Religious Studies
Vision of the Religious Studies Curriculum
The Alsop RE curriculum seeks to equip young people for a life in the modern world where religious belief and world views play such an important role. RE gets to the heart of faith which, in its expression, has a direct impact on public life and the very essence of unity, integrity and humanity. Without it, education only skates the surface of the intricacy of interwoven beliefs and ideas that influence the dynamics of our 21st century world and ultimately affect the well-being and security of us all. The principle aim of the Religious Education curriculum is to explore the big questions about life, in order to find out what people believe, and what difference it makes to how they live. This will enable students to make sense of religion and worldviews and provides an opportunity to for them to reflect on their own ideas and ways of living.
RE Curriculum Intent
| Why is RE important? |
The Alsop RE curriculum seeks to equip young people for a life in the modern world where religious belief and world views play such an important role. RE gets to the heart of faith which, in its expression, has a direct impact on public life and the very essence of unity, integrity and humanity. Without it, education only skates the surface of the intricacy of interwoven beliefs and ideas that influence the dynamics of our 21st century world and ultimately affect the well-being and security of us all. |
| What is RE’s value within the curriculum and in everyday life? | The principle aim of the Religious Education curriculum is to explore the big questions about life, in order to find out what people believe, and what difference it makes to how they live. This will enable students to make sense of religion and worldviews and provides an opportunity to for them to reflect on their own ideas and ways of living. |
| How does RE reinforce the Alsop values of Knowledge Respect and Opportunity? | RE makes a unique contribution to the development of “The Alsop Way” and the core values of Knowledge, Respect and Opportunity. It plays a pivotal role in helping our students in an informed way to think through their responses to encounters with beliefsand ideas they feel alien to, in a manner which benefits society rather than divides it through bigotry and racism. Like no other subject it gets to the heart of what it means to be human and allows space for debate on deep spiritual and religious issues. |
| How does RE build on the foundations laid at KS2? | We follow the Liverpool Agreed Syllabus which reasserts the place of RE in the curriculum for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. The syllabus is adopted by all students in Liverpool and our KS3 curriculum builds upon the foundations laid at KS2. |
| How does RE support reading? | The Development of Religious Literacy is at the heart of the RE curriculum. RE is a rigorous, diverse, academic discipline that is rich in content and requires students to use and interpret religious language or symbolism. The reading of sacred texts will be a key component of every lesson |
| How does RE challenge all learners? |
RE at Alsop will challenge all learners to build bridges across deep social divisions and foster a rich personal development. RE will help students to develop:
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| How is RE inclusive for all learners? | RE is inclusive to all learners. The planning of programmes of study takes into consideration the barriers to participation and learning that some activities and lessons may pose for pupils with SEND and/or disabilities. We minimise these barriers so that all students can fully engage and learn in all lessons. |
| What role does assessment play in RE? |
The Agreed Syllabus sets out a structure for recognising achievement and each student can work progressively towards achieving the statements of attainment as outlined in the programmes of study. Assessment in RE is seen in its broadest sense and is not limited to measurement and testing. Through activities for example, discussion with pupils, group activities, marking and guiding their work, observing, displaying work, asking and answering questions, teachers are continually finding out about their pupils’ achievements. |
| How are British values interwoven into the RE curriculum? | Religious Education will equip young people for life in the modern world where religion and worldviews play such an important role. Underpinned by Common Good Principles, students will be enraged by injustice and determined to “be the change they want to see.” They will seek to live their lives for others and not just themselves. |
| How is SMSC interwoven into the RE curriculum? | SMSC is at the heart of Religious Education. The subject will equip young people for life in the modern world where religion and worldviews play such an important role. Underpinned by Common Good Principles, students will be enraged by injustice and determined to “be the change they want to see.” They will seek to live their lives for others and not just themselves. |
| How is cultural capital interwoven into the RE curriculum? | Cultural capital is interwoven through our programmes of study. Students will be encouraged to engage in inter-faith dialogue to actively build bridges. This will get to the heart of issues driving conflict and create the space for students to encounter them. The RE curriculum will develop links with faith communities and incorporate opportunities to visit places of worship. We will also work with Liverpool Diocese and Liverpool Community Spirit. |
Facilities
The RE Department has two fully equipped classrooms both with interactive whiteboards and visualizers. We have a wide range of religious artefacts and texts that are available for students to engage with to support their knowledge and understanding of the different world religions.
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Useful Websites
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zmyb4wx