KS3 Religious Education

KS3 Intent

Why do we teach this?

Religious Education (RE) has an integral place in the curriculum by being based on fundamental questions and issues about life, values, identity, and truth. Learning develops the students spiritually, morally, socially, and culturally. The RE curriculum at Gartree High School is organised to support the development of student knowledge of religious and secular beliefs and worldviews, practices and ways of life and enable students to make links between these. World events in the 21st century draw attention to the continuing power and significance of religious belief and other beliefs and philosophies in shaping human minds and communities. Students’ understanding of the world, different faiths and beliefs is important in promoting understanding between all people. This is important as Gartree High School is an ethnically and culturally diverse school that sits proudly in a multicultural community and city.

Religious Education enables understanding of concepts and the development of skills and attitudes so that our students can explore wider issues of religion and belief in religiously literate ways to respect and understand differences. The curriculum prepares the students for active citizenship in a diverse and rapidly changing world, promoting values of openness, appropriate questioning, understanding and tolerance. The curriculum makes space for all students to explore their own beliefs, values, and traditions, and those of others. Lessons provide a safe space for students to develop their understanding of people, cultures, faiths, and relationships along with a curiosity to ask big questions and to wonder about the world in which we live.

KS3 Implementation

What do we teach? What does this look like?

Our curriculum is influenced by our school mission statement, which aspires to personal excellence and aims to enable all children, regardless of background or ability, to flourish. Students at Gartree High School receive one 50-minute lesson of Religious Education a week. The curriculum is heavily influenced by the current Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus, the local Religious Education framework for schools, based on the three core elements of making sense of beliefs, making connections, and understanding the impact. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all students. In Religious Education, students are encouraged to discuss and debate about religion, philosophical and ethical issues. There is a focus on the teachings, beliefs, and practices of the six major world religions that make up the modern face of multicultural Britain.

Students are encouraged to participate in the Humanities Explorer initiative to visit local historic, geographical, and cultural landmarks to attain a gold, silver, or bronze award. Students are also further supported to continue their learning through the Humanities Challenge booklet to conduct further research and independent study of the topics learnt about in lessons.

KS3 Impact

What will this look like?

By the time students leave Gartree High School, we want them to develop into tolerant, open-minded, and respectful young people with a curious and inquisitive mind. Students will develop a range of valuable skills throughout their course of study which will prepare them for both GCSE Religious Education (short course) and the wider world. They will;

develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and non-religious beliefs.
develop their knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings, and sources of wisdom and authority, including through their reading of key religious texts, other texts, and scriptures of the religions they are studying.
construct well-argued, well-informed, balanced, and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of understanding of the subject.
engage with questions of belief, value, meaning, purpose, truth, and their influence on human life.
reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs, and attitudes in the light of what they have learnt and contribute to their preparation for adult life in a pluralistic society and global community.

The Humanities Department measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

Assessing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills through modular tests and extended pieces of writing.
Termly data snap shots of student attainment are carried out.
Student discussions and verbal feedback about student learning.
Questioning of students in lessons to ascertain level of competence and grasp of the key concepts and ideas.
Interviewing the students about their learning and experience in lessons (Student Voice).
Exercise book scrutinies/inspections by the Head of Department to check the standard of classwork produced.
Learning walks and lesson observations are regularly taken by the Head of Department and senior leadership of the school to gauge the climate of learning and quality of teaching and learning.
Moderation staff meetings are held where student’s exercise books and assessments are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work.
Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum.