EP & Religious Education

“The calling of Humanities is to make us truly Human in the best sense of the word.”

The Religious Education curriculum - Ethics, Philosophy and Religious Studies - inspires, challenges and supports all learners to prepare them for the multifaith, multicultural world that they live in, a world they will need to engage with and sustain in the future. Religious Education offers a continually developing and aspirational curriculum that builds on students’ experiences and that supports all students in becoming successful, resilient, independent individuals who enjoy learning and make excellent progress. The curriculum encourages students to become active and responsible citizens and confident and self-motivated learners, aware of personal, local, national and global perspectives. 

Ethics and Philosophy and Religious Studies explore how we derive meaning from existence and understand other worldviews, using this to develop a student’s moral compass. The Religious Education curriculum at Trafalgar is ambitious in its level of challenge, coherent in the planning and sequencing of religions and other philosophies, and broad and balanced in the scope of communities and perspectives explored. It is about what each of us believes, not just a privileged few.

As Harper Lee writes, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird)

Key Stage 3: (Ethics and Philosophy)

Students will be assessed on four key skills: describing, explaining, comparing and evaluating. At GCSE level, these become knowledge and understanding (AO1), and analysing and evaluating (AO2). 

Key Stage 4: (Religious Studies)

For students opting to continue studies at KS4, the GCSE on offer is Religious Studies (AQA, Specification A): https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/rs/specifications/AQA-8062-SP-2016.PDF

Christianity and Islam are the two religions studied in depth (Year 10), followed by Themes A, B, D and E (Year 11 - see specification).

• At KS3 students complete home learning tasks once a fortnight using Google Classroom. This increases to once a week in KS4. These tasks are linked to and build upon that which is covered in lessons.
• Humanities film club (KS3) runs each week after school, hosted by Mr. Coram. The films selected help to reinforce the in-class curricula of Ethics and Philosophy, Geography, and History.
• GCSE students also receive a visitor from a local faith community in Year 10, someone to present on and represent the living nature of the religions studied at Trafalgar. For example, a local priest might come in to engage the students with what it means to be a Christian in modern Britain, taking questions from pupils. This helps to consolidate in-class learning and acts as excellent exam preparation.
• Opportunities for visitors and trips to sacred places and spaces (churches, synagogues, etc.) are offered across the year.

Welcome to Religious Education at Trafalgar School! I am immensely proud to be the Subject Leader for Religious Education. Philosophy is not always about dead men with beards; religion is not only the Bible. It is my privilege to introduce students to subjects and topics that are alive and deeply relevant, the roots of British culture, and the issues that face us all. Is God really dead? Why is murder wrong? How do beliefs influence the decisions we make and the lives we live?

As Trafalgar grows, so too will the number of staff teaching Ethics and Philosophy. The curriculum at KS3 might therefore be delivered by any member of the Humanities team.

Martyn Coram (Subject Leader - RE) mcoram@trafalgarschool.org.uk

Jan Morrison jmorrison@trafalgarschool.org.uk