Curriculum Intent

Students at KS3 learn about a wide range of religious themes and concepts. Throughout KS3 students gain a varied and broad understanding of major religions, ethical issues and the opportunity for students to ask discuss life’s big questions whilst challenging themselves to discover their own worldview.  The KS3 curriculum is both challenging and engaging for students.

The RS curriculum delivers the Derbyshire Agreed Syllabus for RS.  We build on skills learned at Key Stage 2, and develop knowledge of the religions with increasing levels of complexity.  We study different religions and perspectives through the prism of key questions, considering the perspectives of different religions and beliefs on important issues. Our curriculum is well planned and considered and we have considered the sequencing of lessons carefully.

We teach our pupils to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs, and prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society.

Key Stage 3

In year 7 the main questions we investigate are:

  • What was so radical about Jesus?
  • Should religious buildings be sold to feed the starving?
  • What is it like to be a young Buddhist in Britain today?
  • What is it like to be a young Sikh in Britain today?
  • What is it like to be a young Muslim in Britain today?

In year 8 the main questions we ask are:

  • How can people express their spirituality through music and art?
  • Does religion help people to be good?
  • Does living biblically mean obeying the whole bible?
  • Is death the end? Does it matter?
  • Is religion a power for peace or a cause of conflict in the world today?
  • What difference does it make to believe in…?

In year 9 the main questions we ask are

  • Do we need to prove God’s existence?
  • Why is there suffering? Are there any good solutions?
  • Should happiness be the purpose of life?

Year 7 RS Long Term Plan

Year 8 RS Long Term Plan

Year 9 RS Long Term Plan

Key Stage 4

At GCSE students study the GCSE AQA Religious Studies A – Christianity and Islam course.  This will allow students to delve into two religions in much more depth, and also allow for students to challenge the ideas of much discussed ethical debates.

​Themes within the Religious Education GCSE are: Christianity beliefs and teachings;  Christianity practices; Islamic  beliefs and teachings; Islamic practices; relationships and families; religion and life; religion, peace and conflict; crime and punishment.

Year 10 RS Long Term Plan

Year 11 RS Long Term Plan

Year 9 Core Humanities

All students in year 9 complete a Humanities course.  This enables students to have a broad and balanced curriculum, and ensures that all of the students complete the Key Stage Three National Curriculum for History and Geography and the Derbyshire Agreed Syllabus for RS.  The units selected are more synoptic in nature, drawing upon knowledge learned in previous years.  The History units are chronologically based and are American Civil Rights and The Holocaust.  In Geography we investigate synoptic questions which also provide students with a broader understanding of geographical issues in Asia, more specifically: Russia; China and the Middle East.  Whilst in RS we embed our knowledge of different religions and beliefs through the prism of more philosophical questions including:

  • Should happiness be the purpose of life?
  • Why is there suffering? Are there any good solutions?
  • Do we need to prove God’s existence?

Year 9 Core Humanities