In Year 7 students will study selected beliefs and practices of the six world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism; Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

This will give them a good basic knowledge of some of the most influential religions for both future study and, more importantly, knowledge of the origins and diversity of significant beliefs and practices expressed within our multicultural society.

For example, they will study:

In Hinduism: puja, reincarnation, yoga.

In Buddhism: The three treasures, the eightfold path and the life of a monk.

In Sikhism: The ten gurus, the 5Ks and sewa.

In Judaism: The covenants, the mitzvot and the Sabbath

In Christianity: salvation, baptism and denominational diversity.

In Islam: The five pillars, Ramadan and islamaphobia

In Year 8 students will build on the knowledge they have learned in Year 7. Most of their work will explore different kinds of theme in religion. This will encourage them to explore more than just the basic beliefs and teachings, but how religion impacts on the lives of believers.

They will explore:

• Religious symbolism
• Sacred space
• Mythical themes
• Poverty
• Sacred Text

In Year 9 they are encouraged to stretch and challenge their thinking skills. They now build on their understanding of the basic beliefs and teachings and how they impact on individuals, and begin to explore more philosophical and ethical thoughts within religious discourse.

They will study:

• Approaches to the study of religion [anthropological, sociological and psychological].
• Philosophy of religion
• The study of ethics
• Women in Faith
• New religious movements.

Assessment in Religious Studies is not only focused on remembering and recalling facts, but applying those facts in a skillful manner.

Students are trained to write in a logical, coherent and meaningful way in order to express concise reasoning in relation to questions asked.

Self-assessment, peer assessment and teacher guidance are central to student academic development and students are trained to revise effectively using well-researched revision methods.

Students are also expected to develop compassion and empathy for other people’s perspectives through P4C [Philosophy For Children] discussions that encourage them to explore ideas in a circle of discussion. Here, they learn about each other’s thoughts and feelings about different topics and develop questions based on a given stimulus. They then explore a chosen question [usually related to the course of study] and openly explore their responses to those questions in a thoughtful and responsive manner. Here, students go beyond the curriculum and bring in outside knowledge and experiences to share with others in a respectful environment.