World Views

About the Faculty

World Views is a part of the Humanities Faculty who deliver a variety of courses at all Key Stages. The faculty has dedicated teaching staff, inviting teaching spaces and are committed to delivering excellent learning for all students.

Years 7 to 9 – Key Stage 3

Within the two week timetable there are two timetabled lessons for World Views. All lessons are taught in mixed ability tutor groups throughout Years 7 – 9.

Across the subjects knowledge of the content of the topics is developed and there is a commonality of approach in developing a greater understanding through analysis and evaluation. A variety of teaching methods are used in order to broaden the learning experience. Learning is aided by a variety of resources including textbooks, PowerPoints, worksheets and video, along with websites like BBC Bitesize, which students are encouraged to access.

Year 7

The following units are taught in Year 7:

Does living Biblically mean following the whole Bible?

Students consider the questions: what is a moral code? How do Christians use the bible to help them to live? Why did some people have a problem with Jesus?

What is so radical about Jesus?

Students consider the questions: which people are special and why? Why is Jesus inspiring to some people? What would Jesus do? Can we live by the values of Jesus in the twenty-first century? What was Jesus like? Why did some people have a problem with Jesus? Who were the Jewish people expecting to save them? Why was Jesus seen as so radical? Was Jesus a pacifist?

How can people express the spiritual through music and art?

Students ask the question ‘Is it better to express your beliefs in arts and architecture or in charity and generosity?’

Year 8

The following units are taught in Year 8:

What is good and what is challenging about being a teenage Sikh /Buddhist /Muslim in Britain today?

What’s it like to be a young Muslim in Britain today? Students learn about belonging to the Ummah and to a local mosque. They consider questions such as how can Muslims respond when they are pictured as terrorists or fanatics? Why does this happen?

What is Jihad, and how can it be understood by non-Muslims? Defining ‘the struggle’

What do the three treasures give to the Buddhists today? What is the effect of following the Five Precepts of the Buddha?

What is the value of belonging to the Buddhist community? How does my community help me to be good?

What questions and ideas do we have about suffering? What can we learn from a Buddhist story?

Who is a Sikh? What is going on in British Sikhism today? How are an ancient language and the Sikh scriptures important to Sikhs today? What identities might a Sikh person hold? Why did Sikhs come to the UK?

Should religious buildings be sold to feed the starving?

What difference to charitable giving does it make if you are religious? Do religious people do more to help the starving? What difference does a Mosque make to Muslim life? What does the Sikh community do through its worship and building to combat poverty? What does it mean to ‘see Jesus in the face of the poor’? What are the deeper meanings of Christian worship?

Why is there suffering? Are there any good solutions?

What do religions say to us when life gets hard? What types of suffering in the world? Is suffering a natural human state? What can Christians learn from the bible about why suffering happens? How do Christians make sense of suffering? How can a good God allow suffering? What does the Buddha teach about suffering? How far are humans able to overcome suffering?

Year 9

The following units are taught in Year 9:

Do we need to prove God’s existence?

Students learn the difference between facts, beliefs and opinions. They consider the questions: How do we know anything at all? Why do Muslims believe in God? Do they believe God can be proved to exist? Why did the Buddha think belief in God was unimportant? In Buddhist thinking, what can save us from pain and suffering? Do Thomas Aquinas’ ‘5 Ways’ justify Christians’ belief in God? Do they prove God? Christians claim to experience God in many different ways. How can these claims be appreciated and appraised? What are the best atheist arguments against God? Can atheists prove there is no God?

Is Death the End?

Students consider questions about people’s belief about life and the sanctity of life. They study the arguments for and against abortion and euthanasia.

They consider the questions: Has medicine gone too far? What do people believe about an afterlife? Why do we have funerals? What do Buddhists believe about life and death? Does death matter to a humanist? Is this life hell?

Assessment

Formative assessment takes place on a regular basis in all lessons with activities often focussed on the Knowledge Organiser content using mini-whiteboards and quizzes.

Formal written assessments take place in line with the whole school assessment windows:

Assessment windows:

Year 7: 24th April – 5th May

Year 8: 28th November – 9th December; 8th May – 19th May

Year 9: 31st October – 10th November; 19th June – 23rd June

GCSE

Years 10 to 11 – Key Stage 4

GCSE Religious Studies

Examination Board: Eduqas
Course Code: 601/8879/0

This GCSE course aims to get students thinking about themselves and to ask questions about the nature of society and culture and the meaning of life.

Religious Studies includes the following topics: Beliefs and Practices in Christianity, Beliefs and Practices in Judaism, Philosophical exploration of the concept of God and the world and scientific reasons for rejecting them, Ethical, Secular and Religious Perspectives on a variety of ethical issues.

Students look at a range of philosophical and ethical issues that are relevant to life in the 21^st century from religious and secular perspectives. It is a course that will cause students to think sensitively about current issues and challenge their intellect as well as help them to develop a wide range of skills which will be advanrtageous for any post-16 route.