Contact
Head of Department: Mr N.Williams
n.williams@kingsway.stockport.sch.uk
Curriculum Intent: Religious Education
At The Kingsway School, we believe the study of Religious Education is important because it is vital to be religiously literate in an increasingly diverse society.
The foundations of Religious Education are built on a fundamental understanding of the innate value of each individual by virtue of them being human. We help our students to understand that what unites us as a human race far outweighs that which divides us.
The core knowledge that learners are expected to acquire in the Religious Education curriculum is: an understanding of the nature of God; an overview of the main arguments for and against the existence of God; an overview of the history, beliefs and practices of a variety of world religions; an understanding of the similarities and differences between religious beliefs and practices; an overview of the history, beliefs and practices of non-religious worldviews; an understanding of a variety of ethical theories; an understanding of a range of moral issues and how a person’s worldview impacts their response to these issues
Learners are then expected to apply this knowledge by engaging in meaningful, respectful discussion and debate about life’s big questions. Additionally, they will be able to use a variety of sources of wisdom and authority to explain the reasons behind religious beliefs and practices. Students engage critically with opposing viewpoints and evaluate the validity of different arguments before coming to a justified, personal conclusion based on evidence.
Our Religious Education curriculum is aspirational because while students are enabled to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others, the curriculum also has a strong academic focus. Students engage in an informed manner with religious and non-religious worldviews and can confidently make use of religious texts and terminology.
We nurture learners’ curiosity by using enquiry questions that stimulate deeper thinking. We encourage informed, evidence-based, respectful debate. We strike a positive balance between learning about religious beliefs and practices and discussing moral issues through the lens of religion. Throughout the curriculum we connect learning to real life and challenge students to think more deeply about their own views.
In addition to this, pupils are given opportunities for rich discussion around topics such as the existence of God, the relationship between faith and reason, the origins of the universe, the problem of evil, abuse of power, the pros and cons of peaceful versus violent protest, the reliability of sources of wisdom and authority, environmental issues, animal rights, vegetarianism, animal experimentation, morality, ethics, the sanctity of life, fertility treatment, abortion, euthanasia, and life after death.
As part of the Religious Education curriculum, learners are provided with a range of high-quality academic texts, sources of wisdom and authority such as holy books, sayings of prophets as well as scholarly articles. Our aim is to help our students develop a deep understanding of religious beliefs and practices rooted in holy texts.
The Religious Education curriculum supports our young people to deepen their understanding of the world around them by helping them explore their own beliefs and the beliefs of others. We provide a safe space in which to discuss life’s big questions and foster a culture of respect and empathy in which we can disagree without being disagreeable.
We also support pupils to be compassionate and keep each other safe by being mindful of the diverse range of beliefs and values held by others within our school community. We help them grow in their understanding and tolerance of the views of others and help them discuss controversial moral topics in a mature, respectful manner. We also encourage self-reflection on their own beliefs, morals and values.
Our Religious Education curriculum is inclusive and celebrates differences because we cover a variety of religious and non-religious worldviews as well as discussing divergent opinions within those communities. Understanding those who are “other” or different to us breaks down barriers, reduces ignorance and promotes tolerance and respect.
Beyond our classrooms, we provide meaningful enrichment opportunities such as debate club that aim to develop our students’ ability to structure arguments, to listen well, to research, to challenge opposing views and to build skills in public speaking.
Fundamentally, the study of Religious Education at The Kingsway School will enable our young people to positively contribute to society because they will understand and appreciate religious diversity, be able to treat those they disagree with respectfully, and engage in thoughtful, informed, reasoned debate.
