Religious Studies

Religious Studies is a highly valued subject at The Coopers’ Company and Coborn School and we are proud that it is taught by subject specialists. At KS4, our students will continue to engage in a rich and meaningful dialogue about the religious and non-religious traditions that have shaped Great Britain and the world, a dialogue that is both intellectually challenging and personally enriching. They will be building on the knowledge and skills gained from the KS3 curriculum as well as deepening their understanding that religion is diverse and complex.

With a history of GCSE results in this subject well above the national average, all students will study full course Religious Studies, with four hours allocated a fortnight in Year 10 and five hours a fortnight in Year 11.

Course description / What will you learn about?

What will students learn in KS4?

KS4 follow AQA Religious Studies (Specification A). Students study in Year 10, Christianity and Islam. They will examine key beliefs within those religions such as the nature of God, creation and life after death. Students will also learn about key practices within these religions such as the different forms of worship, as well as religious contributions in supporting local and world-wide communities. In Year 11 students apply their knowledge of Christianity and Islam to four contemporary ethical themes: Peace and conflict, Religion and life, The existence of God and revelation and Crime and punishment.

For a more detailed overview of what the curriculum looks like for KS4 at CCCS click on the tab below:

For further information regarding this GCSE course please visit the AQA website below: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/gcse/religious-studies-a-8062

How will students be assessed in KS4?

Throughout KS4, students will be assessed in a variety of ways ranging from low stake assessments which include key term tests, knowledge recall quizzes, end of topic tests (using GCSE style questions) etc to high stake assessments which will assess knowledge of multiple topics in its entirety – namely in the form of Mocks.

GCSE Religious Studies (AQA) is 100% exam based and our students at the end of Year 11 will sit two papers:

• Paper One: Christianity: Beliefs and Practices and Islam: Beliefs and Practices (1 hour 45 minutes)
• Paper Two: Thematic Studies (1 hour 45 minutes)

To be successful in this subject students will need to be good at and enjoy:

Understanding, interpretation and evaluation of texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence is key to being successful in Religious Studies. Furthermore, students will need to be able to use and apply the skills of analysis, creativity and evaluation to the content taught.

Progression routes & career opportunities

Employers recognise the valuable and transferable skills that come with studying Religious Studies. Additionally, UCAS states that…

“Knowledge of other cultures and world religious beliefs can be useful in many jobs where you are working with the public or communities. These include counselling and social services, marketing, sales and advertising, catering and hospitality, leisure, sport and tourism, retail sales and customer services, education and training, medicine and nursing, and service sector roles.”

At KS5, our students will continue to engage in a rich and meaningful dialogue about the religious and non-religious traditions that have shaped Great Britain and the world, a dialogue that is both intellectually challenging and personally enriching. They will be building on the knowledge and skills gained from the KS4 curriculum as well as deepening their understanding that religion is diverse and complex. In light of this, whilst we owe it to our students to teach the specification, ensuring that all points are covered so they have all the content necessary for their exams, we are not an exams factory. Where appropriate, any opportunities to build on knowledge and go beyond the specification are encouraged in our department.

We are fortunate at The Coopers Company and Coborn School that our A Level course is taught by dedicated and enthusiastic subject specialists. We encourage our students to develop their dialogue skills and ability to think critically. We have a good intake of students, many of who have chosen to pursue an undergraduate degree in the field of religion, theology, philosophy and/or ethics.

The content studied and skills gained at KS4 will provide a strong platform for students learning at A Level, however if students did not study GCSE Religious Studies at their school, they are required to have a Grade 6 in either English Language or English Literature.

Course description / What will you learn about?

What will students learn in KS5?

KS5 Students have Religious Studies ten hours a fortnight, five lessons per teacher. KS5 students will follow the OCR Religious Studies specification (H573). Our students will have Religious Studies ten hours a fortnight and as the course is taught by two members of the department, the time is split evenly throughout the year.

“This qualification is designed to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of religious beliefs and teachings, as well as the disciplines of ethics and philosophy of religion. Learners will develop their skills of critical analysis in order to construct balanced, informed arguments and responses to religious, philosophical and ethical ideas. OCR’s A Level Religious Studies course aims to engage learners thoroughly and develop an interest in Religious Studies which extends beyond the classroom and can be applied to the world around them.” – OCR A Level Religious Studies H573 Specification (Version 1.4 Feb 2021)

Our A Level course is divided into three components, which will be taught throughout Year 12 and 13. Please see information below regarding what is covered in each component.

 Philosophy of Religion:
Ancient philosophical influences, the nature of the soul, mind and body, arguments about the existence or non-existence of God, the nature and impact of religious experience, the challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil, ideas about the nature of God and issues in religious language.

Religion and Ethics

Ethical theories such as Utilitarianism, Situation Ethics, Kantian Ethics and Natural Moral Law theory. The application of these ethical theories to two contemporary issues (business ethics and euthanasia), ethical language and thought, debates surrounding the conscience and sexual ethics.

Developments in Christian thought

Christian beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and  in the contemporary world, sources of Christian wisdom and authority, practices which shape and express Christian identity and how these vary within a tradition and significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought.

For access to our A level flyer regarding information about the nature of the course click on the tab below:

For access to our overview of what the curriculum looks like for KS5 at CCCS click on the tab below:

For further information on the OCR specification, click the link below:
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/242913-specification-accredited-a-level-gce-religious-studies-h573.pdf

  

How will students be assessed in KS5?

Throughout KS5, students will be assessed in a variety of ways ranging from low stake assessments which include knowledge recall quizzes, writing an essay for a topic etc to high stakes which includes writing multiple essays in exam conditions – namely in the form of Mocks.

A Level Religious Studies (OCR) is 100% exam based and our students at the end of Year 13 will sit three papers:

• Paper One: Philosophy of Religion H573/01 (2 hours)
• Paper Two: Religion and Ethics H573/02 (2 hours)
• Paper Three: Developments in Christian Thought H573/03 (2 hours)

To be successful in this subject students will need to be good at and enjoy:

Understanding, interpretation and evaluation of texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence is key to being successful in Religious Studies. Furthermore, students will need to be able to use and apply the skills of analysis, creativity and evaluation to the content taught.

Progression routes & career opportunities

Employers recognise the valuable and transferable skills that come with studying Religious Studies. Additionally, UCAS states that…

“Knowledge of other cultures and world religious beliefs can be useful in many jobs where you are working with the public or communities. These include counselling and social services, marketing, sales and advertising, catering and hospitality, leisure, sport and tourism, retail sales and customer services, education and training, medicine and nursing, and service sector roles.”