All pupils are required to study Religious Studies at GCSE Level and to sit an external examination. Pupils may opt to study for the full course and will have five periods per week allocated on their timetable. Those who do not opt for the full course will have two periods per week to study for the short course.

FULL COURSE

The specification supports the study of Christianity and is designed to:

Help students to recognise and appreciate the religious and spiritual dimensions of life through research and questioning;

Challenge students to examine their own life stances, as they identify the values and attitudes which influence them;

Encourage students to respect the beliefs, values and attitudes of others.

SUBJECT CONTENT

Pupils who study the full course will study the unit: “Christianity through a Study of the Gospel of Matthew”, in Year 11 and a further unit in Year 12: “ Christian Ethics”. The content and structure of this course have been dramatically revised in the new specification. One big change is that there is no course work. Assessment will be one written exam for each unit. Each exam will last for one and a half hours.

SHORT COURSE

Pupils who follow this course will study one unit over two years. The unit will be “Christianity through a study of the gospel of Matthew”. There is no coursework, and assessment will be one written exam lasting one and a half hours.