Transcript RS presentation - VLE

Brighouse High School
Religious Studies
Department
Staff
 Head of Department – Mrs Rosie Horsfield
 Part-time staff – Mrs Catherine Bagnall (3 days)
Non-specialist part-time staff: - Miss K White (7 hours)
 - Miss R Ramdewor (7 hours)
 - Mrs E Hirst (1 hour) (2 hours –cover supervisor)
 (Miss K Owram , an RS specialist, will join the
department in September)
The Promotion of Spiritual, Moral,
Social and Cultural Development
 “Spirituality is like a bird: if you hold it too tightly it
chokes, if you hold it too loosely it flies away.
Fundamental to spirituality is the absence of force”.
(Rabbi Hugo Gryn)
By it’s very nature the subject lends itself perfectly to
the promotion of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural
development of our pupils. The above quote is taken
from the BHS policy document and reflects my own
view of how RS should best be delivered.
The value of Religious Studies
 Despite exclusion from the National Curriculum
Review the value of this subject cannot be
underestimated.
 The Religious Education Council of England & Wales
(REC) has produced a curriculum framework for RE in
England with an aim to guide SACREs, teachers,
governing bodies etc.
 The new local agreed syllabus for Calderdale &
Kirkless has been written in accordance with the
findings of the framework.
Key Stage 3
 RS is taught for 1 hour a week to all KS3 Students
 Mixed ability groups taught in forms
 Baseline assessment in Year 7 ensures that progress
can be accurately measured.
 In Y7 pupils study the Abrahamic faiths- Judaism,
Christianity and Islam focussing upon key beliefs and
practices.
 In Y8 pupils study the Eastern religions – Hinduism,
Buddhism and Sikhism and again focus upon key
beliefs and practices.
Key Stage 3
 In Y9 pupils have traditionally started the GCSE course
at the start of the Spring term after completing an
introductory module taken from the “Reflecti0ns”
series .
 Reflections enables pupils to consider a range of
ethical , moral and philosophical concepts and
questions such as; The Sanctity of Life, Why does evil
exist? Was the world designed?
Key Stage 3-4
 Following the change from modular to linear
assessment at GCSE, a decision was made this year to
introduce GCSE RS as an option rather than being
compulsory. (All pupils will still receive core RS)
 I am pleased to report that we have had a good
uptake which evidences the value placed upon this
subject by both pupils and parents.
From September 2014
• Schemes of work to be re-written & updated in
accordance with the new Calderdale locally agreed
syllabus for RE.
• Cross curricular links with other departments; for
example I shall be liaising with the Head of History
and we have already identified the Holocaust as a
possible topic in Y9 to be simultaneously studied
across both subject areas.
GCSE
 Currently all pupils in KS4 study GCSE RS following the AQA syllabus
(specification B) and study two units both of which make up the full
GCSE. It is possible to study one unit (short-course) which equates to
half a GCSE.
 Unit 2- Religion & Life- In this unit we explore religious, moral and
ethical questions through the following topics; Prejudice &
Discrimination, Animal Rights, Early Life and Planet Earth.
 Unit 3- Religion & Morality- In this unit we explore religious, moral and
ethical questions through the following topics; Crime & Punishment,
Medical Ethics, Drugs and the Elderly and Death.
 From September 2014 we will also be able to include other topics such
as War & Peace and World Poverty.
GCSE
 Results have historically been very pleasing.
 2012- 83% A*- C
 2013- 69% A*- C ( this figure reflected whole school
figures and matched HOD predictions)
A Level
 A Level RS is taught following the AQA course and is a
popular choice for students.
- In Year 12 the units studied are- the Philosophy of Religion &
Science, and Islam, the Way of Submission. There are 12 students
in the y12 group this year.
- In Year 13 the units studied are- the Philosophy of Religion &
Religious Experience (synoptic module). There are 9 students in
Y13 this year.
- The course allows students to explore a range of philosophical
questions and examine the views of key scholars. The synoptic
module enables students to pull together the material they have
studied over the 2 year course.
- 2013 100% pass rate at both AS & A2.
Taking it further…
 I am proud to report that 3 students in Y13 have opted
to study RS or an RS related subject at degree level.
 Charlotte Owens has accepted an offer at Cambridge
to study Philosophy, Emily Lister has accepted an
offer at Edinburgh to study Divinity & Classics, and
Holly Bancroft has accepted a place at Chester to
study Religious Studies.
Extra-Curricular
 Y7 York trip takes place in
the last week of the
Autumn term and is
always very popular.
 I do intend to explore
other trips, especially at
KS4 & 5 .
 Liaising with Tony Buck of
CICS.
Y12 Peace & Unity Conference
 The Y12 conference was re-launched in 2013 to be
more interactive.
 Students were encouraged to consider whether
peace in our time is reality or myth, and who do we
consider to be our neighbours?
 Amongst other activities the Yew Tree Theatre Group
from Wakefield delivered a fantastic play and
workshop written especially for our event and based
upon the teachings of the Good Samaritan.
 Excellent feedback received from students & staff
Y12 Peace & Unity Conference
 Mr Yasin & I delivered an interactive session entitled
Islam; Dispelling the Myths.
 Coming so soon after the murder of Lee Rigby the
session was very well received and enabled students
to ask questions that they had perhaps never felt
comfortable enough to do before.
 Plans for this year’s conference are well under way ;
students will again be challenged to share their views
on a number of moral & ethical issues .