World Views and Religious Studies
Intent
In Worldviews we aim to instil a curiosity of the world into every student, developing them into critical thinkers who can confidently question the world they live in. The aim of Worldviews is to give students the opportunity to learn about different cultures, perspectives and philosophies from around the world at present and in the past, which supports the development of students cultural competency and capital. Understanding how worldviews can influence peoples’ actions and behaviour can enable students to reflect on the impact they can have on the society around them. Worldviews is about equipping students with the knowledge, skills and appreciation for life in the 21st Century.
VIDEO: Learn more about Worldviews and Religious Studies at MHS
Learning hours
| Year group | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning hours per week | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
At KS3, students are introduced to different religious and world views, to give an insight into how different people think and the beliefs they may hold. In Year 7, students explore different worldviews by understanding what defines religion and culture, using Día de los Muertos as an example. They then examine how religion and culture relate to equality and diversity, discussing discrimination and its large-scale effects, such as the Holocaust. Topics include religious attitudes toward gender roles and the concept of agape. In the Summer Term, students reflect on how actions shape the future, considering the soul, human uniqueness, and Natural Law. They also connect these ideas to Tudor beliefs about the afterlife, linking to the History curriculum. In Year 8, students engage with ethical decision-making concepts, developing their own opinions while understanding differing perspectives. They explore suffering, types of evil, and theodicies that justify God's existence, along with the Just War theory. In the Summer Term, they examine the relationship between religion and science, including conflicts over evolution and theories on the universe’s end. Discussions also cover scientific advancements like designer babies, cloning, and AI. Year 9 integrates Worldviews with Citizenship, focusing on human and animal rights, discrimination, and the death penalty. They analyse religion’s portrayal in the media, addressing indoctrination and blasphemy. In the final term, students begin their GCSE studies with Religion, Peace, and Conflict, exploring justifications for war, holy wars, peaceful protests, and comparisons between Buddhist and Christian beliefs.
At KS4 students will follow AQA Religious Studies where students are required to learn about two religions, Buddhism and Christianity, and two Themes, Religion and Family anf Religion, Peace and Conflict. With Buddhism and Christianity, students will learn about key beliefs and how these beliefs influence a belivers life. They will learn the historical stories behind each religion and then look at how these historical stories have shaped the religion into what it is today. Within the Themes topics, students will need to apply Buddhist and Chrstian beliefs to the different topics including marriage, divorce, gender discrimination, war, violent protests and supporting victims of war. Students will learn how to apply different beliefs and evaluate a variety of attitudes and ideas, formualting their own opinions on each topic.
5 year learning journey
Specification
AQA Religious Studies Specification- Link
Our GCSE covers a range of religions and philosophical and ethical themes, ensuring our students have a variety of intriguing subjects to explore.
Students will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own values and attitudes towards religious issues.
Students will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills. All these will help prepare them for further study.
Careers
Religious Studies is intellectually exciting because it provides access to the mystery of the other. Religious Studies provides the opportunity to understand, with depth and nuance, the many beliefs and rituals that move persons to appreciate the alternative world of the religious reality.
Studying theology and world views gives an insight into humanity's history and its present, whilst developing key skills such as critical thinking and analytical writing. The exploration of Theology and Religious Studies will give you the skills to analyse writing, concepts and arguments in a wide range of contexts.
- Lawyer
- Teacher
- Journalist
- Human Resources
- Childcare
- Social worker
- Charity ambassador
- Religious leader
Links to PSHE
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) enable students to become resilient, independent and responsible members of society. We encourage our students to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community through encouragment to participate in extra curricular opportunities. In so doing we help develop their sense of self-worth. We teach them how society is organised and governed.
PSHE and worldviews promote students to critically think and actively listen to the opinions of others, which can enable students to develop their own informed ideas and opinions.
At MHS, PSHE is taught as a discrete subject for 1 hour a week. The PSHE curriculumm is aligned with not only World Views, but English, History, Sociology, Psychology and Science. PSHE in our school follows the Framework for PSHE, given as non-statutory guidance in the National Curriculum.
The aims of PSHE and worldviews are to enable the children to:
- Know and understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle
- Be aware of safety issues
- Understand what makes for good relationships with others
- Have respect for others regardless of race, gender and mental and physical disability
- Be independent and responsible members of the school community
- Be positive and active members of a democratic society
- Develop self-confidence and self-esteem and make informed choices regarding personal and social issues
- Develop good relationships with other members of the school and the wider community
- Understand the importance of consent and how to identify a toxic relationship (which is futher supported by the SEMH groups)
- Mental and physical wellbeing
Extra curricular opportunities
- Debate Club
- Podcasting personal development
- Meridian Talks
- Visits to key places of worship
- Royal Courts of Justice
Useful websites to support learning
| Website | How it supports students |
|---|---|
| AQA GCSE Religious Studies | The official examination-board website, providing the specification, course content and assessment information. |
| AQA Assessment Resources | Provides official past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and example student responses. This is the most reliable resource for examination practice. |
| BBC Bitesize – AQA Religious Studies | Clear explanations, videos and quizzes covering religious beliefs, teachings, practices and ethical themes. |
| Seneca Learning – AQA Religious Studies | Interactive, bite-sized activities covering different religions and thematic studies. Useful for regular retrieval practice and checking knowledge. |
| Save My Exams – AQA Religious Studies | Specification-matched revision notes, examination guidance and practice questions. Some content requires a subscription. |
| Revision World – Religious Studies | Free notes, quizzes and topic summaries covering religions, philosophical questions and ethical issues. Students should select only the topics studied at school. |
| Revision World – AQA Past Papers | Organises AQA Religious Studies A past papers and mark schemes by religion, theme and examination year. |
| Ben Wardle GCSE RS | Detailed revision videos for AQA Paper 1 beliefs and practices and Paper 2 thematic studies, including current examination guidance and key teachings. |
| Quizlet – GCSE Religious Studies | Useful for learning key vocabulary, religious teachings, sources of authority and quotations through flashcards and quizzes. Teacher-approved sets are recommended because many are user-generated. |
| Primrose Kitten – AQA Religious Studies | Revision advice, examination guidance and support with structuring responses, using quotations and managing time effectively. |
Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of Religious Education (RE) lessons. If you are considering this, we encourage you to discuss your concerns with the school first. Further information about this right can be found on the Department for Education website:
