“In the life of faith of the Catholic School, Religious Education plays a central and vital part. At the heart of Catholic Education lies the Christian vision of the human person. This vision is expressed and explored in Religious Education. Therefore Religious Education is never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process. The beliefs and values studied in Catholic Religious Education inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school. We are committed to classroom RE, then, because all pupils have the right to receive an overall education which will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope which is within them (I Peter 3:15). Religious Education is, then, the core subject in a Catholic school.” 

Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales 2000

Departmental Aims

The aim of Religious Education at St Alban’s is to develop young people who are religiously literate and have the knowledge, understanding and skills to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life, and who have also been helped to become mature and committed in their beliefs and values. We support and reassure our students as they question and seek to formulate their ideas and beliefs by providing a sound theological and scriptural basis on which to frame them.

KS3

In Year 7 RE we provide a grounding in knowledge and understanding of Catholic and Christian faith and life, and in skills of enquiry, interpretation of symbol, and application to life. We study the Mass feeding into the Year 7 Welcome Masses, move on to the bible and prayer, Advent and Jesus’ birth. We look at friendship and bullying, the life of Jesus, leading to his death and resurrection. Finally we study Old Testament patriarchs and an extended project on Judaism.

In Year 8 we develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the Church and respect for faith and cultural values in others, by the appreciation of Catholic models of Christian faith; and other Christian perspectives. We study family and community; the early church and development of Christianity in Britain including a visit to Norwich Cathedral. We study Reconciliation, Lent, and Easter and Old Testament and modern day prophets and finally Christian discipleship and the work of CAFOD.

In Year 9 we develop pupils’ understanding of Christian life and awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief, understanding of its impact on personal and social behaviour and of the vital relationship between faith and life; knowledge and understanding of the mystery of God and Jesus Christ, the universal vocation to holiness, an extended project on Islam, pilgrimage including a visit to Walsingham, Creation and the fall then the meaning of morality.

KS4

We study the Edexcel GCSE course. In Year 10 we study Unit 3 Religion and Life based on a study of Catholic Christianity, with modules on Believing in God; Matters of Life and Death; Marriage and the Family; and Religion and Community Cohesion. Year 10 students take their GCSE exam for this unit at the end of Year 10. In Year 11 we study Unit 8 Religion and Society based on a study of Christianity and at least one other religion (for us the other religion is Islam) with modules on Religion: Rights and Responsibilities; environmental and medical issues; peace and conflict and crime and punishment.

KS5

We follow the OCR A’ level Religious Studies course with modules in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. In AS we cover Ancient Greek and Judaeo-Christian influences on the philosophy of religion, traditional arguments for the existence of God and challenges to religious belief. AS Ethics includes ethical theories and applied ethical topics of medical ethics and war and peace.

In A2 Philosophy we look at Religious language, experience and religion, the nature of God, life and death and miracle. A2 Ethics includes meta-Ethics; free will and determinism; conscience; Virtue ethics and applied ethical topics of human sexuality, environmental and business ethics.

For students who do not study Religious Studies A’ level their Religious Studies entitlement according to the Bishops of England and Wales’ Curriculum Directory is covered through their General Studies or Critical Thinking courses.