The AQA GCSE Religious Studies course is about life and the issues pupils will face when they leave education and go into the multi-ethnic, multi-faith society which is the contemporary United Kingdom. Never before has an understanding of worldwide political, moral and religious issues been more important.

The course involves a great deal of thinking and discussion, making pupils more aware of other people’s beliefs and helping them form their own opinions about the world.  It helps pupils to adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion. Religious Studies enables pupils to have a much greater and deeper understanding of themselves, empowering them with the insight and maturity needed to succeed in a global economy.

It also gives pupils the opportunity to explore religious and moral beliefs in a safe but questioning environment, so that they respect other people’s ideas while clarifying their own.

Religious Studies is not about making pupils ‘religious’.  It is about enabling pupils to think for themselves about issues from a religious and non-religious viewpoint.

Christianity and Islam are the two religions that will be focused on.

Religious Studies is recognised as an increasingly important qualification for all careers where working with people is a key element. It is valued in a wide variety of careers from journalism, law, politics, education, social work, medicine, acting, the Police force or the military.  It is a recognised academic qualification valued as much as other Humanities by the Russell Group universities.

Pupils who do well in and enjoy this subject generally:

• Enjoy discussing their views and opinions;
• Have an interest in learning about the views and opinions of other people from Different cultures and backgrounds;
• Need to be able to see both sides of an argument;
• Need to be able to remember key quotes and examples to support their opinions;
• Have an enquiring, inquisitive mind;
• Have an ability to think (and write down your thoughts) logically;
• Have an interest in psychology – i.e. where people get their ideas from;
• Have a love of argument and discussion;
• Show a willingness to listen to other people’s point of view.