Religious Studies
The outcome of Religious Education at Haberdashers' Crayford is “religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.” - Religious Education Curriculum Directory
We therefore seek:
- To present engagingly comprehensive content which is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith and other major world religions
- To enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively.
- To raise pupils’ awareness of religious faiths, traditions and communities in order to respect and understand them
- To present an authentic vision of religious moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society
- To develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their beliefs to daily life
- To enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum
- To bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture.
Curriculum Statement
View our Religious Studies Curriculum Overview
Key Stage 3
At KS3 students are offered the opportunity to learn about both Abrahamic and Eastern faiths through their shared histories and narratives. This then allows them to make direct comparisons between the faiths and their divergences. In addition to this they are introduced to philosophical and ethical issues, which allows them to critique and explore contemporary issues from different perspectives, teaching them how to evaluate and appreciate different world view points.
View our Key Stage 3 Religious Studies Curriculum Map
Key Stage 4
Students who choose to study the subject at KS4 will take the AQA GCSE Religious Studies Specification A course. This allows them to study both Christianity and Islamic beliefs and practices in depth, before applying this knowledge to variety of contemporary issues. This prepares them to engage in ethical and philosophical dilemma which feed into the RS A-Level course and also helps to develop them as empathetic citizens whilst also developing the skills of textual and argument analysis that are required at A-Level.
View our Key Stage 4 Religious Studies Curriculum Map
Key Stage 5
At A-Level students take OCR Religious Studies which is a rigorous course of study that prepares learners for progression to Higher Education. The content is designed to provide a coherent and thought-provoking programme of study and largely comprises the study of Philosophy and Ethics, as well as developments in Christian Theology.
View our Key Stage 5 Religious Studies Curriculum Map
How does Religious Studies prepare students for the next stage of their education or employment?
The study of Religion and at A-Level is a desirable subject by many universities as the skills developed are transferable to a wide variety of undergraduate degree programs. Career paths are also wide ranging and include fields such as politics, medicine and teaching.
More Information
More information about our curriculum can be found by looking at our curriculum overviews
Right to Withdraw from RS Lessons
Legal point:
This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Students aged 18 or over have the right to withdraw themselves from Religious Education (RS) lessons. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RS, and can do so without giving any explanation. Teachers also have the right to withdraw from the teaching of RS.
NATRE advice:
Whilst parents have a clear legal right to withdraw their children from RS, and do not have to express their reason for the withdrawal, many parents share their reasons, and should be encouraged to do so.
Crayford Policy:
We have a duty to supervise any pupils who have been withdrawn from RS, but not to:
- Provide additional teaching that is not RS
- Incur extra cost
We can’t ask parents/carers to supervise their children if they’re withdrawn from RS. We can make alternative arrangements for providing RS of the kind the parent/carer wants the child to receive. This is provided for in law, under section 71(3) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 for maintained schools. As above, academies are also required to follow this section under the terms of the DfE's model funding agreements (linked above). This might involve:
- Providing the relevant RS at your school
- Sending the pupil to another school that provides suitable RS, if practical
- Withdrawing the pupil from school for a “reasonable period of time” to attend external RS
