Religious Education Key Stage 4

In GCSE Religious Studies we study the AQA B specification across two years. The course is split into two main sections and assessed at the end of year 11 in two separate exams. We start the course with two topics from the Thematic Studies section, with the focus being on key moral and ethical issues from both a religious and non-religious perspective. The first being religion, peace and conflict and the second being religion, crime and punishment. We then move onto Christian beliefs and practices, followed by the other two thematic studies units. The first of these is religion and families, which includes beliefs about marriage, same-sex relationships, divorce and what makes a family. The last of the four thematic studies units is called religion and life. This includes topics such as animal rights, the environment, abortion, euthanasia and the differing beliefs about the origins of the universe. The final section of the course returns to the beliefs and practices of Judaism or Buddhism. We embed exam skills and practice throughout the lessons and regularly revisit learning at key points in class time and through homework.

1011
Key Concepts

AQA Religious Education Specification A 8062

Component 1 Christianity Christian Beliefs

Component 2 Thematic Studies: Theme A Relationships and Families

AQA Religious Education Specification A 8062

Component 1 Buddhist or Jewish Beliefs

Autumn Term

(Sep-Dec)

Students begin year 10 by studying the Beliefs section from Christianity in component 1. 

Key beliefs

  • 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 
  • Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.
  • 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.

In the second half of term 1, students move to Component 2 Thematic Studies. We begin with Relationships and families. Issues studied include:

  • Contraception.
  • Homosexual relationships.
  • Marriage and divorce
  • Sexual relationships before and outside of marriage.
  • 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

Students will study a second religion in the beginning of year 11 either Buddhism or Judaism. We begin with Key Beliefs:

 

Buddhist Beliefs include

  • The concept of Dhamma 
  • The concept of dependent arising 
  • The Three Marks of Existence
  • The human personality, in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions
  • Human destiny
  • The Buddha and the Four Noble Truths

 

Jewish Beliefs include:

 

  • The nature of God
  • The divine presence
  • Beliefs about life after death, including judgement and resurrection
  • The nature and role of the Messiah, including different views on the role and importance of the Messiah.
  • The Covenant and the mitzvot
  • Key moral principles including justice, healing the world, charity and kindness to others.
  • The importance of the sanctity of human life
  • The relationship between free will and the 613 mitzvot.
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

““Divorce is never right” “Evaluate this statement.                 

   In your answer you:

  • should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
    • should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
    • should refer to religious arguments
    • may refer to non-religious arguments
  • Should reach a justified conclusion.

 

Quality Marks

Explain 2 Buddhist beliefs about suffering. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Buddhist belief and teaching in your answer. (5 marks)

 

Explain 2 Jewish beliefs about the Messiah. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Jewish belief and teaching in your answer. (5 marks)

Spring Term

(Jan-April)

Term 2 begins with the second part of Theme A: Relationships and families. Topics include:

  • 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 and gender prejudice. 

 

In the second half of the term students learn about Christian practices from Component 1. Topics include:

  • Different forms of worship and their significance
  • Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.
  • The role and meaning of the sacraments:
  • The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including:
    • two contrasting examples of Christian pilgrimage: Lourdes and Iona
    • the celebrations of Christmas and Easter, including their importance for Christians in Great Britain today.

The role of the church in the local and worldwide community

  • The role of the Church in the local community, including food banks and street pastors.
  • The place of mission, evangelism and Church growth.
  • The importance of the worldwide Church

In term 2 students learn about their chosen religion’s practices. 

Buddhist practice include:

  • The nature, use and importance of Buddhist places of worship including temples, shrines, monasteries, halls for meditation and their key features including Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings.
  • The significance and role of puja/devotional ritual in the home and in the temple, including chanting
  • Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation:
  • The practice and significance of different ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning in Theravada communities and in Japan and Tibet.
  • Festivals and retreats and their importance to Buddhists in Great Britain today, including the celebrations, origins and significance of:
    • Wesak
    • Parinirvana Day.
  • Buddhist ethics
    • Ethical teachings
    • The five moral precepts
    • The six perfections

 

Jewish Practices include:

  • The synagogue and its importance.
  • Public acts of worship including:
    • synagogue services in both Orthodox and Reform synagogues
    • the significance of prayer, including the Amidah, the standing prayer.
  • Shabbat in the home and synagogue and its significance.
  • Worship in the home and private prayer.
  • Tenakh and Talmud and their study, use and significance in daily life.

Family life and festivals

  • Rituals and their significance:
    • ceremonies associated with birth including Brit Milah.
    • Bar and Bat Mitzvah
    • the marriage ceremony
    • mourning rituals.
  • Dietary laws and their significance, including different Jewish views about their importance.
  • Festivals and their importance for Jews in Great Britain today, including the origins and meaning of:
    • Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
    • Pesach.
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

“Explain two Christian attitudes to sex outside marriage. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer (5 marks)

Quality Marks

Buddhism: “Meditation is the most important practice for Buddhists” 

Judaism: “The home is more important than the synagogue for the learning of the religion”

Evaluate this statement.                 

   In your answer you:

  • should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
  • should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
  • should refer to religious arguments
  • may refer to non-religious arguments
  • should reach a justified conclusion.
Summer Term

(May-July)

In term 3 students work from Component 2 Thematic studies, Theme B Religion and life issues.  Topics include:

  • The origins of the universe, including:
    • religious teachings about the origins of the universe, and different interpretations of these
    • the relationship between scientific views, such as the Big Bang theory, and religious views.
  • The value of the world and the duty of human beings to protect it, including religious teaching about stewardship, dominion, responsibility, awe and wonder.
  • The use and abuse of the environment, including the use of natural resources, pollution.
  • The use and abuse of animals, including:
    • animal experimentation
    • the use of animals for food.

The origins and value of human life

  • The origins of life, including:
    • religious teachings about the origins of human life, and different interpretations of these
    • the relationship between scientific views, such as evolution, and religious views.
  • The concepts of sanctity of life and the quality of life.
  • Ethical arguments related to abortion, including those based on the sanctity of life and quality of life.
  • Euthanasia.
  • Beliefs about death and an afterlife, and their impact on beliefs about the value of human life.

In term 3 we begin our focused revision program to prepare our students for their final examinations. This includes looking closely at:

  • Past papers
  • Mark schemes and what examiners are looking for
  • Examiner Reports from previous examinations
  • Exam technique – how to achieve the highest grades in RE. 
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

“The right to die should always take priority over the sanctity of life” “Evaluate this statement.                 

   In your answer you:

  • should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
  • should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
  • should refer to religious arguments
  • may refer to non-religious arguments
  • Should reach a justified conclusion.

10

Key Concepts

AQA Religious Education Specification A 8062

Component 1 Christianity Christian Beliefs

Component 2 Thematic Studies: Theme A Relationships and Families

Quality Mark Assessments

Autumn Term

(Sep-Dec)

Students begin year 10 by studying the Beliefs section from Christianity in component 1. 

Key beliefs

  • 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 
  • Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.
  • 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.

In the second half of term 1, students move to Component 2 Thematic Studies. We begin with Relationships and families. Issues studied include:

  • Contraception.
  • Homosexual relationships.
  • Marriage and divorce
  • Sexual relationships before and outside of marriage.
  • 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
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

““Divorce is never right” “Evaluate this statement.                 

   In your answer you:

  • should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
    • should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
    • should refer to religious arguments
    • may refer to non-religious arguments
  • Should reach a justified conclusion.

 

Spring Term

(Jan-April)

Term 2 begins with the second part of Theme A: Relationships and families. Topics include:

  • 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 and gender prejudice. 

 

In the second half of the term students learn about Christian practices from Component 1. Topics include:

  • Different forms of worship and their significance
  • Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.
  • The role and meaning of the sacraments:
  • The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including:
    • two contrasting examples of Christian pilgrimage: Lourdes and Iona
    • the celebrations of Christmas and Easter, including their importance for Christians in Great Britain today.

The role of the church in the local and worldwide community

  • The role of the Church in the local community, including food banks and street pastors.
  • The place of mission, evangelism and Church growth.
  • The importance of the worldwide Church
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

“Explain two Christian attitudes to sex outside marriage. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer (5 marks)

Summer Term

(May-July)

In term 3 students work from Component 2 Thematic studies, Theme B Religion and life issues.  Topics include:

  • The origins of the universe, including:
    • religious teachings about the origins of the universe, and different interpretations of these
    • the relationship between scientific views, such as the Big Bang theory, and religious views.
  • The value of the world and the duty of human beings to protect it, including religious teaching about stewardship, dominion, responsibility, awe and wonder.
  • The use and abuse of the environment, including the use of natural resources, pollution.
  • The use and abuse of animals, including:
    • animal experimentation
    • the use of animals for food.

The origins and value of human life

  • The origins of life, including:
    • religious teachings about the origins of human life, and different interpretations of these
    • the relationship between scientific views, such as evolution, and religious views.
  • The concepts of sanctity of life and the quality of life.
  • Ethical arguments related to abortion, including those based on the sanctity of life and quality of life.
  • Euthanasia.
  • Beliefs about death and an afterlife, and their impact on beliefs about the value of human life.
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

“The right to die should always take priority over the sanctity of life” “Evaluate this statement.                 

   In your answer you:

  • should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
  • should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
  • should refer to religious arguments
  • may refer to non-religious arguments
  • Should reach a justified conclusion.

11

Key Concepts

AQA Religious Education Specification A 8062

Component 1 Buddhist or Jewish Beliefs

Quality Mark Assessments

Autumn Term

(Sep-Dec)

Students will study a second religion in the beginning of year 11 either Buddhism or Judaism. We begin with Key Beliefs:

 

Buddhist Beliefs include

  • The concept of Dhamma 
  • The concept of dependent arising 
  • The Three Marks of Existence
  • The human personality, in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions
  • Human destiny
  • The Buddha and the Four Noble Truths

 

Jewish Beliefs include:

 

  • The nature of God
  • The divine presence
  • Beliefs about life after death, including judgement and resurrection
  • The nature and role of the Messiah, including different views on the role and importance of the Messiah.
  • The Covenant and the mitzvot
  • Key moral principles including justice, healing the world, charity and kindness to others.
  • The importance of the sanctity of human life
  • The relationship between free will and the 613 mitzvot.
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

Explain 2 Buddhist beliefs about suffering. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Buddhist belief and teaching in your answer. (5 marks)

 

Explain 2 Jewish beliefs about the Messiah. Refer to sacred writings or another source of Jewish belief and teaching in your answer. (5 marks)

Spring Term

(Jan-April)

In term 2 students learn about their chosen religion’s practices. 

Buddhist practice include:

  • The nature, use and importance of Buddhist places of worship including temples, shrines, monasteries, halls for meditation and their key features including Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings.
  • The significance and role of puja/devotional ritual in the home and in the temple, including chanting
  • Meditation, the different aims, significance and methods of meditation:
  • The practice and significance of different ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning in Theravada communities and in Japan and Tibet.
  • Festivals and retreats and their importance to Buddhists in Great Britain today, including the celebrations, origins and significance of:
    • Wesak
    • Parinirvana Day.
  • Buddhist ethics
    • Ethical teachings
    • The five moral precepts
    • The six perfections

 

Jewish Practices include:

  • The synagogue and its importance.
  • Public acts of worship including:
    • synagogue services in both Orthodox and Reform synagogues
    • the significance of prayer, including the Amidah, the standing prayer.
  • Shabbat in the home and synagogue and its significance.
  • Worship in the home and private prayer.
  • Tenakh and Talmud and their study, use and significance in daily life.

Family life and festivals

  • Rituals and their significance:
    • ceremonies associated with birth including Brit Milah.
    • Bar and Bat Mitzvah
    • the marriage ceremony
    • mourning rituals.
  • Dietary laws and their significance, including different Jewish views about their importance.
  • Festivals and their importance for Jews in Great Britain today, including the origins and meaning of:
    • Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
    • Pesach.
Quality Mark Assessments

Quality Marks

Buddhism: “Meditation is the most important practice for Buddhists” 

Judaism: “The home is more important than the synagogue for the learning of the religion”

Evaluate this statement.                 

   In your answer you:

  • should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
  • should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
  • should refer to religious arguments
  • may refer to non-religious arguments
  • should reach a justified conclusion.

Summer Term

(May-July)

In term 3 we begin our focused revision program to prepare our students for their final examinations. This includes looking closely at:

  • Past papers
  • Mark schemes and what examiners are looking for
  • Examiner Reports from previous examinations
  • Exam technique – how to achieve the highest grades in RE. 
Quality Mark Assessments