Religious Education

Welcome to the RE department

The RE team is proud to be part of the Humanities department, helping pupils to understand the world in which we live by acknowledging spiritual, moral and ethical beliefs and values.   Pupils will also develop a ‘philosophy for life’ (a set of individual beliefs and values that shape their own lives.) Through the exploration of religious and non-religious traditions, norms and cultural values, pupils are given the opportunity develop their views. 

There is a small but dedicated team of 3 RE specialists who are both passionate about their subject:

• Mr B De La Tour - RE Head of Department
• Mrs G Williams

---

Key Stage Three (Years 7, 8 and 9)

In years 7 &8, pupils will receive two lessons a fortnight of RE.  In year 7, pupils will look at world religions in general and then have the opportunity to discuss and debate philosophical issues.  In year 8, pupils will be exploring moral issues through campaigns and  discussion.

In Year 9 pupils, receive three hours a fortnight of RE. This is when they start their GCSE in RE and all work done this year will aid them in their exams at the end of year 11.

---

Key Stage Four (Years 10 and 11)

By law, all pupils study Religious Education (RE), to the end of their school life. RE is taught to all pupils at GCSE level and all pupils work toward this qualification.  The RE syllabus followed is the AQA specification, taking into account the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus. Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups for the two years. In Year 10 and Year 11 pupils receive one hours a week of RE.

---

Exam Specifications:

The RE department currently follows the new AQA A specification 8062 at GCSE, Christianity & Islam are the two chosen religions to study beliefs, teachings and practices of both in detail. The four Religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes are; Theme A (Relationships and Marriage), B (Religion and Life), E (Religion, Crime and Punishment) & F (Religion, Human rights and Social Justice). This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course. There will be 2 exams lasting 1 hour 45 minutes each.

---

Accommodation and Resources

The RE department is situated in the Humanities block, made up of 2 rooms and are both equipped with interactive whiteboards. There is also access to a set of laptops and desktop computers for use within the Humanities department.

The RE department is well resourced with books, DVDs, online resources and artefacts. The Humanities department as a whole have a wide range of resources for pupils to access and we work closely with the library to give pupils the best access to information to support their learning.

Miss Stillwell & Mr de la Tour are regularly in their rooms at break time and lunchtime to offer extra support if pupils need it.

---

Extra-Curricular Activity and Trips:

This is an area that the department are very enthusiastic about. It is important to bring the real world into the classroom and have a number to visiting speakers throughout the year. We believe that pupils’ learning should extend beyond the four walls of our classrooms and we endeavour to provide students with these opportunities. There are a number of visitors, trips and opportunities open to pupils in different years, including:

Year 7: Walsingham to explore the diversity within Christianity.

Year 8: Mock Protest march

Year 9: Local Churches trip

---

Our school is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every child and their family feel a strong sense of belonging and engagement. Religious Education plays an important role in our curriculum. We believe in nurturing the development of the whole person; intellectually, morally, socially, and emotionally, by encouraging personal growth, critical thinking, and respect for diverse perspectives.

We respect the rights of parents who wish to withdraw their children from Religious Education lessons. Before making a decision, parents should discuss the syllabus and planned activities with the department lead to ensure they have all the necessary information.

Requests for withdrawal should be submitted in writing to the Head of School.

It is important to note that there is no automatic right to withdraw students from other National Curriculum subjects, even when topics such as PSHE, History or Geography include discussions on various world religions and world views.