RS – Manor CE Academy | A place to thrive

Religious Studies

At Manor, we offer high quality, enriching and inclusive RS which is provided for all pupils in all our year groups. The Church of England states that “At the heart of RE in church schools is the teaching of Christianity, rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. There is a clear expectation that as inclusive communities, church schools encourage learning about other religions and worldviews fostering respect for them.” As a Church of England school our intent for all pupils is to deliver an RS curriculum that encourages them to be “religiously literate, culturally aware and philosophically curious”, and to develop pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness. Our RS curriculum is structured and implemented in accordance with the Diocese of York and Leeds RE syllabus, and follows the expectations of the Statement of Entitlement for RE in Church Schools.

We passionately believe that religion is the foundation of culture, and therefore a study of religion is vitally important in helping pupils to understand our society’s beliefs, morals and values. RS at Manor teaches students to develop an understanding and respect for different groups within society, an appreciation and respect for differing worldviews, as well as an interest and appreciation of their beliefs and practices. It encourages pupils to be curious and inquisitive about the deeper meaning of religions, the big questions in life, and enthuses them to reflect on their own personal beliefs, morals and values in a positive, supportive and safe environment.

Pupils are encouraged to express their opinions and to respect the opinions of others. This is central to facilitating stimulating, engaging and inspiring RS lessons. A safe environment is fostered so that students develop their own ideas about religion, community and spirituality. Students are encouraged to express their views in an environment of trust and respect which allows sensitive subject matter such as life after death, why people suffer, does God really care and issues such as divorce and abortion to be discussed in productive and thoughtful ways.

Our Curriculum

We begin our RS journey engaging with the concept of worldviews which continues to inform our curriculum throughout their RS journey, encouraging pupils to understand the denominational and cultural diversity of faith and society as a whole. The KS4 curriculum engages predominantly with Christianity and Islam, looking at different beliefs, teachings and practices along with key themes in the AQA Religious Studies course.

The broad curriculum, along with the skill of a very able department, allows us to continue to develop students who are gracious, compassionate, loyal, patient, kind, forgiving and just. We believe our curriculum supports our school visions and values, encouraging students to live life to the full, grow together and to serve one another.

Pupils are given a wide range of different experiences and opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding in creative and more formal means. This includes opportunities to listen to external speakers, and to visit places of religious and moral significance.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

The following units are currently taught at KS3:

Introduction to religion and worldviews. This introduces pupils to the reality that there are many ways of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world. Students explore how a person’s worldview is likely to influence and be influenced by their beliefs (religious and non-religious), values, behaviours, experiences, identities and commitments.
Understanding Christianity, is a Church of England resource, which we teach throughout KS3. We begin with exploring the concept of God as Trinity. This the first in a series of units exploring key Christian theological concepts in detail. They then go on over the next three years to explore the key theological concepts of prophets, original sin, the fall, salvation, the life of Jesus, and the Gospel message.
Pupils also explore a number of thematic units, beginning with the question about whether Christians should be more environmentally aware than non-religious members of society. This thematic unit considers the issues facing the environment today and their causes from a range of religious and non-religious worldviews. Other thematic units include exploring the idea of good and bad, and the concept of evil. As well as units on life after death, expressing spirituality through the arts, and the problem of evil and suffering.
Pupils also begin to look more closely at other religions, including units about Buddhism, Sikhi, Islam and Judaism, exploring the challenges, joys and relevance of living that religion today. Pupils also complete a unit of work exploring non-religious beliefs, such as Humanism. Humanism allows pupils to discover a way of life which uses scientific method when it comes to understanding how the universe works and rejects the idea of the supernatural (and is therefore atheistic or agnostic).

Please click here for the Year 7 Long Term Curriculum Plan

Please click here for the Year 8 Long Term Curriculum Plan

Please click here for the Year 9 Long Term Curriculum Plan

Key Stage 4 – GCSE

At Manor all our pupils complete a full course GCSE in RS.

GCSE RS is an enriching, thought-provoking and academic subject. Through the study of two major world religions (Islam and Christianity) and a variety of contemporary ethical themes, students are challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, and purpose, enabling them to develop their own opinions and answers to life’s big questions. Students will gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture, and will develop their skills of analysis, evaluation and argument.

Our pupils follow AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062) Specification. This comprises two components, as detailed below.

Component 1: The Religious Component

Pupils study the beliefs, teachings and practices of Christianity and Islam, and their basis in sources of authority. Areas of study within Christianity include the oneness of God, the person of Jesus Christ, creation, the afterlife, worship, sacraments, duties, pilgrimage, festivals, denominational differences, and the role of the Church in the local and worldwide community. In Islam they study the oneness of God, nature of God, predestination, the key beliefs and difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims, prophets, angels, Holy Books, 5 pillars, 10 Obligatory Acts, and festivals.

Students also examine the influence of beliefs, teachings and practices on individuals, communities and societies. As well as being encouraged to explore and consider the difference of belief and opinion within a religion.

Component 2: The Thematic Component

Pupils study four themes:

Relationships and families, which explores contrasting viewpoints on sex, marriage, divorce, contraception, sexuality, family life and gender equality.
Religion and life, which considers the creation of the world, ethical issues of abortion and euthanasia, as well as environmental issues and animal rights, and beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Religion, crime and punishment, which explores the concepts of justice and forgiveness in relation to the law and criminals, as well as theories of punishment and arguments for and against the death penalty.
Religion, peace and conflict, which examines the meaning and significance of peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation, the reasons for war, the concepts of just war, holy war and pacifism, as well as religion and belief in 21st century conflicts.

These themes are studied from religious (Christian and Muslim) perspectives, as well as considering other world views, ethical and philosophical responses, and challenging pupils to engage with their own attitudes towards these topics.

Please click here for the KS4 Long Term Curriculum Plan

Ways to help my child succeed

Please encourage your child/children to take an active interest in the world around them, particularly in the role that religion and worldviews play at a local, national and international level. This might be through watching the news, reading newspapers or by discussing moral and ethical issues at home. Encourage them to justify any viewpoints they may have, and to ensure they have considered and evaluated a variety of viewpoints before coming to their own conclusions.

Right of Withdrawal

Parents/carers do have the right to withdraw pupils from RE lessons, or any part of the RE curriculum. If you wish to do this, please make an appointment with the Director of Learning for RS in school. HSLT does not support selective withdrawal from RE.

Our schools have a duty to supervise pupils withdrawn from RE, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost. Where the pupil has been withdrawn, alternative arrangements will be made for RE of the kind the parents/guardians want the pupil to receive. These arrangements will be made by the parents/guardians. The school is not expected to make these arrangements. This RE could be provided at the school in question, or by another school in the locality. If neither approach is practicable, the pupil may receive external RE teaching as long as the withdrawal does not significantly impact on the child’s attendance.