Religious Education
The Religious Education Department is a team of dedicated and enthusiastic teachers, ensuring that all learners are inspired to ask questions as well as answer questions through critical analysis. Students regularly take part in class debates and thought provoking discussion and are able o reflect on the influence of religion and culture on individuals, families and communities. The study of Religious Education allows students to learn from different beliefs, values and traditions, while exploring their own understanding of global and current affairs. Lessons are designed to allow students to challenge and reflect on key worldly issues and to develop ideas about community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance.
At Key Stage 3, all students take on Religious Education through a thematic approach. Key topic areas include ‘Global Crime’, ‘Religion and the Media’ and ‘Moral Issues’.
At Key Stage 4, all students study and take GCSE Religious Education, focusing on Christianity and Islam. They study religious beliefs and practices and apply the teachings to themes on relationships and families, crime and punishment and human rights and social justice.
Religious Education has been successful outside of the classroom too, with a strong established Model UN Debating Committee leading the way for extra-curricular activities in the school. This has led to many conference trips with student delegates debating against other national and international schools on global issues such as cyber-security, climate change and child soldiers.
The RE Quality Mark Gold Award:
We are pleased to announce that the RE department at Eastbury Community School has been awarded the RE Quality Mark Gold Award accreditation in July 2023. The gold award is in recognition for embedding excellent, creative and innovative RE practice throughout the school and for recognition as outstanding in the wider community.
Feedback from the assessor at the Religious Education council included:
- “There is a very strong staff team of reflective RE teachers that develop a culture of core values where RE pupils are at the centre of learning from a young age encouraged to be independent thinkers”.
- “RE is a well-resourced department where pupils and teachers are encouraged to use artefacts with learning and develop religious literacy with ‘Literacy Walls’ in every RE classroom to ensure consistency of language and knowledge organisers are used at every key stage”.
- “As pupils go through the school, they have the opportunity to become RE student ambassadors”
- “The department is outward facing and has developed partnerships with local schools, for example RE students have run training in other schools with the Model UN Conference”.
- “There is a culture of fundraising and celebration in the school throughout the school, for example, to promote interfaith week to promote the diverse nature of the school”.
- “The school also is not afraid to challenge controversial issues and support staff in the delivery of this”.
- “You could tell how passionate the RE department team are and how supportive SLT are also”.
- “A well-deserved accreditation”.
Religious Education Curriculum Information
- Key Stage 3 Curriculum Endpoints in Religious Education
- Key Stage 4 Curriculum Endpoints in Religious Education
- Key Stage 5 Curriculum Endpoints in Religious Education
- Religious Education Curriculum Map
- Religious Education Transition and Skills Progression Map