“The Mission of Cardinal Hume Catholic School is to develop each member of the school community in a way that allows all to achieve their full potential in the light of the teaching of Christ and the values portrayed in the gospels.”
“We consider education to be one of the most effective ways of making our world and history more human. Education is above all a matter of love and responsibility handed down from one generation to another”.
Pope Francis
Intent
The RE department strives to help our students develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. They will be consistently reminded of the importance of tolerance, compassion, love and justice both in our approach to life in and outside of school. We will support their progress throughout their learning journey and help them to meet their potential and recognise their own capabilities. The RE department will strive to assist any student who has barriers to learning and to address any gaps in their learning.
We provide opportunities for spiritual development and provide the skills for students to justify ethical and theological views. Students will master the skill of retrieval in order to build confidence in their extensive knowledge of subject specific vocabulary. We would like our students to be curious, to investigate beyond the content of their lessons, to articulate opinions with confidence, reflect on strengths and areas of development and find positives in making mistakes.
Students will produce work which reflects their best ability, work which represents their potential will be recognised and celebrated. Students will reflect on their work and with guidance from their teacher, improve their work. Students will display outstanding behaviour and live up to the high expectations set by the RE department. The RE department are keen for students to enjoy their learning journey in Religious Studies and we strive to assist all students in meeting their full potential.
Implementation
Religious Studies provides students with the opportunity to debate and discuss, thereby improving their ability to articulate verbally as well as enabling them to develop their extended writing skills. Progression is embedded in the curriculum through effective resources and questioning, verbal and written marking and feedback, and challenge for all. Students have access to key terminology and sources of wisdom to improve their religious literacy. Extended writing and literacy activities allow students to develop their use of language and vocabulary. Regular retrieval practice is in place to ensure that students are collecting and retaining the correct information.
Year 7
This is based on the new RECD due to be fully implemented by 2024. Year 7 study a range of topics and focus on the skills of ‘understand’ ‘discern’ and ‘respond.’
The following units are studied:
M1: Creation, covenant prophecy
Students learn about different interpretations of the book of Genesis, investigate Catholic social teaching and the impact it has on Catholics today. Students also learn about religious belief through art and consider ethical arguments relating to stewardship.
M2: Galilee to Jerusalem
Students learn about the history of Holy Week and its relevance today. They will investigate the teachings of Jesus, for example, the sermon on the mount and the parables of Jesus. They will consider the impact this has on Catholics today.
M3:Eucharist and dialogue
Students study in detail the meaning and importance of the Eucharist. They explore the origins of the universe and consider different attitudes held by other denominations.
Year 8
The emphasis of the topics chosen in Y8 is about the relationship between God and his people. Students will be encouraged to assess the concepts of covenant and redemption and its implications for the world today.
M1: Creation, Covenant and Prophecy.
In this topic pupils will investigate the creation account from the book of Genesis. They will study the meaning and importance of freewill, and investigate links between freewill, rules and conscience. Pupils will study in detail the sacrament of Baptism, the meaning and importance of Prophecy and the roles of clergy and their impact on society.
M2: Galilee to Garden.
This topic will begin by looking at Jesus interactions with the marginalised. Pupils will also examine the parables and miracles of Jesus and make links between the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Pupils will investigate the moral guidance in scripture and will also study Catholic pilgrimage. In the second half of this module students will learn about the sacrament of reconciliation and the impact it has on individuals. Pupils will also study evil and suffering and the potential philosophical problems this poses for the existence of God. Students will gain confidence in explaining how symbols in art can enhance our understanding of Catholic belief.
M3:
Eucharist and Dialogue
Pupils will examine Catholic teachings on the soul. They will develop their understanding of resurrection by studying the teachings of St Paul. Pupils will examine a range of beliefs concerning life after death and make links between the sacrament of Baptism and teachings on salvation. Pupils will study the Catholic funeral rite and the features of a Catholic Mass. In the second part of this topic pupils will be introduced to the main beliefs and practices in Islam and in a similar way to developing their skills in investigating Catholic beliefs and teachings learn about another world religion. Pupils will end this module by making links between art and religious belief.
Year 9
The emphasis of the topics chosen in year 9 is to give the students a deeper understanding of the importance and impact that religion has had and continues to have on individuals and the world.
M1. God’s Great Love: Students study key biblical stories consequentially and see them in the context of an epic story in which they can play a part.
M2: The impact of the parables and miracles of Jesus on the world then and now. Students are encouraged to think deeply about the authenticity of these phenomena today.
M3-4: The impact of religion on the world throughout history. Consideration of the similarities and differences of the main world religions. Students will be encouraged to appreciate the benefits and problems of living in a religiously pluralistic society for both believers and non-believers?
Leads to GCSE skill of comparing views and coming to a justified conclusion in order to writs a discursive essay.
KS4
GCSE continually compares Catholic Christianity with Judaism and Humanism in order to develop understanding and respect for the diversity of beliefs in our increasingly multi faith and pluralistic and seemingly secular society. Key skills are the appreciation of the development of religious beliefs and their impact on the lives of individuals and the wider society. Coupled with the ability to understand the basis for beliefs and critically compare them.
KS5
Students will study the ancient background to philosophical and ethical thought and its continuing development. They will study the complex issues and theories surrounding key live topics; euthanasia, business and sexual ethics. Studying the development of workers’ rights allows students to be challenged to see the positive impact that religion has had on our society and be stimulated to pick up that mantle for themselves recognising that, our democracy will be healthier and more civil if it is thought through and informed by rational argument. They will study key philosophical questions from a variety of different perspectives leaving them able to write coherent and informative discursive essays. Students will develop transferable skills of persuasiveness, analysis and creative thinking ensuring they become ready for higher education. They will find fluency with ideas and be able to extract relevant information by selecting and deploying precise evidence and arguments that make graduates in RS so employable.
External Links
GCSE revision guide
A-level revision guide
Cardinal Hume Catholic School
Old Durham Road,
Gateshead,
NE9 6RZ
Tel: 0191 487 7638
Fax: 0191 482 4421
Email: info@chs.bwcet.com
