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Ethics & Philosophy
Curriculum Intent
At The Whitby, EP allows students to encounter an array of worldviews – both religious and none in their pursuit of understanding the world around them. Students will be transported through time and across continents, to be inspired by the moral choices of those in the past and the present and reflect upon what this can mean for them in 21st Century Britain.
The common threads of belief, identity, community and belonging weave the topics together as students progress through the spiraling curriculum, developing an understanding of the local, national and global impact of religions.
Students will develop a sound subject knowledge that will:
- Provoke them to ask questions about the meaning of life and issues connected to human morality
- Encourage them to reflect upon their own ethical code, which may well develop as they progress through the key stages
- Allow them to develop their own sense of identity and the role they play within the world
- Help them in their understanding of tolerance and respect for others, including those with whom they do not share the same viewpoints or beliefs
- Inspire students to think about their own responsibility as global citizens and what this means for their futures.
At The Whitby we utilize the CWAC LAS to help develop our curriculum offer at key stage 3 as well as our core offer at KS4. EP is a subject any other, it is imperative that we are continually reflecting on the changing local picture and are conscious of this in the topics and delivery of ideas within our lessons.
In EP, “powerful knowledge” refers to a deep and interconnected understanding of religious concepts, teachings, and practices, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and a broader understanding of the world. It’s not just about memorising facts but about understanding how beliefs and practices shape lives and influence different cultures and societies and this is the key to our successful KS3 curriculum. It is vital that students do not see religion as ‘other’ but rather, see the sense of community and shared values even if there are differences in beliefs.
There are clear strands that we cover in order to ensure that our knowledge rich curriculum serves our students and our subject well including:
- Deep understanding of religious traditions:
Students should grasp the core beliefs, rituals, and texts of different religions, including their historical context and evolution. In line with this, we focus on the importance of students understanding the diversity of faith even within one religious tradition.
- Critical thinking and analysis:
EP should encourage students to question assumptions, analyse different perspectives, and evaluate the impact of religious beliefs on society. In year 9 when students look at medical ethics, it is an interesting time for them to reflect upon whether or not religious views should have an influence on the laws that are in place e.g. the current debate in parliament over assisted dying.
- Empathy and understanding:
By learning about diverse religious perspectives, students can develop empathy and a deeper understanding of different cultures and ways of life. In year 8 when students study Islamophobia, it is important for them to be able to reflect upon how this can impact the Muslim community for example.
- Connection to real-world issues:
EP should connect religious ideas to contemporary issues, such as ethics, justice, and social responsibility, it is in every sense of the word a ‘living subject’ and as a department we strive to bring in local, national and global issues into discussions in class wherever possible.
- Personal reflection and articulation:
Students should be given opportunities to reflect on their own beliefs and values and articulate their own understanding of religion and its role in their lives. It is vital that EP lessons give students the knowledge but also the reflection time to really think about their own ideas, beliefs and values and this is something that we encourage on a very regular basis. The curriculum has been developed with a conscious effort to spiral key themes, concepts and language across the key stages. This allows key ideas to be revisited, built upon and applied in new situations, which helps to further embed students’ understanding of the topics covered. For example:
This revisiting of key elements but with additional avenues of learning really does help students to ‘know more, remember more’ as they are able to utlise their buds of their knowledge but in new ways or new areas of life as they move through the key stages which helps them to retain the knowledge over time.
Students will be able to analyse religious texts successfully, including how the same text could be interpreted in different ways by believers e.g. interpretations of the Genesis creation story. It is a vital skill to be able to understand texts such as this, and it is something that we begin to work on from the start of year 7. Students will know key stories and examples of figures of the past and present who have been inspired by their religion to spark change in the world, retaining these accounts and evaluating the significance of these individuals is another key skill set that pupils will develop whilst here with us. It is a crucial part of the subject for students to be able to recognise viewpoints that are different, sometimes even contrasting, to their own whilst also having a strong sense of self and confidence in asserting their own opinions, thoughts and feelings on the topics we study. Critical thinking really is at the heart of everything we do in EP, and it is this that helps to develop the students here into reflective, responsive and respective individuals.
In EP we also have a keen focus on the importance of literacy, and this can be found at the very heart of our curriculum. We prioritise reading wherever possible and have developed different strategies to help engage students in their learning through a variety of sources e.g. poems which encourage students to dig deep in order to find meaning and understanding. We also read extracts from scripture in lesson e.g. the Bible and students are encouraged to interpret the meaning that can be found in such texts and how this could impact belief or action.
Key Stage 3
In year 7 there is a focus on helping pupils to understand key beliefs across multiple major world religions as well as understanding that Britain is an ever-diverse nation and with that there are multiple ‘world views’ to consider. Students spend time reflecting upon the role they play in the world through stewardship and environmentalism whilst also reflecting upon the significance of religious ideas such as ‘stewardship’ and ‘Khalifah’. There is also a theological reflection on the life of Jesus which enables pupils to be ambitious when applying their prior knowledge to some more pronounced Christian beliefs. As students progress into year 8 there is a larger focus on the importance of students engaging with ethical issues such as the use of corporeal punishment, the origins of evil and the importance of human rights. Pupils are encouraged to make greater reference to religious scripture to help support their understanding of the perspectives held within religious communities. In year 9, pupils delved into further ethical issues such as medical ethics and war and with this will develop their understanding of the diversity of religious belief and how this shapes decision making when it comes to difficult topics such as euthanasia or organ donation.
Key Stage 4
At GCSE we follow the AQA specification with a specific focus on Christianity and Judaism. For the themes paper we cover Relationships and families, Religion and Life, Religion and Conflict and Religion and Crime.
Within our GCSE we:
- develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and non-religious beliefs, such as atheism and humanism.
- develop their knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings and sources of wisdom and authority, including through their reading of key religious texts, other texts and scriptures of the religions they are studying.
- develop their ability to construct well-argued, well-informed, balanced and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of understanding of the subject.
- reflect on and develop their own values, belief, meaning, purpose, truth and their influence on human life.
- reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs and attitudes in the light of what they have learnt and contribute to their preparation for adult life in a pluralistic society and global community.
Key Stage 5
At A-Level we follow the OCR exam board with Christianity being studied alongside Philosophy and Ethics.
Our A Level aims to:
- develop their interest in a rigorous study of religion and belief and relate it to the
wider world.
- develop knowledge and understanding appropriate to a specialist study of religion.
- develop an understanding and appreciation of religious thought and its contribution to individuals, communities and societies.
- adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion.
- reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes in the light of their study.
Under review…
Under review…