RE aims to:
• Encourage young people to develop the capacity to reflect on themselves, their experiences, their relationships and the world around them;
• Help them to develop the concepts and the attitudes which are needed to understand what religion is about
• Help them to understand Christianity as a living faith
• Encourage them to understand other living faiths and practices and to appreciate the importance of these in the lives of the believers.
All pupils receive Religious Education throughout their school career. In Key Stage 3 pupils study a broad curriculum including all the major world religions and various ideas such as justice, guidance, belief, prejudice and life after death. At GCSE level all pupils study the Edexcel Religious Studies course. The modules pupils take are Religion and Life, and Religion and Society, which involve studying the attitudes of Christianity and either Sikhism, Hinduism or Islam to various issues such as belief in God, marriage and the family, war and peace, the environment, and crime and punishment. Pupils who opt to study A Level follow the Edexcel Religious Studies: Philosophy and Ethics course. All Post 16 students attend a series of compulsory conferences on subjects such as poverty, conflict and medical ethics. Often these conferences are led by the students themselves.
All this is taught using a range of techniques including use of visits, a range of media, ICT, art, drama and guest speakers.
The RE department also provides various opportunities to engage in extra-curricula activities, such as trip to Auschwitz, participation in national conferences, the Bishop’s Certificate of Discipleship.
In a Church School Religious Education is determined by the Governors. The Governors of Blue Coat have approved and adopted the Coventry Agreed Syllabus which is also recommended by the Diocesan Board of Education.