Religious Studies
‘Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.’
St Thomas Aquinas
Religious Studies is a rigorous subject, yet it has to deal with personal, spiritual and moral questions that face all human beings. Religious Studies at St Mary’s seeks to engender mutual tolerance, understanding, openness and an appreciation of diversity. It deals with the 'deeper' issues of life and helps pupils become more reflective, sensitive and critically aware individuals.
Interactive RS lesson on the mosque
Summary of Religious Studies in each year group
Key Stage 3
The following topics are studied:
- LIV Form - Judaism and Hinduism
- MIV Form - Christianity and Buddhism
- UIV Form - Islam and Themes in Christian Theology
GCSE
LV and UV Form – The LV and UV Form study OCR's GCSE in Religious Studies: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gcse/rel_stu/b/documents/index.html (J121 short course and J621 full course). Students are following the ‘Philosophy and Ethics’ specification. There are four one hour examination papers for full course and two one hour papers for the short course. There is no coursework or controlled assessment in GCSE Religious Studies.
AS and A Level
At this level, our students embark on a much broader and more challenging Philosophy and Ethics course. Logic and reasoning take over from personal perspectives and practices. We study the ethical theories of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, Aristotle and St Thomas Aquinas. Arguments for and against God's existence from Aquinas, Paley, Darwin, Freud and Hume are scrutinised. The Examination Board is OCR. At the end of both the LVI Form (Year 12) and the UVI Form (Year 13), students sit two one-and-a-half hour examinations.
The photograph shows members of the Fourth Form visiting the Meditation Hall at the International Buddhist Meditation Centre in Heddington.
Mrs Emma Brown
