It is a delight to teach Religious Studies in a school as religiously and culturally diverse as CRGS. The aim of the course is to provide the students with a sound background to the six major world religions and to facilitate thoughtful and well supported conversations about the students’ own world views and to help them to understand the world views of others. Much of the course involves discussion and students are encouraged to express their considered views with acceptance and respect of the beliefs of others. 

CRGS follows the Essex Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education and the course we follow uses the textbooks in the series "Themes to Inspire" along with other resources to complement the teaching. In the three years of Key Stage 3, students study expressions of faith, beliefs and teachings about meaning and purpose, and ethics and values.  
 
In the first year at the school, the introductory unit looks at religion in general – what does it mean to be religious? To do this, students examine how and why people are religious, where the world religions originated and how they are linked, look at ideas about morality, and finally, the attitudes resulting from "being religious." 

Year 8 builds on those foundations. We look at religious rituals, celebrations and beliefs, the relationship between science and religion, the purpose and meaning of life and, finally, human rights and responsibilities. 

In the final year of Key Stage 3, the course moves to special places, religious leaders and communities, knowledge and where it comes from, the existence of God, evil and suffering and the ethics of and religious responses to war and peace. This final unit moves us into the beginnings of the GCSE course… 

In Key Stage 4 - Religious Studies - GCSE & Non-exam

Students can choose to study Religious Studies in KS4 as a full course GCSE. We follow the OCR exam board course which is made up of 8 units, including a study of Christianity and Islam and four units focussing on Philosophy and Ethics. 

All students in Years 10 and 11 follow a course of Personal Development which contains elements of Religious Studies but does not lead to a public examination. The RS content is based on a Short Course GCSE, but without the exam pressure, so that there is opportunity to discuss current issues as they arise.  

Religious Studies at GCE A Level

The Edexcel A level Religious Studies course is followed. Year 12 and 13 students study six units in each of the Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Religion and New Testament Studies sections.  
 

Jazmin Chandler

Head of Religious Studies