Living in a multi-faith society in the 21st century requires young people to be religiously literate and hold informed conversations about religion and life. The Religious Studies (RS) department teaches a high-quality curriculum which develops students’ understanding of the different impacts that religion and belief have on individuals and communities. The RS curriculum supports students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through high quality lessons involving critical thinking, critical analysis and discussion of a range of philosophical, theological and ethical topics. The long-term vision of the department is to prepare students at One In A Million Free School for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in the future. RS encourages our students to make well-informed choices in the future and have a respect for all faiths and secular beliefs within our ever-growing multicultural and multi-faith city of Bradford and the UK.

RS provides the opportunity to learn about and learn from the major world faiths and secular belief systems by allowing students to draw on their own experiences and compare them to those of others from different backgrounds. The subject explores the beliefs held by others, while considering the similarities and differences that make our world so diverse. In RS, students develop their empathetic understanding and have the space to discuss challenging moral and philosophical issues in local, national and global contexts while promoting respect for all.

KEY STAGE 3

At Key Stage 3, our Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 students will be following an adapted version of the ‘Believing and Belonging’ curriculum, aligned to The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in West Yorkshire, Second Edition (2021) https://bso.bradford.gov.uk/userfiles/file/RE%20Syllabus_Believing%20and%20Belonging%202021_online(1).pdf

Our students will examine the key beliefs and practices of all six major world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism) over the three years of Key Stage 3.  The students will focus on “big questions” of beliefs, faiths and meaning for each religion (such as, What is faith? What unites religious communities? Who shows the way forward for the world in spiritual and moral life? Are the ideas of religion and science compatible or conflicting?). As well as learning about the major world religions, philosophy and ethics are investigated within the RS curriculum to ensure students understand the full diversity of belief systems and their influence on believers. Knowledge, understanding and skills are assessed with an end of unit assessment.

KEY STAGE 4

Key Stage 4 Core RE (non – examined)

Religion and beliefs inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave. At One In A Million Free School, the Core Religious Education (RE) curriculum helps to develop an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society. It also contributes to students’ personal development and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. The curriculum will offer opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development. Core RE is therefore integrated and learnt through part of the PSHE curriculum, assemblies, guest speakers and drop-down days.

Key Stage 4 (Option Choice)

In Key Stage 4 the curriculum allows us to build on the core knowledge taught in Key Stage 3, allowing students to extend their skills and powerful knowledge that will support them in achieving success in their RS Option Choice. At Key Stage 4, students will be following the AQA Religious A GCSE specification. Across the two-year course, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and beliefs, and analyse and evaluate aspects of religion and belief, including their significance and influence. Students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of Christian and Islamic beliefs, teachings and practices and how these can differ depending on denomination. RE provides a space to again answer the “big questions”, which encourage students to think critically and evaluate sources of wisdom. Students will be able to articulate justified opinions on ethical issues, giving personal, religious and non-religious views.

What Parents/Carers can do to help:

Your child has been given a Knowledge Organiser for each topic they study. This summarizes the key information they must know if they are to be successful in this subject. Please encourage them to learn this off by heart and revise topics regularly.

Encourage your child to access GCSE POD which can enable students to access topics at home.