAYS  focused on Religious Experience. Students Learn through experience and some of our most recent events have included:

Learning about the Holocaust – Students completed x4 workshops focused on the Holocaust. This was followed by meeting a Holocaust survivor and completing a question and answer session.

MD Productions – A bespoke company using street dance, body art and expression to teach about Equality and Diversity.

Philosophy and Ethics Day – A range of workshops focused on Ethical issues including Life Charity (Abortion) , Animal Aid (Cruelty to Animals)  and Radio City (Ethical issues surrounding Alcohol and Drugs).

 

Religious Education at GCSE

All students follow the AQA Religious Studies specification.

There are x2 components which students complete:

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices

Students study the following religions:

  • Christianity
  • Judaism

 

Component 2: Thematic studies:

Students study the following units:

  • Theme A: Relationships and families (Marriage and Divorce, homosexuality and Contraception)
  • Theme B: Religion and life. (Abortion, Abuse to Animals and Creation)
  • Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict. (Reasons for War, Christian Aid and Peace)
  • Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment. (Capital Punishment, Forgiveness and Terrorism)

 

Religious Education at KS5

We are a popular subject at A level and deliver the OCR Philosophy, Ethics and Developments in Christian thought modules Specification.

Subjects explored include

Philosophy – Ideas concerning how a God exists, Evil and Suffering and Life after Death.

Ethics – Ethical theories including Natural Moral Law and Kant, Business ethics, Sexual Ethics and The Conscience

Developments in Christian thought – Gender and Society, The Person Of Jesus and Death and the Afterlife.

 

Enrichment

The enrichment opportunities in Religious Education are wide and varied. Here are just a few of the opportunities students at Rainford have experienced recently:

• For GCSE and A Level students a day trip to the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the Liverpool Synagogue including a workshop exploring the topic of ‘Beliefs of Christians and The Jewish Community’.
• A guest speaker from the charitable organization ‘Life’ visited school to discuss the topic of Abortion with all RS pupils.
•A day visit to Cadburys world for all Post 16 students focused on Business Ethics.

In the past 2 years all GCSE and ALevel students have had the opportunity to meet a Holocaust Survivor.