Year 11 Religious Studies

GCSE Religious Studies

SUMMARY OF SUBJECT CONTENT:

This specification covers the content laid down by the Department for Education (DfE) subject content for GCSE Religious Studies.

Students should consider different beliefs and attitudes to religious and non-religious issues in contemporary British society. They should be aware that the religious traditions of Great Britain are, in the main, Christian, and that religious traditions in Great Britain are diverse. They include Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, as well as other religious and non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the subject content.

Specification at a glance

Exam Board: AQA

Specification Code: 8062

Units

Weighting

Time

Notes

3.1 Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings

and practices

Students study the following:

· Christianity

· Judaism

50%

1 hour 45 mins

How it's assessed

•• 96 marks (plus 5 marks for spelling,

punctuation and grammar (SPaG))

Questions

Each religion has a common structure of two

five-part questions of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.

Each religion is marked out of 48.

Component 2: Thematic studies

What's assessed

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, peace and conflict.

· Religion, crime and punishment.

· Religion, human rights and social justice.

50%

1 hour 45 mins

How it's assessed

•• 96 marks (plus 5 marks for spelling,

punctuation and grammar (SPaG))

Questions

Each religion has a common structure of two

five-part questions of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.

Each religion is marked out of 48.

What did my child study in Year 10?

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Thematic Unit: Crime and Punishment

Crime and punishment
Reasons for crime
Attitudes to lawbreakers and different types of crime
Three aims of punishment
Religious attitudes to suffering and causing suffering to others
The treatment of criminals - prison, corporal punishment and community service
Religious attitudes to forgiveness
Religious attitudes to the death penalty

Thematic Unit: Relationships & families

Religious teachings about human sexuality
Sexual relationships before and outside marriage
Contraception and family planning
Religious teachings about marriage
Divorce and remarriage
The nature of families
The purpose of families
Religious attitudes to gender equality

Study of Religions; Judaism Beliefs & Teachings

The nature of God: God as One
The nature of God: God as creator
The nature of God: God as lawgiver and judge; the divine presence
Life after death, judgement and resurrection
The nature and role of the Messiah
The Promised Land and the covenant with Abraham
The covenant at Sinai and the Ten Commandments
Key moral principles in Judaism
Sanctity of life
Free will and mitzvoth

Study of Religions; Judaism Practices

The importance of the synagogue
Interior features of a synagogue
Worship in Orthodox and Reform synagogues
Daily services and prayer
Shabbat in the synagogue
Shabbat in the home
Worship in the home; the written and oral law
Ceremonies associated with birth
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Marriage
Mourning for the dead
Dietary laws
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Pesach

END OF YEAR 10 EXAMS

Christianity Beliefs & Teachings

The nature of God
God as omnipotent, loving and just
The Oneness of God and the Trinity

What will my child study during Year 11?

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

Christianity Beliefs & Teachings continued

Different Christian beliefs about Creation
The incarnation and Jesus, the Son of God
The crucifixion
The resurrection and ascension
Resurrection and life after death
The afterlife and judgement
Heaven and hell
Sin and salvation
The role of Christ in salvation

Christianity Practices

Worship
Prayer
The sacraments
Celebrating Holy Communion
Pilgrimage
Celebrating festivals
The role of the Church in the local community
The place of mission and evangelism
Church growth
The importance of the worldwide Church
Christian persecution
The Church’s response to world poverty

Revision of Judaism Beliefs & Teachings and Practices (See Year 10)

Thematic Unit: Peace and Conflict

Introduction to religion, peach and conflict
Violent protest and terrorism Reasons for war
Nuclear war and weapons of mass destruction
The just war
Holy war and religion as a cause of violence
Pacifism and peacemaking
Religious responses to victims of war

Thematic Unit: Religion and Life

The origins of the universe
The value of the world
The use and abuse of the environment, and pollution
The use and abuse of animals
The origins of human life
Abortion
Euthanasia
Death and the afterlife

IN CLASS REVISION

How will my child be assessed and how will I know how well they are doing in Religious Studies in Year 11?

The Religious Studies course during Year 10 and 11 is a unit based course (see above for list of units). At the end of each unit in Year 11 students will complete an End of Unit Assessment in class lasting approximately 25 minutes and worth 24 marks made up of previous GCSE questions. The test will be notified via Satchel with some revision materials published to support preparation. Students will be given a percentage score with the GCSE grade (according to current grade boundaries) to show the standard of their work. Students will sit a formal Mock exam in the Sports Hall during which they will complete Paper 1 Study of Religions: Christianity and Judaism units. The extra revision and assessment of both Judaism units is to compensate for prior learning that took place during school closures. This will be marked to exam board standards and a grade awarded. The marks/grades gained throughout the year will be used to provide a predicted grade.

What homework will my child be expected to do in Year 10 in Religious Studies?

Students will be set weekly homework that they will be expected to spend around 1 hour completing. The homeworks will be a variety of tasks that will primarily be:

Completion of classwork with further research and note-making
Completion of past GCSE questions with a focus on timing in preparation for GCSE.
Revision for tests
Online revision/quizzes using sites such as SAMLearning & Seneca Learning
Video learning
Online research
Learning of key terminology

How can I support my child to do well in Religious Studies during Year 10?

Ensure they complete their homework properly
Support them by ensuring they have somewhere suitable to work, away from distractions but with online access to the textbook etc.
Buy a revision guide (order forms available to download via this website)
Support them to revise and prepare properly for each test
Encourage them to keep up to date with current affairs, Theday.co.uk is an appropriate daily online newspaper for secondary school age students.

My child is struggling during the course, what additional help is available to help them keep up?

Students should be encouraged to seek assistance from their teacher when they are struggling with any concept.
Students can access the digital textbooks to help with revision.
After school revision sessions will be available.
Revision books can be purchased to assist with understanding.

Last Updated September 2023