Religious Studies

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    • Mrs Kirsty Elliott, Head of Religious Studies

    Mrs Elliott is Head of Religious Studies at St. Francis’, a post she has held since 2016. She has been teaching for 29 years, spending 26 years in girls’ schools, the last 18 of which have been at the College! Mrs Elliott has a BA in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Leeds and a PGCE from the University of Birmingham. Outside of work she enjoys travelling and spending time with friends and family.

    Religious Studies

    Subject Overview

    The Religious Studies department at St. Francis College aims to encourage reflection on the religious and philosophical issues of life. We aim to explore the mysteries of human existence and challenge our students to seek answers to the mysteries of life and death. We encourage respect for all religious and non-religious beliefs and aim to foster an environment in which everyone feels valued.

    At St. Francis’ College we encourage our students to engage with contemporary issues and develop social, cultural, political and historical awareness. Through discussion and debate we seek to show that religion plays an important role in our society.

    Programme of Study

    Key Stage 3:
    Year 7 – A study of the beliefs and practices of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

    • Judaism
    • Jewish Beliefs: One God
    • Covenants
    • Moses and the 10 Commandments
    • The Passover story and how this festival is celebrated
    • The Torah
    • Different types of Judaism
    • Kosher food
    • The Sabbath
    • The Synagogue
    • Growing up: Bar and Bat Mitzvah
    • Jewish festivals
    • Christianity
    • Belief in God
    • The Trinity
    • Jesus and his teachings
    • The Bible
    • The New Testament
    • The Christian Year and festivals
    • The Church
    • Worship and Denominations
    • The Eucharist or Holy Communion
    • Rites of Passage: Infant and Believers’ Baptism and Confirmation
    • Christian Symbols
    • Islam
    • What is Islam?
    • Beliefs about God (Allah)
    • The Prophet Muhammad
    • The Qur’an
    • The Mosque
    • The Five Pillars of Islam: Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj.
    • Festivals
    • Halal and Haram food

    Year 8 – A study of the beliefs and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

    • Hinduism
    • Where did Hinduism begin?
    • Hindu symbols
    • Hindu gods and goddesses
    • The story of Ganesh
    • The story of Rama and Sita
    • The celebration of Diwali
    • Hindu scriptures
    • The Mandir
    • Gurus and leaders
    • Hindu birth ceremonies
    • The Caste System
    • The Sacred Thread Ceremony
    • Hindu marriage and funeral ceremonies
    • Raising questions and exploring answers (moral issues)
    • Buddhism
    • An introduction to Buddhism
    • The Life of the Buddha
    • The teachings of the Buddha – The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path
    • The story of ‘Kisagotami and the Mustard Seed’
    • The parables of ‘The Explorer’ and ‘The Arrow’
    • Buddhist symbols
    • The Five Precepts
    • Meditation
    • The Sangha and the role of Monks and Nuns
    • The Dalai Lama
    • Different forms of Buddhism
    • Sikhism
    • Sikh beliefs
    • The life of Guru Nanak
    • The Ten Gurus
    • The formation of the Khalsa
    • The Five K’s
    • Sikh Birth and Initiation Ceremonies
    • Sikh Marriage and Funeral Ceremonies
    • The Festivals of Baisakhi and Diwali
    • The Guru Granth Sahib
    • The Gurdwara
    • The Langar and Sewa

    Year 9 – Ethics, Philosophy and Religion

    • Ethical Theories
    • How do we make moral decisions? What are ethics?
    • Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham, link with the Trolley problem.
    • Kant and Deontology
    • Natural Moral Law and double effect.
    • Situation Ethics
    • Virtue Ethics
    • Divine Command Theory
    • Medical Ethics
    • The sanctity of life
    • Abortion
    • IVF and Surrogacy
    • Saviour Siblings and Genetic Engineering
    • Organ Donation
    • Animal Rights
    • Women in Religion
    • The role of women in Christianity
    • The role of women in Hinduism
    • The role of women in Islam
    • The life of Malala Yousafzai
    • Human Rights and Social Justice
    • NATRE – Anti-Racist RE
    • Racism – What can be done to reduce its impact?
    • What can we learn from the stories of the two statues in Bristol?
    • Anti-racist people from Christianity – Martin Luther King and Stormzy
    • Anti –racist people from Islam – Malcolm X and Dr. Hanny El Bana
    • Anti-racist people from different religions – What can we learn?
    • The Young Philosopher’s Course 2
    • What is the mind and where is it?
    • What is a person?
    • Personal identity through time
    • The role of government
    • Is seeing believing?
    • What do we mean by truth?
    • Is there a life after death?

    Students have the opportunity to visit places of worship such as Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bhaktivedanta Manor and the London Central Mosque. In the past we have also visited the Jewish Museum and taken part in a faith tour of places of worship in Bedford.

    Key Stage 4:

    GCSE Religious Studies
    Examination Board: AQA 8062A

    The aims of this qualification are to enable students to develop:

    • A knowledge and understanding of Buddhist and Christian beliefs and practices.
    • A knowledge and understanding of key elements of philosophy and ethics.
    • Students learn how to discuss and debate issues.
    • Students will develop skills of empathy, analysis and evaluation.
    • Students sit two examination papers: Religions (Christianity and Buddhism) and Thematic Studies. Each examination is 1 hour and 45 minutes and is worth 50% of the
    • marks.

     

    Course Content

    1. A study of Christian beliefs and practices (25%)
    • The nature of God, the nature of the Trinity and the problem of evil
    • Different Christian beliefs about the creation of the world
    • Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife
    • Beliefs about Jesus eg the incarnation, the crucifixion and the resurrection
    • Beliefs about sin and salvation
    • Different forms of worship
    • Prayer, including the Lord’s Prayer
    • The role and meaning of the sacraments, particularly baptism and holy communion
    • The role and importance of pilgrimage
    • The celebration of Christmas and Easter
    • The role of the Church in the local community
    • The place of mission and evangelism
    • The importance of the worldwide Church including: working for reconciliation and responses to persecution.
    • The work of Christian Aid
    2. A study of Buddhist beliefs and practices (25%)
    • The Concept of Dhamma (Dharma)
    • The concept of dependent arising
    • The Three Marks of Existence
    • The human personality in Theravada and Mahayana traditions.
    • The life of the Buddha and its significance
    • The Four Noble Truths
    • Places of worship and the nature and form of Buddhist worship, including meditation
    • The practice and significance of different ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning
    • Festivals and retreats, including the origin, significance and celebration of Wesak and Parinirvana Day
    • Ethical teaching on kamma (karma) and rebirth, karuna (compassion) and metta (loving-kindness)
    • The five moral precepts
    • The six perfections
    3. Thematic Studies (50%)
    • Theme A: Relationships and families: Sex, marriage and divorce, Families and gender equality
    • Theme B: Religion and life: The origins and value of the universe, The origins and value of human life
    • Theme C: The existence of God and revelation: Philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God, The nature of the divine and revelation
    • Theme F: Religion, human rights and social justice: Human rights, Wealth and Poverty
    Extra-curricular

    Students have visited Ely Cathedral for a study day on Christian beliefs and teachings. They have also been to Amaravati Buddhist monastery to learn about mediation and key Buddhist beliefs and practices. There may also be the opportunity to attend a GCSE revision conferences in London. In the past we have held an ‘Inter-Faith Forum’ and GCSE students have had the opportunity to engage with members of a variety of different religious traditions.

    A Level Religious Studies
    Examination Board: OCR H573

    The aims of this qualification are to enable students to develop:

    • Develop their interest in a rigorous study of religion and belief and relate it to the wider world
    • Develop knowledge and understanding appropriate to a specialist study of religion
    • Develop an understanding and appreciation of religious thought and its contribution to individuals, communities and societies
    • Adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion
    • Reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes in the light of their study

    Students study three components, each component is worth 33.3% of the total A Level. All three components will be assessed by a two hour written examination paper.

    Course Content

    1. Philosophy of religion (33.3%) Learners will study:
    • 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
    • Issues in religious language.
    2. Ethics and Religion (33.3%) Learners will study:
    • Normative ethical theories: Utilitarianism, Natural Law, Situation Ethics and Kantian Ethics
    • The application of ethical theory to two contemporary issues of importance (Euthanasia and Business Ethics)
    • Ethical language and thought
    • Debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience
    • Sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs.
    3. Developments in Christian Thought (33.3%) Learners will study:
    • Religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world
    • Sources of religious wisdom and authority
    • Practices which shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within a tradition
    • Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought
    • Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society
    • These topics will be studied in the context of Christianity
    Extra-curricular

    Students attend philosophy, ethics and religion conferences in both Year 12 and Year 13. These are run by ‘Academy Conferences’ and ‘Candle Conferences’. They provide students with the opportunity to hear lectures by experts in their fields of study, many of whom are named on the specification. They are also able to take part in debates and interactive activities with students from other schools.

    Open Events

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