We are a dynamic and exciting department where
not only do we teach our students to love to learn but also we try to do so
much more. We want all our students to learn to love and our ultimate goal is
to be ready to meet their maker whenever that time comes. We seek to offer
religious perspectives on the issues that matter to their own lives and to the
wider worldwide community. In our teaching we hope to develop every student to
consider their own faith and to grow in awareness of a religious and Christian
dimension within their lives.
At the centre of all topics that we study are
the fundamental questions of life. To be able to make informed opinions about
such matters students are encouraged to gain knowledge, to develop their
understanding and then to support their views with reasoned argument and a
variety of evidence. The very nature of our subject means that we deal with the
most contentious and difficult issues in society, issues of faith and issues of
tradition and culture. While our department concentrates and expounds the
teaching of Catholicism we also must look outwards. We examine and consider
other faiths to see what insights they may give in our personal searches for
meaning and to understand our society and our world in a complete and deeper
manner.
Religious Education develops important life
and spiritual skills but as an academic subject we concentrate on the skills of
knowledge, understanding and evaluation. At A level these skills are further
enhanced by looking at the skills of relevance and critical analysis of
theological and philosophical theories. We also teach students about the
following religions during KS3:
Yr 7 – Sikhism and Buddhism
Yr 8 – Hinduism and Judaism
Yr 9 – Islam
Religious Education offers many transferable
skills which many students can use in a wide range of subject areas and in
life. In addition the subject offers many opportunities for students to develop
and show their own personal learning and thinking skills that they have gained
in other subject areas. Discussion and debating skills are just one skill that
is used in many lessons that can be used elsewhere in other areas of school.
There are also opportunities for students to put their knowledge and efforts
into practice within their church or to support the wider local community where
they live. Students are encouraged to get active within the world because it is
only through spiritual and personal actions that they ultimately will show the
full effects of what they have learnt in the classroom.