Religious Education

Staff within the Department: 

 

Ms S. Gale - Head of RE

Mr K. Bolt - Teacher of RE and Assistant Headteacher

Ms A. Deugi- Teacher of RE

Ms M. Nsakala - Teacher of RE and Head of Year 11

Ms H. Osman - Teacher of RE

 

Religious Education is a compulsory subject as it is a legal requirement for schools to teach the subject throughout all key stages. All pupils at key stage 4 will gain a full course GCSE. At key stage 5 we offer A level Philosophy and Ethics which in recent years has been a popular A level with pupils achieving excellent results. The school follows the Ealing Agreed Syllabus which is advised by Ealing SACRE.

RE at Ellen Wilkinson School For Girls provides opportunities for pupils to:

• Reflect upon challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.
• Explore their own beliefs (whether they are religious or non-religious)
• Develop respect for others regardless of their background
• Consider their responsibilities and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society. It encourages empathy, generosity and compassion.

Curriculum

KS3

All students study RE in years 7 and 8. During Key Stage 3 pupils look at a variety of religious, social and ethical issues. The course is designed to encourage pupils learn about religion and reflect on what we can learn from the different religious beliefs. Throughout the course pupils study the six main world faiths.

 

Year 8

 

We follow the Ealing Agreed Syllabus in KS3 RE. For more information please look at the following website.

https://www.egfl.org.uk/school-effectiveness/curriculum/curriculum-subjects/religious-education/re-curriculum/key-stage-3

Enrichment activities to do at home

If pupils wish to develop their knowledge of Religious Education outside of the classroom they could

• Read the Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
• Read Diary of Anne Frank
• Visit a place of worship such as a Church, Neasden Temple or a Mosque

 

KS4

All pupils study RE throughout KS4 will receive a full GCSE at the end of the course. Pupils will study Christianity and Sikhism in detail. In addition, pupils will also look at a range of moral and ethical issues. Our course allows pupils to study the six main world faiths and how they would respond to each issue.  As a department we feel it is important to study a variety of religions, so the pupils develop their understanding, tolerance and respect towards others.

 

We follow AQA Religious Studies Specification A. In component 1: The study of religious beliefs, we look at Christianity and Sikhism. In component 2: Thematic studies, we look at theme A Relationships and families, theme B Religion and life, theme D religion and conflict and theme E religion, human rights and justice.

There is an exam for each component and both exams will be taken at the end of year 11.

If you would like more information please visit the AQA website

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/gcse/religious-studies-a-8062

 

Enrichment activities to do at home

If pupils wish to develop their knowledge of Religious Education outside of the classroom they could

• Read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Visit the Imperial War Museum to look at issues such as the Holocaust and Nuclear Weapons
• Watch films with moral issues such as My Sisters Keeper (Matters of Life) or The Help (Prejudice)

 

A level

The Religious Studies A-Level is a popular choice within the sixth form and covers Christianity, Philosophy and Ethics. Pupils will look at philosophical issues such as the problem of evil and evidence for and against the existence of God. In addition to this, pupils will also look at ethical theories and how different philosophers would respond to issues such as business ethics and euthanasia. Finally pupils will study the impact of Christianity on our society and the challenges it currently faces.

There are three exams and each one assesses a different part of the course. This is what we cover over the two year course in each unit.

 

For more information please visit the OCR website.

http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-religious-studies-h173-h573-from-2016/

Enrichment activities to do at home

If pupils wish to develop their knowledge of Religious Education outside of the classroom they could

• Read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
• Watch the Big Questions on BBC 1 on Sunday Morning
• Keep up to date with current affairs by watching the news