Religious Studies Curriculum - Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School

Curriculum Intent:

Religious Studies is a core subject taught by specialist teachers. Building on the rich Christian heritage of our school community, we aim to deepen students’ understanding of Christianity as a living and diverse faith and its foundational role in shaping societies. Our intention is to spark students’ curiosity, deepen their spiritual awareness, and inspire all students to lead lives of integrity and purpose, rooted in the values of Hope, Compassion and Endurance.

Excellence within Religious Studies means that each student develops deep religious literacy by becoming young theologians, philosophers, human and social scientists, readers and interpreters who can hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religion and worldviews, while also developing their ability to reflect on and justify their own developing personal worldview. We are dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and resilience to make sense of a multi-religious and multi-secular society and to understand the complex world in which they live. We aim to prepare students to participate positively in a pluralistic society by becoming free-thinking, critical participants in public discourse, able to make academically informed judgements about matters of religion and belief which shape the global landscape.

Our ambitious curriculum aims for all students to flourish both spiritually and academically, whatever their situation or starting point. It empowers them to become knowledgeable, articulate, respectful, empathetic and courageous advocates against injustice and discrimination.

What will students learn at KS3?

The KS3 curriculum follows the Diocesan’s ‘Illuminating Pathways’ syllabus and all students have Religious Studies three hours per fortnight. Students will begin to explore central beliefs, values and practices of Christianity and other religious and non-religious worldviews. Students will not only examine the evolution of beliefs and practices of major world religions, but they are also encouraged to open their hearts and minds to the biggest questions of life, beliefs about God, issues of morality and what it means to be human. Our curriculum is sequenced to identify threshold concepts and skills that enable students to build upon prior learning and integrate new content into their existing schema in order to access subsequent topics at KS4.

What will students learn at KS4?

The KS4 curriculum follows the AQA Religious Studies (Specification A) syllabus. All students have Religious Studies five hours per fortnight and will sit the full course GCSE examination at the end of Year 11. In Year 10, students will develop a deep knowledge of Christianity and Judaism. They will examine diverse beliefs and key practices within these religions including their contributions in supporting local and world-wide communities. In Year 11 students apply their knowledge of Christianity and Judaism to four contemporary ethical themes: Religion and families – Religion and life – Religion, peace and conflict – Religion, crime and punishment.