The Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Department

At Presdales, the Department’s particular interest in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics is about a development of an open-ended, ‘thinking’ approach to spiritual, philosophical and ethical issues.

Our Vision

Studying Philosophy, Religion and Ethics at Presdales will provide students with a rich curriculum which will broaden their understanding of different faiths, cultures, mindset and philosophies which relate to the real world. This understanding will help students to reflect on and respond to issues beyond the classroom, that they may experience personally or may observe in wider society.

We nurture their natural curiosity about life by giving them the opportunity to ask Big Questions, and time to reflect on a range of responses from both religious and non-religious perspectives. We inspire them to be creative in their responses to these challenging and significant topics. Students will hone their critical thinking and evaluative skills, which will in turn raise their levels of achievement across the curriculum.

When students have reached the end of their Presdales Philosophy, Religion and Ethics journey, they will have a sense of wonder of this diverse and beautiful world, an appreciation of others, a sense of academic achievement, and the ability to consider a rich tapestry of worldviews.

Our Aim

For students to have a broad understanding of worldviews (including the six major world faiths, and non-religious views such as atheism and humanism)
To enable students to develop critical thinking skills in order to evaluate different arguments and viewpoints on philosophical and ethical issues
To ensure that all students study a variety of religions and worldviews up to Key Stage 4, and that they have the opportunity to achieve their potential in this subject
To enable students to reflect on and articulate their own views on the big philosophical questions, as well as consider those of others
To nurture students so that they have a sense of awe and wonder, an appreciation of those seemingly different to them, and a sense of academic achievement
To help students use discussion in order to learn and explain their ideas and viewpoints clearly
To promote students to be empathetic, and socially aware and responsible citizens, in order to address prejudice and discrimination where they may encounter it

Key Stage 3

Year 7 Curriculum

In Year 7 students begin with a study of symbolism, exploring the nature of religious knowledge and the kinds of language and behaviour used to express it. The idea is to develop a toolkit for Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. The year begins with a study of various examples of symbolism, including object, stories and ritual. There is a focus on symbolic stories, including fable, parable and myth, drawing on the rich literary traditions of Sikhism, Judaism and Hinduism.

Year 8 Curriculum

The Year 8 curriculum is being developed to encourage students to reflect on ways in which we can learn from the religions that we study. Each of the broad areas is studied from a different religious perspective, which will include the opportunity for students to explore the similarities and differences between religious and non-religious responses to areas of life. We look at what Islam teaches about how to treat each other, and what Judaism teaches about nature and our place in creation. Students will develop skills of critical and creative thinking and the ability to appreciate other people’s views in addition to communicating their own.

Year 9 Curriculum

In Year 9 pupils begin the EDUQAS GCSE short course, which will be examined at the end of Y10. The course aims to enable candidates to investigate ways in which religious beliefs and values are relevant to specified moral issues and behaviour. In Year 9, students will learn the key beliefs and teachings of both Buddhism and Christianity, which will stand them in good stead for Year 10 when they will apply these worldviews to philosophical and ethical issues.

GCSE

GCSE Year 10 (short course)

All students in Year 10 will complete the EDUQAS GCSE short course, which began in Year 9. They will build on the understanding that they gained of Buddhism and Christianity, and apply these teachings to ethical and philosophical modern issues. In Issues of Life and Death, students explore the topics of abortion and euthanasia, reflecting on questions such as when life begins, and what defines a person, from religious and non-religious perspectives. In Issues of Human Relationships, we cover religious views on marriage, divorce, same-sex relationships, sex and contraception, and gender equality in leadership roles.

A Level

Philosophy & Ethics

Entry requirements: GCSE grade 5 in RE
If the subject has not been studied at GCSE: GCSE grade 5 in English Language or English Literature

Philosophy deals with such questions concerning the nature of truth and knowledge as discussed by ancient philosophers; psychology of religion, particularly the scientific observation of religious experience; the relationship between the mind and body; the nature of evil; arguments for the existence or non-existence of God; and the purpose, use and limitations of language.

In Ethics, we explore the nature of goodness and how knowledge of goodness can be defined, tested and discussed; ethical language; and conscience. The focus is on applying and evaluating ethical theories such as utilitarianism and natural law. These theories are then further developed in applied ethics, including sexual ethics and business ethics.

Developments in Religious Thought: These components are used to analyse and evaluate the significance, impact and contextualisation of ideas within the Philosophy and Ethics units. These include; the interconnections of ideas and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world; sources of religious wisdom and authority; and significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought, including the ideas discussed in psychology, science and sociology.

Most lessons are discussion-based, and students will need to be flexible thinkers with an open mind. There are no universally agreed right or wrong answers, but students will need to learn the scholarship that might support a variety of possible answers, and develop their own coherent ideas about the various topics studied, in relation to the established scholarly views. Ongoing assessment is based on essay writing, which is a skill which will be taught, but students need to be able to think critically and write clearly about quite complex questions.

Assessment

We follow the OCR ‘Religious Studies’ syllabus (H173, H573). There is no coursework. A’ level grades are awarded based on three, two-hour, final examinations, taken in Year 13.

Career Opportunities

This popular and thought-provoking course complements most subjects at A’ level. It will help students develop skills of analysis, reasoning, communication and in-depth conceptual thinking. For these reasons, Religious Studies is one of only three additional subjects, other than the core GCSE subjects, that The Russell Group of universities recommends as an invaluable foundation for many university courses. The skills developed by a study of Philosophy and Ethics will be useful in any career requiring in-depth thinking, alongside clear and coherent communication, such as law, politics, education, social sciences, the media, or any area (eg medicine or business) where ethical decisions might need to be made.

Curriculum Maps