Religious Education: Key Stage 4 (Compulsory)

Our curriculum is designed using the Cambridgeshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2018-2023 and is built around the foundation of giving students broad experience of different beliefs and cultures. Students in this key stage are at a point in their lives where they are preparing for their future, for employment and further lifelong learning. As a result, we intend to provide opportunities which give students the opportunity to develop understanding of their peers, particularly within the diverse cultural context of St Peters, and to enrich the skills of discussion and experience.

Year 10 and 11

Students will follow a carefully designed discrete programme of study through two routes over the course of the year which mirrors topics taught in the AQA GCSE Religious Studies course. One of these courses will be taught during Humanities option lessons and will take place towards the end of the Autumn Term and the end of the Spring term. The other course will be taught during their option lessons on a rolling programme of 3 lessons at a time.

During this time students will explore the topics of Religion and Family, where they will have the opportunity to consider beliefs about gender, identity, contraception and sex, marriage and families. They will also look at Crime and Punishment, where they will consider religious responses to issues raised about crime and punishment, why people commit crime and how criminals should be punished.

We are developing a programme of talks and workshops which will provide a broad range of experiences of different faiths, beliefs and cultures. This will enable students to build positive relationships and take into account the effect of different values and ideas within society, as set out in the aims and purpose of the Agreed Syllabus 2018-23. This programme aims to incorporate a diversity of speakers which will focus on issues that young people may encounter in everyday life, for example mental health, racism and prejudice. We want our students to develop attitudes of respect towards other people who are different to themselves, and to develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious issues.