RE (Religions and Worldviews)
RE (Religions and Worldviews) at John Kyrle High School is part of the core entitlement for all students. The school follows the Herefordshire Locally Agreed Syllabus. RE is taught by an enthusiastic team of graduate teachers who seek to share their love of the subject with all those they teach. RE has probably changed more than any other subject since our students’ parents and carers were at school, encompassing a fascinating and diverse range of philosophical, ethical, and theological questions. Humanistic / non-religious world views are explored alongside Abrahamic and Dharmic religious perspectives. We want our students to be talking about their learning when they get home from school!
In Year 7 - 11 all students receive two lessons of RE per fortnight / cycle. Homework is typically set 2-3 times each half-term.
Teaching Staff
- Rachael Harries: Head of RESPECT & Teacher of English and RE
- Lauren Harris Jones: Teacher of Sociology and RE
- Helen Mather: Teacher of RE
- Davina Mills: Teacher of PE and RE
- Thomas Moore: Head of History and Teacher of RE
- Kristian Phillips: Interim Deputy Headteacher & Teacher of RE
- Emma Skelton: Teacher of History and RE
- Nick Wardale: Head of Social Sciences, Religions and Worldview
RE@jkhs.org.uk
Where might success in RE lead? All students at JKHS leave school with a qualification in RE (either full or short course GCSE); this contributes to the JKHS mission to provide students with a broad and balanced education that can take our students wherever they might want to go!
They will have developed good people skills. RE is a subject that helps people develop empathy for others, an important skill in almost any job that involves meeting and dealing with people; e.g. administration, social work, police, legal profession, education, advertising, sales. It has led our past students into other academic fields such as Ethics, Philosophy, Law, Theology, Criminology and Critical Thinking. To the best of our knowledge, only one student has gone on to be a vicar!
Key stage 3 topics include:
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Introducing religious and secular worldviews | Should happiness be the goal of life? | Does it make sense to believe in God? |
| What's it like being a Jewish teenager in Britain today? | What might be so radical about Jesus? | Is religion a cause of conflict or a promoter of peace? |
| How and why do Buddha's teachings and experiences have meaning for people today? | Ethics: How can I know what is right and wrong? | The problem of evil and suffering (incl. Jewish responses to the Holocaust) |
| Should believers be greener than everyone else? | What's it like to be an atheist or agnostic in Britain today? | Introduction to GCSE RS / Global Christianity and Islam |
Key stage 4:
All students at John Kyrle work towards either the EDUQAS short course GCSE in RE or take the subject as an option following the Edexcel full course GCSE.
Short Course topics:
- Key Christian Beliefs
- Life and Death Issues
- Key Muslim Beliefs
- Marriage and Family Life