KS3: World Religions - Religious Education (Individuals and Societies)
World Religious and Religious Education allow students to develop an understanding of the world around them, learning to enquire not just locally, but nationally and globally. This widens their perspective beyond their immediate situation and ensures students develop skills that are vital for them in the wider world. An interest in how global issues impact their lives and future choices, together with an understanding of the cultures they are likely to encounter, will develop students into well-rounded individuals who are more confident and curious about the world.
Religious Education (RE) at Wilmington Academy embeds important issues and allows students to challenge ideas surrounding worldviews. Students will learn about key concepts such as ‘religion’, ‘secularity’, ‘spirituality’ and ‘worldview’, and that they are complex and diverse. This can include the ways in which worldviews develop in interaction with each other, have some shared beliefs and practices as well as differences.
What’s the purpose?
In RE, students will learn about how religions came to be, what their key beliefs are and why these still impact our world today. Students will explore both religious and non religious worldviews, using a range of disciplines to fully comprehend why religion is such an imperative global subject. This will be evident by covering ritual and practices, foundational texts, in the communication of experience, beliefs, values, identities and commitments, which link to the British Identity Profile.
Our aim is to enable students to:
- understand the themes of belief, expression and belonging, which can change through worldviews; within local, national, global and historical contexts.
- offer responses to fundamental questions of meaning and purpose, and consider the different roles that religions play in providing people with answers to making sense of the world.
- focus and analyse the different roles played by religions and worldviews in the lives of individuals and societies. This can be evident through the influence their learning has on moral behaviour and social norms.
Through the three years of the Middle Years Programme, students deal with increasingly challenging topics that cover religious viewpoints and fundamental beliefs, scientific approaches and social issues that require their knowledge in order to allow them to leave the Academy as well rounded citizens with a sense of responsibility and a drive to make a difference. We intend that students place value on integrity and be able to empathise or debate effectively. The Key Stage 3 programme is developed to enable students to experiment in a safe environment with presenting their opinions in a safe environment and develop their public speaking skills.
Key points
Throughout their RE education students will have the opportunity to research and investigate one monotheistic religion and one polytheistic or dharmic religion will be covered in each statement of inquiry. They will be encouraged to be independent and conscientious with their approach to projects and be assessed under four different criteria:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Investigation
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
Our curriculum is based upon depth rather than breadth and ensures that the religions covered are placed within important contexts which allow for time and reflection upon the core issues and allows for discussions and understanding of topics to occur.
Intent
The Religious Education Curriculum at Wilmington Academy meets the statutory requirements as set by the DFE. Religion and World Views are key to understanding who we are and how our lives can be shaped by these concepts. They will learn about key concepts such as ‘religion’, ‘secularity’, ‘spirituality’ and ‘worldview’, and that they are complex and diverse. This can include the ways in which worldviews develop in interaction with each other, have some shared beliefs and practices as well as differences.
In RE, pupils will learn about how religions came to be, what their key beliefs are and why these still impact our world today. Pupils will explore both religious and non religious world views, using a range of disciplines to fully comprehend why religion is such an imperative global subject. This will be evident by covering ritual and practices, foundational texts, in the communication of experience, beliefs, values, identities and commitments, which link to the British Identity Profile.
Pupils are able to understand the themes of belief, expression and belonging, which can change through worldviews; within local, national, global and historical contexts. Pupils will be able to offer responses to fundamental questions of meaning and purpose, and consider the different roles that religions play in providing people with answers to making sense of the world. Pupils will be able to focus and analyse the different roles played by religions and worldviews in the lives of individuals and societies. This can be evident through the influence their learning has on moral behaviour and social norms. Through the three years of the Middle Years Programme, students deal with increasingly challenging topics that cover religious viewpoints and fundamental beliefs, scientific approaches and social issues that require their knowledge in order to allow them to leave the Academy as well rounded citizens with a sense of responsibility and a drive to make a difference. We intend that students place value on integrity and be able to empathise or debate effectively. The Key Stage 3 programme is developed to enable students to experiment in a safe environment with presenting their opinions in a safe environment and develop their public speaking skills.
Schedule of Learning:
- Module 1: Introduction to World Religions
- Module 2: Founders of Religion
- Module 3: Key Beliefs
- Module 4: Can the texts of Holy Books be trusted?
- Module 5: How can you prove a miracle exists?
- Module 6: Is Britain still religious? (Does religion still hold value today?)
Schedule of Learning:
- Module 1: Crime and Punishment
- Module 2: Festivals and Celebrations
- Module 3: Holy Places
- Module 4: Holy Places
- Module 5: Life after Death
- Module 6: Diversity of Religion
Year 9 is a very important year and with that in mind, it is the intent of the Morals and Ethics department to ensure that all pupils learn to form their own opinion based on clear guidance and information. Students are shown how to ‘think outside the box’, consider points of view that may be dramatically different from their own and understand why people have different beliefs and values. We encourage all students to be curious and inquisitive and not be afraid to change their minds based on further evidence.
Schedule of Learning:
- Module 1: Medical Ethics
- Module 2: Does God exist?
- Module 3: Community Project
- Module 4: War and Suffering
- Module 5: Local Study of Religion
- Module 6: Investigating Non-Religious World Views
Implementation
At Key Stage 3, our unit plans are based on ensuring full coverage of the National Curriculum through the use of the MYP and embedded IB philosophy. These are further based upon guidance from Kent Local Authority and the DFE to embed and include important issues and challenge ideas surrounding worldviews. From this, one monotheistic religion and one polytheistic or dharmic religion will be covered in each statement of inquiry. The department puts a great emphasis on KS3 as we give students the opportunity to research and investigate religions and be independent and conscientious with their approach to the work they produce.The curriculum is based upon depth rather than breadth and ensures that the religions covered are placed within important contexts which allow for time and reflection upon the core issues and allows for discussions and understanding of topics to occur.
Students will be assessed under four different criteria:
- Criterion A: Knowledge and Understanding
- Criterion B: Investigation
- Criterion C: Communication
- Criterion D: Critical Thinking
Each criterion is divided into a number of achievement levels. The different levels within each criterion demonstrate the students’ achievement. At the lowest levels, the students’ achievement will be minimal. As the numerical score increases, the students’ achievement level increases.
A final grade for these criteria will be reported home at the end of Module 6.
Further guidance on MYP assessments can be found here:
For more information, please read our assessment recording and reporting cycle.
Impact
The impact of World Religious and Religious Education is that students develop an understanding of the world around them, learning to enquire not just locally, but nationally and globally. This widens their perspective beyond their immediate situation and ensures students develop skills that are vital for them in the wider world. An interest in global issues and an understanding of the cultures they are likely to encounter will develop students into well rounded individuals that are more outgoing and an understanding of issues that will impact their lives and choices. Students are now keen to take this subject beyond Key Stage 3 with great uptake at KS4.