You are here: Bishop Barrington School > Subjects > Religious Education

Religious Education

Aims of the department

The aims of the Religious Education department give a subject specific focus, and reflect the over all aims of the school. The aims of the school as a whole are to provide each pupil with the opportunity:

To appreciate learning and to reach her/his full academic potential.
To achieve the highest level of examination success and accreditation, of which s/he is capable.
To reach the best standard of personal and social behaviour.
To experience trust, respect and respectability, leading to self reliance and self-discipline.
To be a caring member of the community.
To prepare to respond positively and confidently to the challenges of adult life.

In order to enable pupils to achieve the aims of the school within the context of the subject of Religious Education, the departments aims are to give all pupils the opportunity:

To develop an understanding of the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on individuals, communities, societies and cultures.
To develop a positive attitude towards other people, respecting their right to hold different beliefs from their own, and towards living in a diverse society.
To develop an ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues.
To enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by refelecting on the fundamental questions in life raised by human experience in the light of their own experiences and that of religious teachings.
To obtain the highest level of examination success and accreditation, of which s/he is capable, whilst achieving the subjects other aims.

Programme of Study

The Programme of Study for Religious Education at Bishop Barrington consists of up to 21 units of work, which are studied by all pupils on a three periods per fortnight for years 7 and 9, four periods per fortnight for year 8, two periods per fortnight for Ethics (Core RE and Citizenship Education) in years 10 and 11 and six periods per fortnight for the option groups in years 10 and 11.

The Programme of Study has been written to comply with the guidelines outlined in the "Durham County Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education" and to give all pupils a chance to gain accreditation in RE through either following GCSE RE full or Short Course. The GCSE course studied is the AQA Specification A (3061) - options 1A (Christianity) and 2A (Effects of Christianity on behaviour, attitudes and lifestyles. Paper 2A will be offered to all pupils as an examination as a short course GCSE. It covers a wide range of issues from different religious perspectives. It is hoped that the introduction of the Short Course will open up success in RE for all ability ranges, as well as providing links to Citizenship Education.

The revised "Durham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education" was launched in February 2001 and the RE schemes of work have been amended to comply with the changes made. The 'new' Agreed Syllabus includes a Bridging Unit, which hopes to promote continuity and progression at the transfer of pupils from Key Stage 2 to 3. The Unit, 'Signs and Symbols' will be taught in the first half of the Autumn term and will hopefully help pupils to progress comfortably as they start secondary school. Due to Bishop Barrington having many feeder schools, it is envisaged that the topics studied within the unit may need to be modified or changed after further discussion with the Primary RE Co-ordinators.