RS / Philosophy POS 2026-7, KS3 Term 1
Y7
Y8
Term 2
Term 3
Hinduism Sikhism Judaism - The roots The oldest and A combination of of the three most populous Hindu and Abrahamic religions, polytheistic Abrahamic and how jewish (sometimes!) influences, with identity has conception of God, distinctive developed in the and how it has practical modern world. affected the lives of applications. Hindus.
Christianity & Forgiveness Should Christians always forgive? We approach this through beliefs about the nature of God, Creation and The Fall, the problem of evil, and Jesus’ role in salvation.
Term 4
Term 5
Term 6
Humanism Spirited arts A worldview that How art can rejects theism, Revision and express ultimate and the struggle end of year exam ideas in a way to replace the that language values that it never could. provides.
Buddhism and Christianity and Islamic Values suffering Social Justice What is the Can we escape How have most important suffering? A Christians put pillar in Islam? critical Jesus’ teachings Students form comparison of into action? We will their own Buddhist views study Jesus’ life judgements, with the Christian and teachings, and based on the beliefs studied in the different ways Islamic beliefs term 1, along Christians have and practices with any other applied them to studied in views you want social issues. lessons to consider.
Revision, exam, feedback and improvement Focus on exam technique and timing
Year End Points
Students should be able to explain the main beliefs of Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Humanism, and give examples of how they affect practice. They should also be able to evaluate opposing arguments on a controversial issue, with reference to relevant religious beliefs.
Multicultural Britain What effect does religious diversity Students should be able to explain and critically evaluate a have on those range of religious and non-religious views on: following the - The importance of forgiveness major faiths we - The duty to promote social justice have studied, or - Causes and responses to suffering smaller faiths - The relative importance of religious practices and such as Pagans, principles Bahai, - The impact of religious secularism and pluralism Zoroastrians or Rastafarians?
Intro to Revision/ exam philosophy Students sit the What is AQA short course Peace and Relationships philosophy, and Peace and Conflict GCSE, with Conflict Religious and how does it differ Y9 (AQA The legitimacy of Revision sections on Nuclear weapons, non-religious from RS? Short Course violence in the name Focus on exam Christian beliefs Peace making, attitudes towards How do sceptical GCSE) of justice: just war, technique and and teachings, Support for victims sexual and hypotheses Content holy war, extremism timings Islamic beliefs and of war familial threaten to and terrorism. teachings, relationships undermine Relationships & knowledge? And families and can this be Peace & conflict. escaped?
The current Y9s (2026-7) studied Christian and Islamic beliefs for the AQA short course qualification last year, rather than the revised Y8 SOW above. In addition to the revising the Christian and Islamic beliefs studied in Y8, Y9 students should be able to apply and critically evaluate them with regard to: The legitimacy of violence / pacifism, Reasons for war, Nuclear weapons, Peace making, Support for victims of war. Sexuality, Cohabitation, marriage and divorce, Contraception and family planning, Family roles, Gender roles Students should also be able to give informed, considered evaluations of arguments for and against philosophical scepticism (studied in the summer after the short course GCSE exam)
RS / Philosophy POS 2026-7, KS4 Term 1
Is there a god? Cosmological and Y10 (all students): teleological Themes in arguments, philosophy reductive accounts of religious belief
Term 2
Term 3
Moral theories Utilitarian, deontological and virtue ethics approaches to morality.
Applied and Political metaethics philosophy Is it ever morally What limits right to take a life? should there be Do we have an on freedom? obligation to help What sort of others? Is there any equality should objective moral we aim for? truth?
Good and Evil Where does our Life and Death sense of morality Is there life after come from? Why death? Bodily might a loving god resurrection? Is Component 3 allow evil and human life sacred? Religious, suffering? Why do Are abortion or philosophical and people commit euthanasia morally ethical studies in crimes? Why and permissible? the modern world how should we punish them? Y10 (option): Eduqas Full Course GCSE
Y11 (option): Eduqas Full Course GCSE Components 1 & 2 - Study of Christianity and another world faith
Christian Beliefs Attributes of God, the problem of evil, the Trinity, Creation, the afterlife, the life of Jesus, salvation and atonement.
Christian Practices Forms of worship, Sacraments, Pilgrimages and celebrations, Christianity in modern Britain, The worldwide church
Term 4
Term 5
Term 6
End Points
Aesthetics What is valuable about art? Is beauty in the eye of the perceiver?
Students should be able to give informed, considered The mind evaluations of competing views / arguments about: Is the mind - Belief in God just the brain? - Moral theories, applied to a range of Do you know contemporary issues other people - Political philosophy, including libertarianism / have minds? paternalism, equality and our responsibilities Can the mind to our society be free if it - Aesthetic value depends on - The metaphysics of mind, and its implications the physical? for the afterlife and free will
Relationships Students should be able to apply and critically evaluate Do religions Christian and Islamic beliefs to the following topics: Human Rights Project promote gender Life and Death: The origins of the universe, Our What is ‘equality’, Students equality? Do responsibility for our world, The origins and value of and why is it return to an traditional human and animal life, Abortion and Euthanasia, important? How earlier topic in religious views on End of year exam Death and the afterlife have individuals more depth, sexuality promote Good and Evil: Sources of moral belief and guidance, challenged the law or apply their healthy Feedback, DIRT Causes of sin and criminality, Treatment of criminals, because of their learning to a relationships? and revisiting of including the death penalty, The problem of evil personal related topic, What roles do weaker topics Human Rights: Human rights & social justice, Prejudice conviction? What presenting families play in and discrimination, Wealth and poverty limits should be their findings modern Britain? Relationships: Sexuality, including heterosexual and placed on individual and opinions homosexual relationships, Cohabitation, marriage and freedom? to the class. Revision for end divorce, Contraception and family planning, Family of year exam roles, Gender roles Islamic Beliefs Islamic The 5 roots / 6 Practices articles, Tawhid, the The 5 pillars of role of angels, Sunni Islam, The predestination and 10 obligatory acts Revision / Exams Exams human of Shi’a Islam, responsibility, the Jihad, Festivals afterlife, Prophets, and holy books and the commemorations Imamate.
In addition to revising the year end points from Y10, students will be able to explain and critically evaluate the following Christian and Islamic practices. Christianity: Forms of worship, Sacraments, Pilgrimages and celebrations, Christianity in modern Britain, The worldwide church Islam: The 5 pillars of Sunni Islam, The 10 obligatory acts of Shi’a Islam, Jihad, Festivals and commemorations.