Norton College

Norton College

11 - 19 School & Sixth Form Centre

"Pupils are prepared well for life after school"

Ofsted, 2023

a s p i r e

Religious Education

Religious Education

Subject Leader: Mr S Raettig
Curriculum Leader: Mr B Evans
 
We provide an academic RE curriculum that enables students to have the skills, knowledge and understanding to engage in respectful dialogue about philosophical, religious, and ethical issues.  Religion and Philosophy is the foundation of culture and therefore studying religion and philosophy is vital in helping students to understand society’s beliefs, morals, and values. We draw inspiration from the North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education and fuse this with knowledge, understanding and application of Fundamental British Values. This approach engenders an appreciation of the values that exist within society and allows students to reflect on their own personal beliefs, morals, and values in a safe and supportive environment. 
We want the students at Norton College to become successful learners, confident individuals, and responsible citizens. We achieve this through provoking questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. We want our young people to develop their sense of identity and belonging, and to flourish as individuals within their communities and as citizens in a diverse and global community. Religious Education has  an important role in preparing students for adult life, employment, and lifelong learning. We aim to enable them to develop respect for, and sensitivity towards others, especially those whose faith and beliefs are different from their own.
The RE Department is led by a specialist teacher, ably supported by two additional members of the teaching staff. It is our aim to promote learning in a lively and engaging way that combines fun with academic rigour. Central to the delivery of RE is the opportunity to visit places of worship – such local churches, a Sikh Gurdwara and an Islamic Mosque in Bradford and a local Buddhist centre. We also run an overseas residential trip to the Netherlands in Year 8 as a key component in our unit “Where was God in the Holocaust?”
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no-one is watching.” C. S. Lewis

 

Key Stage 3
Students currently have two lessons per fortnight throughout Years 7-9.
The scheme of work is designed to fit in with the principle aim of engaging students in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address. This is to enable students to develop the understanding and skill needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as developing responses of their own.
 
Year 7 - Autumn term

What are the Fundamental British Values?

Judaism: What are the key beliefs and teachings in Judaism?

Judaism: What is good and what is challenging about being a Jewish teenager in Britain today?

Year 7 - Spring term

What is humanism and how does it influence British Society?

Should religious buildings be sold to feed the starving?
 
Year 7 - Summer term

Sikhism: What are the key beliefs and teachings in Sikhism?

Sikhism: What is good and what is challenging about being a teenage Sikh in Britain today?

 
Year 8 - Autumn term

Christianity: What are the key beliefs and teachings in Christianity?
 
Christianity: Does living biblically mean obeying the whole Bible?

Year 8 - Spring term

Where was God in the Holocaust?
 
Buddhism: What are the key beliefs and teachings in Buddhism?

Year 8 - Summer term

Should happiness be the main purpose of life?

How can people express the spiritual through the arts?

Year 9 - Autumn term

Islam: What are the key beliefs and teachings in Islam?

Islam: What is good and what is challenging about being a teenage Muslim in Britain today?
 
Year 9 - Spring term

Identity, sexual identity and social responsibility

Year 9 - Summer term

Why is there suffering? Are there any good solutions?

Is death the end? Does it matter?

 

Key Stage 4

All students study a RE course in Year 10 and Year 11. There is one RE lesson per fortnight. This covers a mixture of themes linked to religious and secular worldviews.

In addition, students can opt to study GCSE Religious Studies. We currently follow the AQA GCSE (9-1) Specification A. In Year 10, the focus is mainly on Christian beliefs, teachings, and practice and this is contrasted with Buddhist beliefs, teachings, and practice. Year 11 sees the adoption of a themed-based approach, within which we study religious and secular responses to four contemporary issues. There are five lessons per fortnight for the GCSE Religious Studies option.
 
Year 10 - Autumn term

Is religion a power for peace or a cause of conflict?
 
Year 10 - Spring term

Religion and the multicultural society

Year 10 - Summer term

Are the seven deadly sins still relevant today?

 
Year 11 - Autumn term

Who cares about stewardship?
 
Year 11 - Spring term

Religion and work
 
Year 11 - Summer term

GCSE: Revision and sitting the end of GCSE examinations

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