Head of Faculty
Mrs. S. Huck
Primary Subject Lead
Mrs. C. Wilson
Teachers of KS3 BPE
Mrs. M. Doolan
Dr. H. Polley
Teacher of GCSE RE
Mr. M. Lynch
Please contact the Head of Faculty or Primary Subject Lead if you would like to find
out more about our curriculum.
Autumn 1: What makes people special?
Autumn 2: What is Christmas?
Spring 1: How do people celebrate?
Spring 2: What is Easter?
Summer 1: What makes stories special?
Summer 2: What makes places special?
Autumn 1 & 2:
Christianity – Creation Story
Q – Does God want Christians to look after the world?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – What gifts might Christians in my town have given Jesus if he had been born here rather than in Bethlehem?
Spring 1 &2:
Christianity – Jesus as a friend
Q – Was it always easy for Jesus to show friendship?
Christianity – Easter (Palm Sunday)
Q – Why was Jesus welcomed like a king or celebrity by the crowds on Palm Sunday?
Summer 1 & 2:
Judaism – Shabbat
Q – Is Shabbat important for Jewish children?
Judaism – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Q – Are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur important to Jewish children?
Autumn 1 & 2:
Christianity – What did Jesus teach?
Q – Is it possible to be kind to everyone all of the time?
Christianity – Jesus as a gift from God
Q – Why do Christians believe that God gave Jesus to the world?
Spring 1 &2:
Islam – Prayer at home
Q – Does praying at regular intervals help a Muslim in his/her everyday life?
Christianity – Easter (Resurrection)
Q – How important is it to Christians that Jesus came back to life after His crucifixion?
Summer 1 &2:
Islam – Community and belonging
Q – Does going to a Mosque give Muslims a sense of belonging?
Hajj – Q-Does completing Hajj make a person a better Muslim?
Autumn 1 & 2:
Hinduism – Divali
Q – Would celebrating Divali at home and in the community bring a feeling of belonging to a Hindu child?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q- Has Christmas lost its true meaning?
Spring 1 & 2 :
Christianity – Miracles of Jesus
Q – Could Jesus heal people? Were these miracles or is there some other explanation?
Christianity – Easter (forgiveness)
Q – What is ‘good’ about Good Friday?
Summer 1 & 2:
Hinduism – Hindu beliefs
Q – How can Brahman be everywhere and in everything?
Hinduism – Pilgrimage to River Ganges
Q – Would visiting the River Ganges feel special to a non-Hindu?
Autumn 1 & 2:
Buddhism – Buddha’s teachings
Q – Is it possible for everyone to be happy?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – What is the most significant part of the nativity story for Christians today?
Spring 1 & 2:
Buddhism – 8 fold path
Q-Can the Buddha’s teachings make the world a better place?
Christianity – Easter (Salvation)
Q – Is forgiveness always possible for Christians?
Summer 1 & 2:
Buddhism – 8 fold path (continued)
Q – What is the best way for a Buddhist to lead a good life?
Christianity – Prayer and worship
Q- Do people need to go to church to show they are Christians?
Autumn 1 & 2:
Sikhism – Belief into action
Q – How far would a Sikh go for his/her religion?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – Is the Christmas story true?
Spring 1 & 2:
Sikhism – Beliefs and moral values
Q- Are Sikh stories important today?
Christianity – Salvation
Q- How significant is it for Christians to believe God intended Jesus to die?
Summer 1 & 2:
Sikhism – Prayer and worship
Q- What is the best way for a Sikh to show commitment to God?
Christianity – Beliefs and practices
Q – What is the best way for a Christian to show commitment to God?
Autumn 1 & 2:
Islam – Beliefs and Practices
Q – What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?
Christianity – Christmas (Incarnation)
Q – Do Christian celebrations help Christians understand who Jesus was and why he was born?
Spring 1 & 2:
Christianity – Beliefs and Meaning
Q – Is anything ever eternal?
Christianity – Easter (The Gospel)
Q – Is Christianity still a strong religion 2000 years after Jesus was on earth?
Summer 1 & 2:
Islam – Beliefs and moral values
Q – Does belief in Akhirah (life after death) help Muslims lead good lives?
Autumn 1: How do we know what we know? An introduction to BPE, with a focus on Philosophical questions. (Philosophy) Big Questions- Pupils look at a variety of questions through a philosophical lens. (philosophy)
Autumn 2 and Spring 1: What does Belief look like? Students will explore a variety of themes, beliefs and worldviews through NATRE’s A-Z of Religion. (Belief)
Spring 2 and Summer 1: What is important to Muslims? Students will gain an understanding of key features of Islam before applying this knowledge to our society today. They will consider what is good and what is challenging about being a Muslim in Britain. (Beliefs)
Summer 2: How can belief be expressed through the arts? Students will explore theme of their choice and create their own response through various mediums. The best in school will be submitted to NATRE’s national competition. (Belief, Philosophy and Ethics)
Autumn 1 &2 : What lessons can we learn from the Bible? Students will study key themes within the Bible, building upon their knowledge from Primary and applying it’s teaching to how Christians live their lives. (Belief and Ethics)
Spring 1: How did we get here? Students will explore the debate between Evolution and The Creation Story. (Belief)
Spring 2: Was Siddartha right to leave the Palace? Students will learn the founding story of Bhuddism and the key features of the religion. They will explore how Buddhists live their lives today and also the links to our local area through a study of the local Buddhist Temple. (Beliefs)
Summer 1: How important are Human Rights? Students will investigate a range of issues and debated relevant to today’s society, (Ethics)
Summer 2: How can belief be expressed through the arts? Students will explore theme of their choice and create their own response through various mediums. The best in school will be submitted to NATRE’s national competition. (Belief, Philosophy and Ethics)
Autumn 1: What is religion? Students will explore alternative belief systems to gain an understanding of the diverse nature of religion around the world. (Belief)
Autumn 2 and Spring 1: Does suffering make belief in God impossible? Students will grapple with the question of whether an all-loving, all-powerful God would allow suffering in the World. (Belief, Philosophy, Ethics)
Spring 2 and Summer 1: What does it mean to be a Humanist? Students will study key features of the Humanist worldview and apply their learning to the modern world (Belief and Ethics)
Summer 2: How can belief be expressed through the arts? Students will explore theme of their choice and create their own response through various mediums. The best in school will be submitted to NATRE’s national competition. (Belief, Philosophy and Ethics)
Awarding Body – AQA
Specification Code – 8062
Tiers – all candidates sit the same level of qualification
The GCSE curriculum is based around two components:
Component One – The Study of Religions : Beliefs, Teachings and Practices
At Chetwynde, the two religions chosen are Christianity and Buddhism
Component Two – Thematic Studies
Candidates should study a total of four themes from Component Two – either four religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes or two religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes and two textual studies themes.
Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies Themes
- Relationships and Families
- Religion and Life
- The Existence of God and Revelation
- Religion, Peace and Conflict
- Religion, Crime and Punishment
- Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice
Textual Studies Themes
- St. Mark’s Gospel – the life of Jesus
- St. Mark’s Gospel as a source of religious, moral and spiritual truths
Assessment is through two written examinations:
Written Examination One
This examination covers both religions covered in Component One – there are two distinct papers, and the candidate has 1h 45mins to use as they see fit across the two papers
Written Examination Two
This examination covers the four themes chosen from Component Two – the examination lasts for 1h 45mins
Both assessments make up 50% of the overall grade awarded.
As a secular school, Chetwynde values the spiritual development of all students and recognises the important contribution that Religious Education (BPE) makes to school life.
We encourage all students to study RE because we believe that understanding and appreciating different beliefs, values and traditions helps young people develop respect, empathy and a greater understanding of the diverse society in which they live.
Parents have a legal right to withdraw their child from Religious Education – any request to withdraw a child should be made in writing to the Headteacher.
part of the school’s curriculum and is taught within the normal timetable.
The school has a responsibility to supervise pupils during the school day, but is not able to provide an individually tailored alternative curriculum or additional staffing as a consequence of an individual withdrawal – where a pupil is withdrawn, the school will determine the most appropriate arrangements that can reasonably be made within its existing staffing and timetable provision.