Religious Studies

Curriculum Intent

The Humanities Faculty comprises four core subjects: History, Geography, Citizenship and Religious Studies, alongside Vocational Travel and Tourism at Key Stage 4. Together, these subjects aim to cultivate informed, reflective global citizens with a strong understanding of the interconnectedness of past, present, and future events, and the world around them.

Our Humanities curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity and engage students with the complexity of the world. By studying the diverse topics within, History, Geography, Religious Education, and Citizenship, pupils gain an appreciation of the different cultures, values, and perspectives that shape our societies. The curriculum encourages students to explore their own identities, understand the challenges of their time, and critically assess the changes that have influenced human behaviour and societal development.

As pupils progress through the curriculum, they will deepen their understanding of the complex interactions between physical and human processes on Earth, exploring how these processes have shaped, and have been shaped by historical events and developments over time. Our curriculum is rich with opportunities to promote Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural (SMSC) development, fostering empathy, tolerance, and respect for diversity, while encouraging environmental stewardship.

The aims of the Humanities curriculum are to enable students to:

• Think critically: Develop the skills to think, write, communicate, and read as experts in the fields of History, Geography, Citizenship , and Religious Studies.
• Broaden their understanding: Engage with a broad range of geographical, historical, and religious topics that expand students' knowledge of human behaviour, societal influences, and global issues.
• Develop a sense of identity and citizenship: Reflect on their roles as citizens of the UK and the wider world, embracing core British values and nurturing a sense of belonging and responsibility.
• Make informed connections: Grasp the key concepts of each discipline and apply them to draw connections, analyse trends, and pose relevant questions.
• Grow cultural capital: Participate in experiences both within and beyond the classroom that enhance their cultural awareness and understanding of the world.
• Prepare for future success: Equip students with transferable skills, independent study habits, and the resilience necessary for adult life, further education, and employment.

Our curriculum offers a holistic approach, preparing students not only for academic success but also for lifelong learning, active citizenship, and responsible global engagement.

Religious Studies:

• Broaden and deepen understanding: Study a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews to help students gain a deeper understanding of how beliefs shape individuals and societies, in line with the Agreed Syllabus’ emphasis on diversity and inclusivity.
• Investigate the impact of religion: Explore how religious beliefs and teachings influence the lives of individuals, communities, and societies. Pupils will develop the ability to use religious, philosophical, and ethical terminology and sources of evidence to explain and evaluate different viewpoints.
• Reflection on citizenship and identity: Reflect on their position as citizens of the UK and the wider world, fostering a sense of identity and belonging, which is rooted in respect for others and underpins core British values, in line with the aims of the Oldham Agreed Syllabus to promote community cohesion.

 What your child will learn in GCSE RS

Exam Specification

 SMSC Statement

Religious education plays a crucial role in the development of SMSC and British Values at Hathershaw College. The curriculum is designed to promote dynamic teaching and learning so that it encourages the pupils to draw on and bring their different experiences of religious education. Within the RE classroom all students sit alongside their peers from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Students are regularly encouraged to work collaboratively with their classroom partners through activities such as Think-pair-share. All students know that a mutual respect and tolerance for those around them is essential to the classroom environment.

One of the key features of the RE syllabus is to promote the pupils respect for everyone. The RE curriculum contains many references to the role of RE in challenging stereotypical views and appreciating, positively, differences in others. Furthermore, the RE curriculum enables all of the pupils to consider the impact of people’s beliefs on their own actions and lifestyle. For example, in Year 7 RE students explore the Sikh Faith. The sequence of lessons means that students begin their learning with an understanding of the core principles of this faith, to then enable them to apply this to ways in which faith affects different behaviours.

RE enables spiritual development by giving pupils opportunities to explore how beliefs can have an impact on life, encouraging pupils to explore what it means to be human for themselves and in their relationships with others. RE asks big questions about the meaning and purpose of life, giving pupils space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns. In Year 7 students explore the idea of life after death through both the Christian and Buddhist perspectives. At the end of this unit of work pupils are given the opportunity to reflect on their learning to decide, “is there evidence for life after death”.  Students have a sound understanding of the predominant local beliefs with a comparative study of Christianity and Islam being continued through to KS4 Core RE and GCSE.

Furthermore, RE enables moral development by exploring and responding to issues of right and wrong, good and evil. For example, in Year 8 RE students explore the theme of religion, peace and conflict. During this unit of work pupils are encouraged to develop moral arguments such as on issues such as Terrorism, the media and Islamophobia. This enables pupils to make good judgements and decisions. Pupils can recognise that all humans have rights and responsibilities and explore how religious belief can impact on moral behaviour. Furthermore, students look at both modern day and previous examples of Human right violations and the role religion plays to contain this.

Pupils social development is promoted through RE when exploring the nature of religious communities. Pupils are able to explore values and virtues such as respect for all people, living things, the environment and property. For example, in Year 10 pupils are posed with meaningful questions about the nature of people and society and the role we play as stewards of the world. During the unit of work on the environment pupils consider who is responsible for the planet and they investigate the religious perspectives on this topic.

Finally, RE encourages cultural development. Throughout the curriculum there is a strong appreciation of the influences that have shaped the students’ own cultural heritage. For example, in Year 7 all students take part in a Faith Walk of their local area. Pupils visit three local places of worship to develop an insight into the religious makeup of their town, and an appreciation of its diversity. Furthermore, pupils are encouraged to develop well informed and open-minded attitudes to cultural diversity and an appreciation of the culture of others, for example through the study of Islamic art in Year 9 or through literature such as Sikh poetry from Rupi Kaur in Year 7.