The Humanities Curriculum Area is built around a strong team of dedicated and experienced staff who share an on-going commitment to quality teaching and the improvement of standards. We strongly believe that the humanities form the very basis of what it is to be a balanced and conscientious individual and through our compassionate and supportive team we strive to deliver a broad curriculum that encapsulates the World’s story of past, present and future. Through the study of Ethics, we look to not only equip our students with knowledge of the world around them but also equip them with the necessary skills to become inquisitive and rational human beings. 

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

Students at KS3 will study a wide range of religious, ethical and social issues.  By the end of KS3 pupils should have a good understanding of the similarities and differences between the world’s major religions, as well as a more developed understanding of their own ethical views and how these apply to major social issues.  

​Pupils at KS3 will study topics such as: The morals of the Old Testament, Hinduism, the foundations of Buddhism, Sins and Good Deeds, Civil Rights, The Morality of War, Fast Fashion and Science and Religion.  

Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)

At KS4, pupils will deepen their philosophical understanding by studying ancient Greek philosophy and exploring the existence of God and immortality.  They will then go on to study complex ethical issues surrounding the prison system and capital punishment, before finishing with an exploration of the nature of suffering.   

Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13)

At AS/A Level, students will be taught the OCR Specification.  This involves three exams consisting of a Philosophy paper, an Ethics paper, and a Religion paper. For both the AS and A2 there is no coursework; assessment is solely by exam.  

 Themes for Religious Studies AS/A Level are:  

 Philosophy of Religion  

  • ancient philosophical influences 
  • the nature of the soul, mind and body 
  • arguments about the existence or non-existence of God 
  • the nature and impact of religious experience 
  • the challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil 
  • ideas about the nature of God 
  • issues in religious language 
  • ancient philosophical influences 
  • the nature of the soul, mind and body 
  • arguments about the existence or non-existence of God 
  • the nature and impact of religious experience 
  • the challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil 
  • ideas about the nature of God 
  • issues in religious language. 

Religion and Ethics.  

  • normative ethical theories 
  • the application of ethical theory to two contemporary issues of importance 
  • ethical language and thought 
  • debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience 
  • sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs 

Developments in religious thought for Buddhism.  

  • religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world 
  • sources of religious wisdom and authority 
  • practices which shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within a tradition 
  • significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought 
  • key themes related to the relationship between religion and society 

​ Link to the exam board specification - https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/religious-studies-h173-h573-from-2016/