What will students study in PRE this year?

Throughout Years 7 and 8, students will learn to identify similarities and differences between religions. They will learn to explain why they hold their beliefs and how to give a personal response to the different issues encountered. Their Key Stage 3 content concludes with a short six-week extended curriculum course taken during Year 9.

Year 7 – students will begin with an introduction to the concept of belief. They will then work through three units that introduce them to central concepts in religion: symbolism, belief in God and life after death. They will finish the year with a unit that introduces them to a moral issue (forgiveness).

• What is belief?
• Religious Stories What do people believe about God?
• What happens when we die?
• Forgiveness

Year 8 – students will continue to explore different moral issues, building upon the grounding given by the central concepts studied in Year 7. They will begin by studying varying religious attitudes towards the environment and then work through units that examine different types of relationships, the nature of evil and suffering, the importance of human life and prejudice and discrimination.

• Environment
• Different types of relationships
• Evil and suffering
• Humans are special
• Prejudice and discrimination

Year 9 – students will undertake a six-week course that introduces them to further philosophical and moral issues such as arguments for and against the existence of God.

• Introduction to Ancient Greek Philosophy Traditional arguments for the existence of God Ethical Theory

What are the major assessments this year?

Major assessments will be held at the end of each term and will be a summative test on the previous unit covered. There will be no assessments within the six-week Year 9 course.

What do assessments test?

Assessments will test knowledge of key vocabulary and religious beliefs, as well as personal responses to the various issues studied.

What are the expectations of my daughter in PRE?

Students are expected to engage in subject specific dialogue. The school has a ‘no hands up’ policy and this applies in PRE; all students are expected to contribute at some stage. Students also need to be self-motivated to learn key vocabulary outside of lessons and to review their own learning at regular intervals via the workbooks.

What should my daughter do if she feels she is struggling in PRE?

The most important thing is to keep an open dialogue with your teacher – they will be able to help and are available in person or via email. The workbooks are comprehensive and contain knowledge organisers that provide additional support. Each lesson is self-contained and can therefore be completed even in the absence of a teacher.

How can I best support my daughter in PRE?

Please engage your child in discussion about the lessons. Have a look through each booklet yourself and discuss the philosophical and moral issues that arise in each one. Encourage your child to keep up to date with current affairs on the various topics that are studied.

Whom should I contact for further advice or information?

Please contact the class teacher in the first instance.