Students studying RE will extend their thinking and analytical skills and enhance their creative, imaginative and emotional abilities. It equips our students with the essential tools, attitudes and qualities to enable them to function both effectively and efficiently as responsible, tolerant citizens in the 21st century.
In the Religious Education department we seek to educate not indoctrinate, we support students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Each student progressively develops the capacity to interpret and respond to a variety of concepts, beliefs and practices within religions studied. Students are asked to respond to other people’s life experiences and consider their own perspective on the learning and experiences they encounter.
Religious Education at Hamble Community Sports College follows the conceptual approach outlined in the Hampshire Agreed Syllabus for RE ‘Living Difference’. Religious Education plays a crucial role in supporting students in developing their own coherent patterns of values and principles.
Meet the department
| Rachael Burton Curriculum Leader of RE Room D 6 |
Clare Buckler Teacher of RE/ Curriculum Leader of PSHE/Citizenship Room D5 |
Nadine Bridgemahon-Russell Teacher of RE Room L4 |
Key Stage 3
Year 7
The Island
Students complete through the medium of experiential learning and introductory unit on the key concepts within religion. Students imagine they are shipwrecked on an island and have to start a community together to be able to survive. Key concepts covered within the unit include survival, community, rite of passage, belonging and initiation, moral law, death, sacred place and festival.
Has Jesus got the X-factor?
This unit aims to enable students to explore the key Christian concepts of incarnation, salvation and resurrection in relation to the life of Jesus Christ. Students consider the beliefs and historical evidence concerning the life of Jesus before developing an evaluative opinion on his value to modern life in the UK and the world community.
Our Sacred World?
Students explore the concepts of creation and origins of our world.
Students enquire into the concept of myth, creation, stewardship, interdependence and environmental protection from religious perspectives.
Symbol & Ritual
Students learn about the use of symbols in our society, their importance to people, their meaning, contextualised within the Christian faith. Students then complete a cycle on ritual, comparing worship rituals of the Christian Eucharist with the Hindu Puja ritual.
Year 8
Suffering to Happiness; the Buddha’s journey.
Students explore the concept of suffering in their lives and the life of Siddartha Gotuama.
Students then enquire into the Buddhist concept of Dukkha, and the Buddha’s search for a solution to suffering.
Finally students consider the concept of Sangha, with an exploration of life as a Buddhist monk and the practice of mindfulness as a means to achieve personal happiness.
Understanding God
Students explore different people’s beliefs about the existence of God. Students contextualise their understanding of God from a Christian and Islamic perspective.
Inspiring Individuals
Students explore the lives and beliefs of inspirational people.
Students will learn about the lives of, Mother Theresa, Gandhi and Martin Luther King amongst others, through the concepts of inspiration, justice, freedom, compassion and ahimsa.
Intriguing Islam
Students study the concepts of Umma, Identity and Jihad within the context of the Islam.
Students consider the growth and diversity of belief and practice within the Islamic faith.
Year 9
Religion and Community
Students explore the nature of multicultural Southampton, by enquiring into the concepts of culture, belief and society.
Students get the chance to visit a local Hindu temple, Sikh Gurdwara and the central Southampton Mosque to experience worship.
Challenging Prejudice
This unit supports students in developing a sound understanding of three related concepts of culture, customs, traditions and prejudice through exploring the experiences of the Gypsy community.
The content of the unit complements the studies completed in the Life course, in which students study the lives of the Jewish people and the events of the Holocaust.
Life after Death
Students explore the journey made by humans after death. Within this unit on immortality students study concepts such as reincarnation, rebirth, resurrection, dualism, legacy and memory.
Evidence for life after death is analysed by looking at Near Death Experiences, Ghosts, Mediums and Channelling.
Animal Rights
Students examine the relative worth of the animal kingdom to humankind. Issues surrounding the use and abuse of animals are covered including animal testing, factory farming versus free range farming, genetic modification of animals, cloning and the keeping of animals in zoos.
Students will examine religious perspectives on these issues.
Key Stage 4 Ethics, Philosophy and Religion in Society
The GCSE course offered to our students is distinctive in providing opportunities for the thematic studies of religion and religious responses to fundamental questions of life, with reference to one or more of the six major world religions.
It encourages candidates to develop their interest in, and enthusiasm for a study of religion and its relation to the wider world. Students increasingly develop and express their personal responses and informed insights on fundamental questions about the meaning, purpose, and value of human life in the 21st century. Key topics covered are as follows:
Religion and Morality
Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life (Medical Ethics)
In this topic students explore religious beliefs and teachings concerning the value of life, the importance of health and healing and who is responsible for life. Students enquire into the religious and ethical issues raised by new medical technologies and for the ways in which people respond to situations within this area.
Key topics include: human genetic engineering, including designer babies & saviour siblings, stem cell research, transplant surgery and experiments on humans.
Religious Attitudes to the Elderly and Death
In this topics students enquire into the treatment of the elderly, death and what happens after death.
Key concepts and topics covered include; law concerning death and euthanasia, sanctity and quality of life, the role of the family and community in caring for the elderly.
Religious Attitudes to Drug Abuse
Students study the religious beliefs and teachings concerning the mind and body.
Students will apply teachings in relation to the taking of drugs for non-medical purposes.
Religious Attitudes to Crime and Punishment
This topic enables students to consider human nature and the issue of wrong-doing. As an introduction to criminal law, students consider beliefs about law and order, the concepts of right and wrong, conscience, duty and responsibility and the punishment of offenders.
Concepts such as repentance and forgiveness are also studied in 21st century contexts.
Religious Attitudes to Rich and Poor in British Society
In this topic students investigate wealth and poverty and explanations for the existence of both rich and poor in society. Students enquire into ways of overcoming poverty and explore what is being done to help people break out of the poverty,
Issues such as homelessness, gambling, lack of education are debated alongside what should society do to care for the poor.
Religious Attitudes to World Poverty
In this topic students develop an awareness of religious beliefs and teachings on world poverty and should be aware of how religious leaders and other faith members have interpreted these texts in the light of contemporary life.
Students investigate ways in which believers care for the poor in developing countries, including the work of religious charities, the issue of aid & fair trade and voluntary service.
Philosophy and Ultimate Questions
The Existence of God
In this first philosophy topic students will be asked questions on the arguments for God’s existence.
These include the First Cause argument (cosmological argument), Design argument (teleological argument); and Argument from miracles, amongst others.
Students will also consider arguments against belief in the existence of God. In each case students will be able to outline basic problems with the arguments.
The Problems of Evil and Suffering
In this fascinating topic students explore the concepts of evil and suffering in a created world,
Students consider God and man’s responsibility for each. Students go onto to question – “where does evil originate?” And “What questions does evil raise about God’s love, power and purpose?”.
Immortality
In this topic students consider the meaning of death, and the afterlife. It also explores the reasonableness of believing in life after death, as well as the problems created by it.
Key concepts and topics studied include reincarnation, resurrection, rebirth, legacy, evidence of immortality, such as scriptural accounts, ghost experience, channelling, Near Death Experience & revelation.
Miracles
In this topic students consider whether miracles occur, and if we can properly define them. It also explores the idea that miracles are based on interpretation rather than real evidence, and as such are always subject to doubt and cynicism.
Science and Religion
In this topic students will compare and contrast science and religion, trying to see how similar or different the two are. It particularly looks at two key issues – the origins of the universe, and the origins of life. Students consider the Big Bang theory versus the Genesis 1 story of creation. Students enquire into design versus evolution and how evolutionary theory – when first put forward by Darwin – was a challenge to religious belief. Students consider to what extent science and religion can agree.
