Religion & Philosophy

Key Stage 3

All boys in Years 7 – 9 study a core curriculum in Religion and Philosophy which introduces them to both the beliefs held by the major religions of the world, and also the ideas of great philosophers. They are encouraged to examine these matters for themselves and develop their own opinions.

In Year 7 boys move from a study of accounts of the creation of the universe and the life within it, to consider the values and teachings of Buddhism.

In Year 8 the initial focus is on the life of Jesus and his relevance to the 21st century. There then follows an introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, with special reference to the concept of truth.

Year 9 begins by continuing with the Philosophy of Religion, looking at such issues as the relationship between faith and reason, and the problem of evil. The year is completed by study of the issues of animal rights and crime and punishment.

GCSE

In Year 10 the core curriculum continues alongside the GCSE option. It begins with the opportunity to see how religious, philosophical and ethical questions have been dealt with in films. It moves on to Islam, and the connected issue of the relationship between freedom of speech and sensitivity to religious belief. This is followed by the Value of Life module, which covers, amongst other things, the free will debate and medical ethics.

For GCSE we offer the OCR Specification B: Philosophy and Ethics (1931), with special consideration of the perspectives of Christianity and Buddhism. This was chosen to build on the core curriculum that each boy will, at this point be very familiar with. Visits to places such as the Holocaust Centre near Newark ensure that the boys are aware of the living reality of the subject, and the complexities of moral principles.

AS and A2

We offer the AQA syllabus (2060), regularly attracting not only those who took the subject at GCSE, but also some very able boys who recognised the appeal of the subject later on. There are three elements to both the AS and A2.

In Year 12 boys study important issues in the Philosophy of Religion (such as the psycology of religion and the cosmological argument) and Ethics (e.g., utilitarianism and the nature and value of life).

In Year 13 the Ethics module continues, with topics such as the Free Will debate and ethical issues arising out of science and technology. Alongside these is a paper which focuses on the various types of religious authority and their secular counterparts.