Why do we learn Religious Education?
Religious Education is a complex field of study that looks at what it means to be a spiritual, moral, social, cultural and intellectual human. It occupies a significant space within the curriculum because the knowledge gained here is unquestionably powerful for the wider curriculum within formal education and beyond. This is achieved through a well-sequenced, systematic, knowledge-rich study of religion, philosophy and ethics. It can be said that RE is the well from which all other subjects drink from. RE is about getting beyond the face value of a belief, practice or thought.
Head of Department
Mr J Bengco
Our approach
At AAA students of all ages feel safe to challenge what they know by studying a curriculum that may expose tensions, paradoxes and controversies between and within religion. Conversely, RE privileges what is unknown, the transcendent. Awe and wonder has inspired sacred creativity, propelled humans into space and continues to drive curiosity without the guarantee of reward. Students are inspired to question ancient and modern views of the how and the why of human experience by debating what it is moral and questioning who decides.
At AAA, we do all this whilst acknowledging the importance of faith and practice.
Key Concepts
Theism, awe and wonder, the transcendent, sacred texts as sources of authority (Bible, Qur’an), sacred texts as creative expressions of faith (poetry, Vedas), right to life, creation, life after death, miracles, religious founders/leaders/prophets, incarnation/avatars/prophets.
Story telling, oral tradition, parable.
Year 7
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Brahman, avatars, Aum, Chakra, trishula, The Vedas, Mahabharata, The Puranas, karma, dharma, samsara and moksha |
Places of worship, pilgrimage, festivals, ethics, world culture. |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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Siddhartha Gautama, The Four Sights, the Great departure, enlightenment, The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold path, Sangha |
Meditation, art, festivals, pilgrimage, leaders, Buddhism in the UK |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
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Guru Nanak, The Ten Gurus, the Khalsa, The Five Ks, Guru Granth Sahib |
Life after death, places of worship, festivals, ethics of war, Sikhism in the UK |
Year 8
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Creation, The fall, Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob, Joseph |
Moses, The 10 Plagues, the 10 commandments, The Judges, David and Goliath, David and Bathsheba, Elijah |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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The origins of Judaism, The Temple, The Messiah, Tanakh and Talmud, the mitzvot, synagogue, prayer |
Shabbat, festivals, birth, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, marriage, funerals and mourning, ethics, persecution, The Holocaust, Zionism |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
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Birth of Jesus, baptism and temptations, miracles, Pharisees, the parables, love and forgiveness |
Cleansing of the Temple, The Last Supper, the plot against Jesus, the crucifixion, the resurrection, Pentecost, the conversion of Saul, St. Paul |
Year 9
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Origins, Early Church, Constantine and the Council of Nicea, the Great Schism, The Catholic Church, the role of Pope, The Reformation, the Salvation Army, Quakers and the Amish |
The Bible, Christianity in Britain, Prayer, female leaders, slavery, the crusades, The Problem of Evil, Charismatic Christianity, persecution |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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Origins, split, the Qur'an, God, the prophets, afterlife |
The Five Pillars, prayer, Mosque, Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr, Hajj, Sunni and Shi'a, female dress code, jihad, Islam in the UK |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
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Plato, Descartes, First Cause, Evolution, Freud, Marx, New Atheists, Belief in the UK |
How should we live? Goodness and pleasure, ethical thought experiments, evil, AI, animals |
Year 10
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Sex, marriage and divorce Human sexuality including: heterosexual and homosexual relationships. Sexual relationships before and outside of marriage. Contraception and family planning. The nature and purpose of marriage. Same-sex marriage and cohabitation. Divorce, including reasons for divorce, and remarrying. Ethical arguments related to divorce, including those based on the sanctity of marriage vows and compassion. Families and gender equality The nature of families, including the role of parents and children, extended families and the nuclear family. The purpose of families, including procreation, stability and the protection of children, educating children in a faith. Contemporary family issues including same-sex parents, polygamy. The roles of men and women. Gender equality. Gender prejudice and discrimination, including examples. |
The origins and value of the universe The origins of the universe, including religious teachings about the origins of the universe, and different interpretations of these |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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The nature of God: God as omnipotent, loving and just, and the problem of evil and suffering; the oneness of God and the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1-3 and Genesis 1:1-3). Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell. Jesus Christ and salvation Beliefs and teachings about the incarnation and Jesus as the Son of God; the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension; sin, including original sin; the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit; the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement. |
Worship and festivals Different forms of worship and their significance: liturgical, non-liturgical and informal, including the use of the Bible; private worship. Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer. The role and meaning of the sacraments: the meaning of sacrament; the sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians; infant and believers' baptism |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
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Key Beliefs The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and five roots of Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam, including key similarities and differences. Tawhid (the Oneness of God), Qur’an Surah 112. The nature of God: omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice/Adalat in Shi’a Islam, including different ideas about God’s relationship with the world; immanence and transcendence. Angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mika’il. Predestination and human freedom and its relationship to the Day of Judgement. Akhirah (life after death), human responsibility and accountability, resurrection, heaven and hell. Authority Risalah (Prophethood) including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad. The holy books: Qur’an; revelation and authority; the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Scrolls of Abraham and their authority. The imamate in Shi'a Islam: its role and significance. |
Sawm: the role and significance of fasting during the month of Ramadan including origins, duties, benefits of fasting, the exceptions and their reasons, and the Night of Power, Qur’an 96:1-5. |
Year 11
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Religion, crime and the causes of crime Good and evil intentions and actions, including whether it can ever be good to cause suffering. Reasons for crime, including: poverty and upbringing; mental illness and addiction; greed and hate; opposition to an unjust law. Views about people who break the law for these reasons. Views about different types of crime, including hate crimes, theft and murder. The aims of punishment, including: retribution; deterrence; reformation. The treatment of criminals, including: prison; corporal punishment; community service. Forgiveness. The death penalty. Ethical arguments related to the death penalty, including those based on the principle of utility and sanctity of life. |
Religion, violence, terrorism and war The meaning and significance of: peace; justice; forgiveness; reconciliation. Violence, including violent protest. Terrorism. Reasons for war, including greed, self- defence and retaliation. The just war theory, including the criteria for a just war. Holy war. Pacifism. Religion and belief in 21st century conflict |
| Spring |
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| Revision |
| Summer |
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| External exams |