Curriculum Map - Religious StudiesYear 7
In Year 7, students begin their Religious Studies journey with a unit called What is Real?. They investigate the definitions of reality and deliberate whether there is a way to decide what is real. Students learn about the different world views, theism, secularism and post-modernism and build to a scripted debate about which world view is correct, considering ultimate questions and the value of tolerance along the way.
At the time leading up to Christmas, students learn about the importance of the incarnation and begin an introduction into the Christian faith. The learning delves into the history of Christianity, the nature of the Christian God, the life and teachings of Jesus and finally, how Christians practise their faith. Students then complete an in depth look at Sikhi, with a focus on the Sikh message of equality. We learn about the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak and the following nine Gurus, as well as the Sikh practices of the 5ks.
Why?
The first Religious Studies unit introduces students to the concept of truth and to the idea that religions are making truth claims. It lays the foundation for the rest of the curriculum, as it allows for a critical understanding of religion, which is one of the main aims that underpins the Religious Studies curriculum at Wren Academy.
Students begin an in-depth look at Christianity, so that they have a thorough understanding of the Christian faith, following Church of England’s advice that students are to ‘To know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text’.
Sikhi is chosen to be studied first in the sequence, as the concepts help create mental models for future faiths and thus offer an interesting contrast with the Christian ideas they have been introduced to. The unit develops students’ understanding of equality and compares this to Sikh beliefs in the equality of all humans as an aspect of God.
Year 8
In Year 8, students begin with a term-long study of Judaism as the overarching focus. They delve into the beliefs and practices of the Jewish faith, asking What can Jewish Scripture teach us about belief? They focus on the importance of the Covenant between God and Abraham for Jews today, including expressions of this through Bar/Bat Mitzvah, circumcision and Pesach. Students learn about the difference between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. In the Spring Term, students complete an in-depth study of Hinduism, yet again with a focus on holy scriptures. Students learn about some of the core beliefs of Hinduism, including their beliefs about God and the soul, karma, moksha and reincarnation. Finally, students complete the school year with a unit called Jesus of History, Christ of Faith, through a series of enquiry questions such as Who was Jesus, and did he exist?, What did Jesus look like? and Do we have scientific evidence for the existence of Jesus?
Why?
Judaism provides a link to Christianity studied in Year 7, as well as Islam studied in Year 9. The focus on religious texts in Year 8 allows students to see how religious believers use scripture as a guide for how to live life. The Tanakh (Torah/Old Testament) provide the earliest example of laws governing human behaviour (Hafiz, 2021).
Through the study of Hinduism, students can grasp the diversity and wide range of beliefs that can be found within a belief system. Moreover, students explore the concept duty as a way of expressing how one interacts with faith and belief. The sequence of learning Jesus of History, Christ of Faith, encourages students to think deeply about who Jesus really is and what his life was about. In order to get a full picture of whom Christians center their lives around, we must understand that the Jesus who is the object of Christian faith must be seen as a historical figure and the Jesus who is reconstructed by historical scholarship is always shaped by commitments of faith. (Stephen Evans, 1996).
Year 9
In Year 9, students begin Autumn half-term looking into the Abrahamic faith, Islam. This also gives students a taste of more complex content later studied in Key Stage 4 (KS4), as Islam is one of the two religions studied at GCSE. We delve into the nature of God in Islam, the leadership of Muhammad and the diversity of beliefs and practices found within the Muslim faith. As students are becoming more aware of the world around them, we take our first steps into the world of Ethics. Once the students have a grasp of ethical theories, we then apply them to medical ethical dilemmas.
Year 9 is also the first time that students are able to grapple with the challenging concepts of Buddhism, of suffering and the Buddhist response to suffering. The Rights and Responsibilities unit of learning gets students to consider the origin of their human rights, how those rights have been violated in the past and how religion has inspired those who have stood up for the rights of those oppressed through figures such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
We begin the Summer Term with a series of units on philosophy and religion. In a short unit of learning on political philosophy, students are introduced to the ideas of justice in the works of Plato, John Rawls and Robert Nozick. Finally, students finish with a unit exploring the relationship between religion and world issues.
Why?
In order to reflect the Academy and world it is important that an adequate amount of time is spent studying Islam. Islam continues to play a significant role in current philosophical and moral debates and influence global events (Hafiz, 2021). In contrast with other Abrahamic faith, Islam concerns itself with an earthly Kingdom of God the rules found within the faith cover everything from personal hygiene, governing, trade and human relationships.
Buddhism allows students to grapple with the concept of suffering. Responses to suffering are found in all major religious traditions; however, Buddhism’s unique approach to suffering will challenge students and their understanding of the nature of evil and suffering in the world.
Philosophy and Ethics examine the most fundamental questions in life and the study of Religion helps students to critically examine beliefs and traditions that inform their views. In studying Philosophy, students will gain many skills such as critical thinking, being able to analyze and solve problems and the ability to articulate their ideas confidently. Through studying Ethics and Moral Philosophy, students will be empowered to reflect upon and talk about challenging moral issues.