Curriculum
Studying GCSE Religious Studies will allow students to progress their knowledge and skills from KS3. Students will be further challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious issues. Students will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture, legal system and many people’s lives. Furthermore, studying GCSE religious studies offers a rich and enjoyable set of topic that will bring young people into contact with the thoughts of the greatest minds and offers them the opportunity to carry on the great conversation of humanity about the ideas that shape our lives and the human condition.
Aims
There are two main parts to the GCSE course:
Firstly, you will study the beliefs, teachings and practices of two world religions: Sikhism and Christianity.
Secondly, you will study four religious, philosophical and ethical themes. You will learn about different religious perspectives on the themes studied and also about non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism.
You will also study religious, philosophical and ethical arguments related to the themes and their impact and influence on the modern world.
Component 1: Study of Religious beliefs, teachings and practice
- Christianity
- Sikhism
Component 2: Thematic Studies
- Theme A: Relationships and families.
- Theme B: Religion and life.
- Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict.
- Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment.
GCSE Religious Studies Overview
| Year | Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Sikhism Beliefs Christianity Beliefs Autumn Term Exams |
Christianity Beliefs Theme A: Relationships and families Spring Term Assessment |
Theme B: Religion and life Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict Summer Term Exams |
| 11 | Sikhism Practices (and revision of beliefs) Christianity Practices (and revision of beliefs) Autumn Term Exams |
Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment Revision Mock Exams |
Revision GCSE Examinations |
What Course Will I Follow?
AQA GCSE Religious Studies A
Specification: 8062
How will I be assessed?
Component 1:
Study of religious belief, teachings and practices – Christianity and Sikhism.
- Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes (Paper 1)
- 96 marks, plus 6 marks for spelling,punctuation and grammar (SPaG)
- Worth 50% of GCSE
Component 2:
Thematic Studies (all four themes studied).
- Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes (Paper 2)
- 96 marks, plus 3 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG)
- Worth 50% of GCSE
