1. Religious Studies is for all pupils, of all abilities, background, of all faiths and none. However, in selecting the faiths studied in depth, the school population is considered.

At Camp Hill there is a variety of religions represented in any classroom and a high level of religious observance among many students. It is the department’s policy to begin with and value the students’ own personal and community experience

2. Students in year 9 begin the GCSE and continue further in year 11. There is AS and A2 Religious Studies groups in year 12 and 13.

3. a) In Key Stage 3. There is a combination of systematic and thematic units of work. The major world religions studied in depth are Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. Other major world religions, i.e. Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism are encountered in the thematic units. A vital part of our departmental meeting time is allowing staff to review and evaluate schemes of work as well as sharing good practice.

b) The schemes of work ensure that we cover the Five Areas of Study strands as outlined in the Walsall Agreed Syllabus:

AT1 Content
Authority and inspiration
Religious practices
Religious festivals and celebrations
Responding to the natural world
Relationships and responsibilities
Conveying meaning
Ultimate questions

AT2 Skills
Experience and encounter
Reflect and encounter
Respond and communicate
Evaluate interpret and apply

4. In accordance with Section 1 of the 1988 Education Reform Act, Religious Education is part of the school’s contribution to promoting the spiritual, moral social and cultural development of the pupils. This will be undertaken by developing strategies like circle-time ,paired and group discussion, drama, role-play, questionnaires and guided fantasy.

5. The department is committed to adopting a wide range of different learning styles in order to promote learning about and learning from RE including experimental activities, visits to places of worship, use of artefacts and ICT.

6. GCSE groups follow the AQA Syllabus B, Unit 2 Religion and life issues and Unit 4 Religious Philosophy and Ultimate Questions.

7. AS groups follow AQA Religious Studies Syllabus RSS01, Religion and Ethics I and RSS03 Philosophy of Religion. A2 groups follow AQA Religious Studies Syllabus RST3A Religion and Ethics and RST4A Religion Human Experience.

8. Assessment

In Key Stage 3 Religious Education, focuses on both Attainment Targets:

• AT1 learning about Religion
• AT2 learning from Religion

Pupils will be marked according to the seven level system of attainment see Appendix I. During each year pupils will be given 3 Common Assessed Tasks (CAT’s). Ideally the CAT’s will use a variety of assessment methods to take into account various learning styles. Information gained will be used to report back to parents, inform pupils of their progres and engage them with their own development. The remaining pieces of work i.e. homework’s will be marked according to the department marking policy.

9. In Religious Education all pupils are taught in mixed ability groups and have the opportunity to succeed through the use of differentiated activities and assessment. This may take a variety of forms. Schemes of work make clear our expected outcomes for pupils at different levels of ability.