Religion and Worldviews Yearly Overview
GCSE Religion and Worldviews
Course Title: Religious Studies
Exam Board: Pearson Edexcel
Qualification: GCSE
About the Course
Religious Studies gets to the heart of what it means to be human. In the GCSE, students gain an in depth knowledge of two of the world's biggest religious traditions. Through the systematic engagement of Big Questions that religions and worldviews address, students unlock the ways in which human beings make sense of the world around them and their place in it. Students are not limited to learning about religion; the GCSE requires the study of non-religious points of views, including those from atheism and Humanism, to consider a variety of understanding to what is real, and true. Students develop the knowledge and skills to not only learn about others, but importantly reflect on their own position on some of life's Big Questions. Students develop their ability to explain, analyse and evaluate throughout the GCSE which are crucial skills for academic pathways into university, and the world of work.
Assessment Overview
Students are assessed by written examinations, at the end of year eleven. There are two papers, of equal weighting, both with a duration of 1 hour 45 minutes.
Paper 1: Religion (Christianity) and Ethics.
Four sections in paper one, include a rich knowledge of Christian beliefs and Chistian Practices. The two thematic units, Matters of Life and Death and Marriage and the Family, require students to examine ethical issues from Christian and non-religious perspectives to understand the ways and reasons people with different worldviews respond to these questions.
Paper 2:
Paper 2: Religion (Islam), Peace and Conflict
Four sections in paper two which includes a rich knowledge of Islamic beliefs and Islamic practices. The two thematic units, Crime and punishment and Peace and conflict, will require students to use key disciplinary knowledge such as social history and law, in combination with Islamic philosophy, beliefs and practices. Students will be encouraged to compare this knowledge to non-religious perspectives, and critically think and challenge concepts that they will engage with.
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