Religious Education

Pupils start Year 7 with a bridging unit as specified by Bexley Borough, which is to be taught in all Bexley schools. After this the building blocks of the subject are taught, these include: Facts - opinions and beliefs; Discovering what is meant by faith; Signs and symbols and discussions about why people believe in God or not. Pupils will consider how human behaviour is affected by altruism and greed, and are also encouraged to think about the consequences of people’s actions.

 

Continuing through the year stewardship will be studied from Christian, Hindu and Islamic perspectives. Pupils will be encouraged to learn about organisations such as Operation Noah and will be studying environmental issues and the impact human beings have on the planet. They will also study various creation stories, including those from Genesis. Pupils will produce their own poems on themes such as Noah and the Ark.

Buddhism is the last unit of study in Year 7 and this involves looking at the Life of the Buddha and the Dalai Lama. Pupil focus will include working on English skills especially when studying Haikus and Koans. There will be opportunities to be creative and artistic with Mandalas and the making of lotus flowers.

Year 8

 

Pupils will study various aspects of Sikhism including beliefs, authority, spirituality, ethics and responsibilities. Homework tasks will be varied and will include doing duties and cookery at home. Pilgrimage will also be studied from the perspective of several world religions and will encourage pupils to think about ‘faith in action.’

Project work will be undertaken on Martin Luther King which will include cross-curricular links with citizenship, English, History and Politics.
 

Pupils will also study miracles and the parables of Jesus Christ. Modern interpretation will be encouraged and links to organisations such as the Samaritans will be made. Pupils will have an opportunity to have speaking parts in plays about parables and to air their opinions in group discussions.

  

Pupils will be studying religion, science and humanism with an emphasis on people like Darwin and Dawkins. Various aspects of Judaism will be studied including the Holocaust, Anti-Semitism, The Ten Commandments and rites of passage. Pupils will also study:  Inspirational people; Peace and conflict; Concern for others; Authority and rules; Discrimination and prejudice. Studies will also include looking at how the media portrays religious leaders and faith matters in general.