RE: Religious Education

Year 10
GCSE Religious Studies – AQA Specification (A) 
Religion and Life

Theme B: Religion and life

Students study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these issues.

They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:

• Abortion.
• Euthanasia.
• Animal experimentation.

The origins and value of the universe

• The origins of the universe, including:
• Religious teachings about the origins of the universe, and different interpretations of these
• The relationship between scientific views, such as the Big Bang theory, and religious views.
• The value of the world and the duty of human beings to protect it, including religious teaching about stewardship, dominion, responsibility, awe and wonder.
• The use and abuse of the environment, including the use of natural resources, pollution.
•  The use and abuse of animals, including: animal experimentation & the use of animals for food.

The origins and value of human life

• The origins of life, including:
• Religious teachings about the origins of human life, and different interpretations of these
• The relationship between scientific views, such as evolution, and religious views.
• The concepts of sanctity of life and the quality of life.
• Abortion, including situations when the mother’s life is at risk.
• Ethical arguments related to abortion, including those based on the sanctity of life and quality of life.
• Euthanasia.
• Beliefs about death and an afterlife, and their impact on beliefs about the value of human life.

 

Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict

Students will study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these issues.

They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:

• • Violence.
• • Weapons of mass destruction.
• • Pacifism.

Religion, violence, terrorism and war

• The meaning and significance of:
• peace
• justice
• forgiveness
• reconciliation.
• Violence, including violent protest.
• Terrorism.
• Reasons for war, including greed, self-defence and retaliation.
• The just war theory, including the criteria for a just war.
• Holy war.
• Pacifism.

Religion and belief in 21st century conflict

• Religion and belief as a cause of war and violence in the contemporary world.
• Nuclear weapons, including nuclear deterrence.
• The use of weapons of mass destruction.
• Religion and peace-making in the contemporary world including the work of individuals influenced by religious teaching.
• Religious responses to the victims of war including the work of one present day religious organisation.

Year 11
GCSE Religious Studies – AQA: Specification A (In depth study of religions)
Christianity: Beliefs, Teachings & Practices 

Students should study the beliefs, teachings and practices of Christianity specified below and their basis in Christian sources of wisdom and authority. They are be able to refer to scripture and/or sacred texts where appropriate.

Students should study the influence of the beliefs, teachings and practices studied on individuals, communities and societies.

Common and divergent views within Christianity in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed are included throughout. Students refer to a range of different Christian perspectives in their answers including Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant.

Beliefs and teachings

Key beliefs

•  The nature of God:
•  Different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3).
•  Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.

Jesus Christ and salvation

• Beliefs and teachings about:
• the incarnation and Jesus as the Son of God
• the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension
• sin, including original sin
• the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit
• the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement.

Practices

Worship and festivals

• Different forms of worship and their significance.
• Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.
• The role and meaning of the sacraments.
• The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including.

The role of the church in the local and worldwide community

• The role of the Church in the local community, including food banks and street pastors.
• The place of mission, evangelism and Church growth.
• The importance of the worldwide Church including.

 

Islam: Beliefs, Teachings & Practices

Students study the beliefs, teachings and practices of Islam specified below and their basis in Islamic sources of wisdom and authority. They are able to refer to scripture and other writings where appropriate.

Students study the influence of the beliefs, teachings and practices studied on individuals, communities and societies.

Common and divergent views within Islam in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed are included throughout. Students refer to a range of different Muslim perspectives in their answers, including those from Sunni and Shi’a Islam. They study the specific differences identified below.

Beliefs and teachings

Key Beliefs

• The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and five roots of Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam, including key similarities and differences.
• Tawhid (the Oneness of God), Qur’an Surah 112.
• The nature of God: omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice/Adalat in Shi’a Islam, including different ideas about God’s relationship with the world: immanence and transcendence.
• Angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mika’il.
• Predestination and human freedom and its relationship to the Day of Judgement.
• Akhirah (life after death), human responsibility and accountability, resurrection, heaven and hell.

Authority

• Risalah (Prophethood) including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad.
• The holy books.
• The imamate in Shi’a Islam: its role and significance.

Practices

Worship

• Five Pillars of Sunni Islam and the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi’a Islam (students should study the Five Pillars and jihad in both Sunni and Shi’a Islam and the additional duties of Shi’a Islam).
• Shahadah: declaration of faith and its place in Muslim practice.
• Salah and its significance: how and why Muslims pray including times, directions, ablution (wudu), movements (rak’ahs) and recitations; salah in the home and mosque and elsewhere; Friday prayer: Jummah; key differences in the practice of salah in Sunni and Shi’a Islam, and different Muslim views about the importance of prayer.

Duties and festivals

• Sawm: the role and significance of fasting during the month of Ramadan including origins, duties, benefits of fasting, the exceptions and their reasons, and the Night of Power, Qur’an 96:1-5.
• Zakah: the role and significance of giving alms including origins, how and why it is given, benefits of receipt, Khums in Shi’a Islam.
• Hajj: the role and significance of the pilgrimage to Makkah including origins, how hajj is performed, the actions pilgrims perform at sites including the Ka’aba at Makkah, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah and their significance.
• Jihad: different understandings of jihad: the meaning and significance of greater and lesser jihad; origins, influence and conditions for the declaration of lesser jihad.
• Festivals and commemorations and their importance for Muslims in Great Britain today, including the origins and meanings of Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr, Ashura.

We feel passionately, that in order to learn about different religions and to respect their place in our lives we need to experience them.

• We currently have a cohort of pupils who are studying for an extra-curricular qualification; The Archbishop of York Award which encourages pupils to be the change in the world they want to see.
• We run a weekly ‘Creative RE Club’ where we celebrate the fact that we are beautifully diverse and also wonderfully the same! Throughout the year, we will learn about varying faiths and cultures. We celebrate religious festivals by designing religious artefacts and decorations. From stained glass windows, to Rangoli patterns, we learn about the religious practices of the six main world religions through creativity. The aim of Creative RE is to bring together students from different communities and backgrounds to celebrate their strengths, talents and unique differences.
• We are currently aiming to build links with faith groups and leaders in the community. We currently have links with Gideons and aim to expand that this year with other groups and leaders within Rochdale and the Greater Manchester area.
• We are aiming to take pupils on ‘faith trails’ to experience faith in the local community.
• Study support sessions are available with the team for Year 11 GCSE pupils.