Religious Studies

Aims and Philosophy

Religious Studies is taught to all pupils in the school from Years 7 - 9 and in Year 11 there is a general RE programme discussing ethical issues.  For those who choose the subject for GCSE (Years 10 and 11) a course offered by the AQA examining body is selected. At Sixth Form level pupils who choose the AS and A2 Religious Studies specifications are able to treat the subject as an academic discipline by developing knowledge and understanding appropriate to a special study of religion.  The teaching is academic and non-confessional in approach.

Religious Studies in Years 7 - 9 enables pupils to know and understand the beliefs and practices of Christianity and at least two other religions.   It helps them develop informed opinions of their value to themselves and to others.  As an independent school we aim to remain fully aware of national developments so that we can apply the best aspects of such developments to our own syllabus which conforms to that developed by QCA and the Devon agreed syllabus.

Course Content

Outline of the courses - in particular:

Year 7:  An Introduction to Religion 

Searching for God, Christian Justice, The Importance of  Muhammad, The Founder of Buddhism.

Year 8:  Sikhism, Discrimination and the Life and Teachings of Jesus

Sikhism, Prejudice past and present, The Importance of the Incarnation for Christians Today, The Importance of the Resurrection, Belief and Practice and Places of Worship.

Year 9:  The Philosophy of Religion and World Religions 

Rites of Passage, Human Suffering, Worship and Morality.

GCSE  (Years 10 & 11) Course

AQA Religious Studies Course
Syllabus B, Code 4056
Unit 3, Religion and Morality

Unit 4, Religious Philosophy and Ultimate Questions

Lower Sixth

Pupils take two modules for Advanced Subsidiary GCE, which centre on the Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics.  In the former, pupils study the traditional arguments for the existence of God and in the latter, pupils consider ethical systems which might be applied to major social issues.

Upper Sixth

Pupils having taken two units for Advanced Subsidiary GCE following the OCR specification in Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics will take a further two units for an Advanced GCE award.

Special Information

We hope that following Religious Studies at Plymouth College will not only give pupils a firm grounding and interest in the subject but that they will be encouraged to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their ability to empathise, accept and respect the right of others to hold different beliefs from their own.