WELCOME TO THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Mrs E Wakefield Head of Religious Education

The subject is taught under the curriculum requirements of the 1988 Education Act, which promotes 'the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of students ... and of society' and wishes students to be prepared for the 'opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life'. Religious Education is taught to help towards meeting the above needs.

The courses draw from the LEA Agreed Syllabus. Content includes material from Christianity, Britain's main religious tradition, from some of the major (and minor) world faiths and from non-religious stances as appropriate. This reflects not only the majority cultures, but also the multi-cultural nature of the School, British society, of Europe and of the world.

The course aims neither to convert students to a particular faith nor to indoctrinate them.

The objectives are: to promote an enquiring, supportive, yet discerning approach to and awareness of spirituality and the study of religion; to help students to become widely and well informed; to develop sound concepts and understanding; to develop positive attitudes; to learn to inter-relate religion and life issues; to enable reasoned evaluations; to complement and confirm a students' own spirituality. A number of cross-curricular skills are also encouraged. NB. Parents can withdraw their children from all or part of the Religious Education and Collective worship provided. We hope that parents considering this will discuss the matter with us before making a decision. Provision is made for students to undertake alternative studies in the School Resource Centre.

 Year 7 : A revision of issues covered in the primary schools and an introduction to issue based concepts.

 Year 8 : Pupils study the idea of ultimate questions and areas of social concern.

 All pupils start the GCSE in RE from Y9. The units are:

o Truth, spirituality and contemporary issues

o God and morality