Religious Education

There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. Dalai Lama RE is a challenging academic subject and makes a unique contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students, and supports wider community cohesion on Portland. Intent: To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, and other principal religions, and examine questions about the meaning of life, the self and others, morality, belonging, respect, responsibility and conflict.

Key Stage 1

At Keystage 1 students study some of the broad themes that serve as a foundation to the main religions of the world.

Years 1 and 2

Christmas
Easter
Creation
Jesus and Miracles
The Five Pillars of Islam

Key Stage 2

At Keystage 2 students build on the knowledge and understanding they have gained, and study:

Years 3 - 6

Moses, the Torah and Judaism
Christianity - Sermon on the Mount
Living a Christian life
The Christian Community and values
Multicultural Britain: Leading a life as a Sikh, Hindu and Muslim

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3 students learn about a variety of religious and philosophical beliefs. They gain knowledge about the difference between Metaphysics and Empiricism, and are able to describe key Christian and secular beliefs about God. They will be able to describe Christian views about creation and human behaviour as portrayed in Genesis, the Buddhist Eightfold Path and Christian beliefs about the eternal and spiritual nature of the soul. Students also study ethical theories and the philosophy linked to Good and Evil.

Modules taught at Key Stage 3 are:

Year 7

Unit 1 - The Old Testament

Unit 2 - Eastern Religions

Unit 3 - The Afterlife

Year 8

Unit 1 - Sport and Religion

Unit 2 - An introduction to ethical thinking

Unit 3 - Good and Evil