Religious Studies
Head of Department: Ms L. Carter
St Aloysius’ College is a Catholic school. As such, we are part of the Church’s mission to “make disciples of all nations”. We also have a responsibility to remember Jesus’ words “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did to me.”
Therefore we look at the local, national and global communities for ways to fulfil our obligations as a Christian community.
Although we welcome pupils of many faiths, all Year Groups have Religious Education lessons which are focused on the Catholic faith. We aim to ensure that our pupils are religiously literate. This means that they have the knowledge, understanding and skills to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.
Our aim is to educate our students in an environment guided by Gospel values.
Key Stage 3
In Key Stage 3 our Syllabus is based on the Way, the Truth and the Life series.
In Year 7 we look God’s unfolding plan for humanity through study of Old Testament figures such as Abraham, David and Solomon. Later we cover the Prophets and the coming of Christ, followed by the work of Jesus during his ministry on Earth. This is followed by lessons on the life of the early Church and the Sacraments. In the Summer Term we look at the work of the Holy Spirit and vocation.
Year 8 pupils study the Creation and the Covenant in their first term. Later, they will look at the Eucharist and the Paschal Mystery. The course continues with the Mission of the Church and the history of the Church in Britain. It finishes by covering the Gospels and Morality.
For a more detailed breakdown of the topics covered in year 7 and year 8 please see the relevant year group's curriculum handbook which can be found in the student area of our website.
Key Stage 4
All pupils study Edexcel Catholic Christianity and Judaism for GCSE.
GCSE studies start in Year 9 with two terms on Judaism, looking at Beliefs and Teachings, followed by Practices. The final term is spent looking at Catholic Beliefs and Teachings.
In Year 10 we move on to Catholic Practices, then Catholic sources of Wisdom and Authority followed by Catholic Forms of Expression.
During Year 11 we study Arguments for the Existence of God and Religious Teachings on Relationships and Families. The rest of the Year is spent in Revision before the GCSE exams.
All exams for Years 9-11 include material covered throughout the course as well as the current year.
For a more detailed explanation of the GCSE course and assessments please click here.
For a more detailed breakdown of the curriculum please see the Curriculum Overview and more details can also be found in the Curriculum Booklet.