RE
"The study of Religious Education provides all students with the opportunity to deepen and explore their personal understanding of what they believe and enhance their spiritual and ethical awareness through the Christ based values of humility, tolerance, and respect”
Mrs Taylor, Faculty Leader for Religious Education and Catholic Life
Subject Overview
Religious Education at St Mary's aims to continue to awaken and ignite a drive and desire in understanding our Catholic faith, Abrahamic and Dharmic religions and contentious world views. We want to nurture this desire for knowledge through ensuring we consistently challenge all students with appropriate religious, ethical, and theological ways of thinking. Our intent is for students to flourish not only academically and spiritually but interpersonally, leading them to engage in meaningful, respectful, and fruitful dialogue throughout their journey to adulthood and beyond.
Course Content
RE Years 7 - 9
Students explore the key concepts of belonging, coming of age and knowing God more clearly.
• Community
• The Church
• Abrahamic Religions - Islam
• Coming of Age
• Dharmic Religions - Sikhism
• World Views
RE Years 10 - 11
Students build on the fundamental concepts developed in Years 7-9 exploring all the topics to more depth as well as gaining a firm grounding in topics such as:
• Creation
• Incarnation
• Redemption
• Abrahamic Religions – Judaism
• Church and the Kingdom of God
• Relationships in the 21st Century
• Religion, Peace and Conflict
Curriculum Documents
GCSE RE has taught me greatly about the Catholic religion, other religions and their cultures, and modern moral issues. I also learnt valuable skills helpful for my GCSE exams and later education, including improvement of my essay writing and quote analysis, which can also be applied to other academic subjects. My favourite topic is Judaism, where you learn about the unique Jewish religion and culture.
Will Joyce
I think that RE at St. Mary’s is taught extremely well. In Year 11 especially you get taught an extensive range of topics. You learn not only about traditional Christian teachings and their significance to us as Catholics, but you also learn about issues going on around the world. These include some really interesting topics such as Eschatology (you learn about Catholic beliefs on life after death, purgatory etc.), Religion Peace & Conflict (you learn about nuclear war, justice, terrorism etc.) I think with this extension of topics that you get to explore in year 11, it teaches you about social and environmental issues that are going in today’s society. Regarding tests and exams, you get so much support and help from the RE department. You are supported fully when it comes to revising for mock exams (get recommended revision guides and websites that will help) and you are allowed to do your revision in a creative way that is suited to you, whether that be mind-maps, practice exam questions, posters etc.
Catherine Walsh