RS & Philosophy

CURRICULUM INTENT STATEMENT

Key Stage 3

We often start our termly topics with Big Questions so that the students can think critically and openly about a new and sometimes unfamiliar concept such as “Who are we?”. We encourage a safe space with RS and Philosophical values at the heart of our discussion time such as tolerance, respect and open mindedness. This enables students to share stories and experiences which have shaped their belief systems and opinions on other communities/cultures and their practices. It empowers them to always be open to new perspectives and to be able to express their views in a coherent and knowledgeable way avoiding prejudices and generalisation about the wider world.

We explore the makeup of our society, reminding students that we live in a culturally diverse society and as citizens, employers and employees of the future they will need to be aware of our cultural and spiritual differences and how best to be tolerant and empathetic e.g. in terms of commemorating and abiding by religious festivals and observing practices such as fasting. We also look at how the religious traditions of our past have shaped the modern world we live in and how it has had an impact on cultural practices, celebrations and ethical values / laws.

We ensure that all students have a chronological understanding of Global Religions and how and where they have originated over time. They learn a broad spectrum of religious beliefs with two in-depth studies of the most commonly practised religions in the UK. We encourage British Values throughout the teaching of our lessons to make sure that different religious, ethical and philosophical beliefs can be expressed in a safe space and evaluated in a responsible way which avoids prejudice or misconceptions about ethnic minorities or religious traditions within British society.

Key Stage 4

In key stage 4 students can choose to study GCSE Philosophy and Ethics. In this course we examine topics that are ever changing such as the morality in medical ethics, war and the justice system etc. This enables students to make links between our moral, scientific and spiritual worlds and think critically about how their perspectives may change through context, culture and time. New technology and law can create a change in our moral compass and students are able to recognise how ethics is applied and how it will shape and sometimes separate them as individuals in the wider world.

We delve into various philosophical and ethical topics which will help to shape student views on issues which are widely debated and affect the rights and liberties of individuals such as abortion, euthanasia and the justice system. It is non-negotiable for students to look at a variety of ethical issues from more than one non religious perspective and at least one religious perspective. This means that students are prepared for the fact that they will face opposing viewpoints throughout their lives and how best to respond to these, being critical and evaluative as well as empathetic and tolerant.

We ensure that the students have a vast amount of knowledge regarding the legal boundaries of many controversial ethical topics such as abortion, euthanasia, justice system and war. We encourage students to be aware of the vast differences between our moral, ethical, religious and philosophical culture in comparison to those in the global community. They become knowledgeable about the religious traditions of the UK and how these values and belief systems can be seen in British Law, Culture and Political Policy and how we are responsible for critically evaluating these values in light of changing beliefs, rights and attitudes.

Key Stage 5

In key stage 5 students can choose to study IB Philosophy as part of their IBCP curriculum. In this course we delve deeper into our theory of knowledge and make students question everything they think they knew. We establish a more critical approach in exploring perspective and use the Great philosophical thinkers to guide our content such as Descartes. We discuss what it is to learn, how we attain knowledge and what truth means. The allegory of Socrates’  cave is the starting point that ensures Philosophy students are always open to the possibility that there is always a world of new things to learn.

Students are encouraged through the use of the IB to be prepared citizens who promote the ethics of academic honesty. In Philosophy, we encourage students to question absolutely everything around them, even the foundations of their knowledge and how significant it would be to not question the world around you. We make students aware of important philosophical thinkers who have shaped the world and intellectual thought as we know it and how these philosophical concepts are expressed in literature, art, music and politics around the world.

Students are encouraged through the use of the IB to be responsible citizens who promote the ethics of academic honesty. Students look at a variety of global thinkers and how an understanding of human nature can vary across the world. Students become responsible for leading their own inquiry into a philosophical concept and how to be responsible for driving their own research and developing their own theories on human enquiry and presenting this to others in a way that can be easily understood.