Experiencing Catholicism in Today’s World

In today’s multi-cultural society, issues of religious understanding and tolerance are more important than ever, and Religious Education has a vital role to play for our students’ personal development.  Students learn to develop their own interpretation of their Catholic faith, challenging the society around them and their place in it.

Our Approach

Religious Education is one of the core subjects at the College, alongside English, Maths and Science. Our Department’s strong results have improved year on year.  Students enjoy RE lessons and come to a deeper knowledge, understanding and love of the Word of God as revealed in Scriptures and the teaching of the Church.

Students are also given the opportunity to reflect on their own lives and the big decisions that they are facing.  The Department aims are to ensure all students are extended and challenged to learn about and learn from Catholic Christianity through lively and thorough analysis of the effects of the Roman Catholic tradition on aspects of Christian lifestyle and behaviour.  The specification at KS4 and the schemes of work at KS3 conform to the requirements laid down by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Key Stage 3

Fundamental topics for Catholic education include both religious history, biblical study and understanding of other religions and tradions.

• The understanding of the Sacraments
• What it means to be a member of the Catholic Church, The Mass and Prayer
• Advent and Christmas, Vocation, Parables of the Kingdom of God, the Environment, A Place of  Catholic Pilgrimage
• Judaism, Holocaust, Islam,
• The Identity of Jesus, Jesus as Messiah, Leadership, Love, Sacrifice and Personal relationships
• The English Reformation, Culture and Identity, Monasteries, Church History, and the Saints

Key Stage 4

Students at KS4 divide their examination between Years 10 and 11 and examples of the units of study covered are:

• Beliefs and Values: nature of God, beliefs about Jesus and the Holy Spirit, Christian values, and the meaning and importance of loving others
• Community and Tradition: Christian Ministry, Ordination of Women, Celibacy of the Clergy and the importance of the Apostolic Tradition
• Worship and Celebration: The Sacramental Life of the Church; Baptism, Reconciliation, The importance of the Mass, Living the Christian Life
• Believing in God; Causation and Design, Evil and Suffering, Meaning and purpose, Religious Experience.
• Matters of Life and Death: Abortion, Euthanasia, Paranormal, Life after Death, Sanctity of Life
• Marriage and Family Life: Purpose of Marriage, Catholic teaching on Contraception, Divorce, upbringing of children, homosexuality
• Social Harmony: Prejudice, Discrimination, Racism, UK as a multi-ethnic and multi-faith society, religious harmony.