Religious Studies at Bromley High School stresses the study of the major world religions and the moral and ethical implications of faith. The aim of Religious Studies is to help pupils both to understand and value each other's beliefs: in order to do this to the best of our ability we do not follow a confessional approach. The intention is for girls to cover two broad areas of learning: ABOUT religion, providing the academic foundation and FROM religion, which encourages the girls to be reflective in their consideration of religious beliefs and practices.

Religion is a world-wide human phenomenon, a human response to our experiences, and everyone is sure to have to think about it at some time in their life.

Religious Studies at Bromley High does not presuppose faith, and is designed to be accessible to students of any religious persuasion or none.

Key Stage 3

Year 7

•  Introduction to thinking about religion and what it is all about.
•  The histories of the six main world religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism

Year 8

Some of today's religious practices carried out in the six main world religions. These will be considered within and between religions. The practices will include rites of passage, festivals, pilgrimage and worship.

Year 9

•  Religion and Popular culture : this course will mean examination of books, films and art dealing with religious themes directly or indirectly. This will include the consideration of Heaven and Hell; the sanctity of life and the existence of God.
•  Women in Religion : this course will consider the role of women in society at large as well as specifically within different religions. We will examine whether it is religion and/or society that gives women their position in society.
•  Religion and Science : this unit examines the relationship between these two subjects, considering their parallels, contrasts and developments. Terminology plays an important part of this unit as the words used are important to our understanding such as 'truth', 'evidence', 'proof' etc.
•  Morality Project : pupils will be able to select any moral issue in which they have an interest and they will be required to research different view - secular and religious - the main related issues including legal and produce a presentation.

The Distribution of the World Religions

Religious Studies GCSE - Full Course AQA

This two year course is examined at the end of each year. Each paper is examined through a written paper of 1 ¾ hours

The aim of this course and specification should encourage students to:

1. acquire knowledge and develop understanding of the beliefs, values and traditions within Christianity and Islam;
2. consider the influence of the beliefs, values and traditions associated with Christianity and Islam;
3. consider religious and other responses to moral issues;
4. identify, investigate and respond to fundamental questions of life raised by religion and human experience, including questions about the meaning and purpose of life;
5. develop skills relevant to the study of religion.

Year 10: Module 1 - Thinking About God and Morality

Year 11: Module 4 - Truth, Spirituality and Contemporary Issues

Religious Studies A & AS Level Edexcel

'Men despise religion . They hate it and are afraid it may be true.' Blaise Pascal

This course encourages students to open their minds; to develop an interest and enthusiasm for a rigorous study of the underlying principles of religion by gaining knowledge and understanding appropriate to Philosophy and Ethics. The study of these topics allow students the opportunity to explore some of the ultimate questions that have been intriguing and baffling human beings for centuries.

'Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs.' Albert Einstein

Religious Studies: Philosophy and Ethics are readily accepted by universities and employers alike as it is recognised as enhancing thinking and evaluative skills. Students who have taken this subject at Bromley High have gone on to read a variety of subject at university including Philosophy, Sociology, Law, English, Drama and Mathematics.

'Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.' Mohandas Gandhi

By the end of the course candidates will be able to select and demonstrate relevant knowledge and understanding through the use of evidence and correct language and they will be able to sustain a critical line of argument justify a point of view.

The AS Level consists of three assessed units:

Coursework Unit (2,500 words) is externally assessed and students study one of

•  Medical ethics
•  Animal rights
•  Conservation of the environment
•  Equality (racial/sexual)

Religious Ethics Unit (written exam 1 1/2 hrs) looks at the relationship between religion and morality; ethical theories such as situation ethics; and applied ethics looking at topics such as war and peace. This unit will enable students to look at the effects of religion, morality and ethics in today's society.

Philosophy of Religion Unit (written Exam 1 1/2 hrs) students will complete a study of philosophical arguments for the existence of God which includes the design, cosmological and religious and scientific interpretations of the origins of the universe. We also study the philosophical debates about miracles.

A Level contains three assessed units which build on the knowledge gained in the AS Level

Religious Ethics (written exam 1 1/2 hrs) .This considers, in more depth, the relationship between religion and morality. It also looks at the use of ethical language and concepts in moral discourse and at applied ethics.

Philosophy of Religion Unity (written exam 1 1/2 hrs) allows students to study further philosophical arguments for the existence of God including religious experience, ontological argument, concepts of proof and probability and the non-existence of God and critiques of religious belief. We also study beliefs about life after death and religious language.

Issues in Religion (written exam 1 1/2 hrs) links learning from the previous units and apply it to a wider context. Here students will study religious and ethical language.