It is our intent for the Religious Education element of our school curriculum to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions.
We aspire to put spiritual development at the heart of our curriculum, within a framework of Christian Values. We offer engaging and relevant material for students.
Our vision is for a high-quality, broad-based religious education, exploring religions and beliefs openly, rigorously, critically and reflectively in the context of a changing and globalised world. Exploring topical and relevant issues such as Medical Ethics, War and Pacifism and Sex and Relationships in KS4 means that our students proactively participate in RE which is relevant, having impact on their lives and on that of their community locally, nationally and globally.
Religious Education is a valued part of our curriculum and reflects our foundation as a Church of England school. Whilst students may choose to study Religious Studies at GCSE and A Level, all students continue to receive high-quality Religious Education throughout their time at the school through our Religion and World Views programme, delivered weekly during tutor time.
This programme ensures that every student has the opportunity to engage with important questions about belief, meaning, identity, values and ethics. Through the study of religious belief, worldviews and contemporary issues, students develop their understanding of the society in which they live and learn to appreciate both shared human experiences and differing perspectives.
The Religion and World Views curriculum encourages students to think critically, reflect deeply and engage respectfully with ideas that may be different from their own. By exploring religious and non-religious worldviews, students develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected society. This provision reflects our Christian vision and our belief in the dignity and worth of every individual, fostering curiosity, empathy, respect and wisdom.
Our curriculum maps for Religion and world views and Religious Studies can be downloaded.
Component 1: Religious, Philosophical & Ethical Studies in the Modern World
Written Examination: 2 Hours: 50% of qualification. Candidates will study the following four themes. All questions are compulsory.
Theme 1: Issues of Relationships
Theme 2: Issues of Life and Death
Theme 3: Issues of Good and Evil
Theme 4: Issues of Human Rights
This component will be assessed by compulsory questions focusing on knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the identified themes.
Component 2: Study of Christianity
Written Examination1 Hour: 25% of Qualification. This component will be assessed by compulsory questions focusing on knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the identified themes.
Component 3: Study of a World Faith
Written Examination of 1 Hour: 25% of qualification: Candidates will study the beliefs, teachings and practices of Islam.
This component will be assessed by compulsory questions focusing on knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the identified themes.
This specification builds upon subject based content taught in KS3 and reasonable adjustments are made for certain learners in order to enable them to access the assessments.
The linear qualification will be available in May / June each Year. It will be awarded for the first time in Summer 2018.
Parents who might wish to remove or withdraw students from RE lessons may seek meetings with the Head of Department initially and approach the Head teacher. However, this is an unusual scenario and at present, no-one is withdrawn.
Accommodation & Resources
Rooms are well equipped with Multi Media facilities. We have an extensive artefact collection and a wide variety of texts and electronic resources to draw upon.
The Religious Education Department Staff
- have a strong commitment to promote student’s spiritual, moral, social & cultural development
- deliver RE inclusively and develop progress, attainment and success in RE for all
- challenge students in their learning through the added dimension of the key skills of Reflection, Empathy, Communication and Evaluation
- highlight for students the Tolerance and Respect Agenda, promoting enquiry into and respecting the beliefs & values of others and combating prejudice and discrimination; Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
- encourage students to develop their spirituality and own personal growth, as well as to appreciate what it means to have a religious faith, and to respect and understand those who have a different faith, other than their own, or no faith at all. We positively teach Humanism and Atheist perspectives.
Educational Visits, Workshops and Events
The Department aims to offer a wide range of further study opportunities and enrichment activities.
In the RE Department we aspire to create an open and questioning environment, giving pupils the opportunity to learn and reflect about the religious experiences of people around the world and throughout time. We allow time and space to ask and consider Ultimate Questions;
Does God exist?
Why is there suffering in the world?
Is there life after death?
What is the meaning of life?
How do various religions respond to a person’s search for answers to these questions?
The right to withdraw
Parents have a right by law to withdraw their children from the Religious Education curriculum, and our school will respect and comply with any such request. However, in view of the Christian ethos and distinctive Christian character of our school, we would hope that all children admitted will participate fully in RE and ask that anyone wishing to withdraw their child arranges to discuss this with a member of the senior team and to take up the opportunity to discuss the contents of the RE curriculum in school before making this decision. We will endeavour to communicate clearly the place of this subject within a broad and balanced curriculum to ensure that they are in possession of all the necessary information before confirming their decision in writing. However, we will not attempt to persuade them to alter their decision.
In the event that parents still wish to withdraw their child from RE lessons, Shaftesbury School will undertake responsibility for their supervision in a sixth form lesson with regard to health and safety, though they will not be provided with additional teaching. We would expect the parents to provide suitable Religious Education work for the child to complete.
