Philosophy and Religious Studies

Key Stage 3 Religious Studies

Curriculum Overview

In Key stage 3 the foundations are laid for a thorough understanding of religion and philosophy, by examining Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism, as well as the work of non-religious philosophers. We learn about the some of the most important and influential figures in philosophy and religion, and how their ideas are still relevant today. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to formulate their own ideas about what they have learnt.

Year 7

Students study a course called “The A-Z of Religion and Belief”. This is a whistle-stop tour of religion in the modern world, which introduces students to key religious practices, beliefs, and figures. This is a “flipped” learning course: students complete a task after watching a video set as homework, and in the following lesson they complete a range of activities to consolidate and deepen their understanding.

Year 8

Students learn about religious beliefs and practices from the 6 major world religions whilst also learning about religious attitudes to philosophical and ethical issues such as the environment. There are also GCSE links to each subject to create foundational knowledge moving through the key stages.

Year 9

Students in year 9 study a course in the history of philosophy, from the Ancient world to the modern day. Students will learn about the great minds of the past, from Socrates to Simone de Beauvoir, and key philosophical issues such as truth, morality, and the existence of God. Students will be encourage to think about how their ideas might apply to the modern world.

Assessment

Assessment is via a mixture of short answer questions to consolidate key knowledge, and more extended writing tasks, to develop key writing skills.

Further Reading/Resources

– BBC A-Z Religion and Belief: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3lKZp31jBVJ2v3C2h1V03kz/a-to-z-of-religion-and-beliefs

– BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zh3rkqt

– The Philosophy Foundation Key Stage 3 Philosophy:  https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/enquiries/age:39

– Calendar of Religious Festivals: http://shapcalendar.org.uk//calendar.html

Key Stage 5 IB Philosophy

Curriculum Overview

In the Sixth Form, students can opt to study Philosophy at Higher or Standard level as part of the IB Diploma Programme. The IB course covers a broad range of philosophical themes, and gives students a chance to engage with philosophical texts. There is a strong focus on students developing their philosophical skills and their own responses to philosophical issues.

Year 12 and 13

The elements of the course are as follows:

Being Human (core theme)

This theme provides an opportunity to explore the fundamental question of what it is to be human, including issues such as identity, freedom, and human nature, and questions such as what (if anything) sets humans apart from other species or intelligent machines.

Optional Themes: Ethics and Philosophy of Religion

Standard and Higher level students examine key questions in Ethics, such as “what makes an action right or wrong?”, “how do I live a good life?”, and “are ethical rules universal, or does it all depend on the situation?” Higher level students also study Philosophy of Religion, which includes questions such as “does God exist?”, “is there life after death?”, and “why does evil exist?”

Prescribed text: Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes

Students study Descartes’ Meditations, one of the most important works of literature ever written. This short book attempts to answer some of the most fundamental questions of human existence: “what can we know for certain?”, “what is a human being?”, and “how are the mind and body related?” The influence of Descartes’ Meditations is felt today not just in philosophy, but also psychology, science, and art.

Exploring philosophical activity (Higher Level)

Higher level students undertake a deeper exploration of the nature, function, meaning and methodology of philosophy. They examine what philosophers have said about the nature of philosophy, and evaluate these views in the light of their own experiences.

Internal assessment

All students produce a philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus such as a poem, film scene, or painting. Recent students have chosen stimuli ranging from Munch’s The Scream to Star Wars!

Assessment

At the end of the course, Standard level students sit two exam papers, while Higher level students sit three papers. Additionally, the Internal Assessment contributes 25% of the marks at Standard level, and 20% at Higher level.

Further Reading/Resources

– IB Diploma Guide: https://www.fjuhsd.org/cms/lib/CA02000098/Centricity/Domain/233/Philosophy%20guide%20exams%20from%202016.pdf

– Guardian Philosophy: https://www.theguardian.com/world/philosophy

– Philosophy Pages http://www.philosophypages.com/index.htm

– Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/

– Island School Philosophy Website https://sites.google.com/a/online.island.edu.hk/ib-philosophy/home?pli=1

British Values:

British Values in Philosophy and Religious Studies: