Curriculum Intent

In Philosophy & Ethics students are given an opportunity to gain a greater understanding into the different viewpoints around major issues in society today.  Students will be given the chance to develop their ability to form well-balanced arguments that show a wide range of ideas.

Students study the Edexcel B GCSE specification and complete the course with two exams and the end of year 11.  

Year 10 focusses on Christianity, whereas Year 11 focusses upon Islam; in both years, students are encouraged to compare other faiths or beliefs on the issues studied, including their own ideas and views.

On this course, students will consider different human and religious attitudes towards a range of issues such as:

Year 10 Curriculum

• Marriage and Family (issues of equality, prejudice and discrimination, relationships, family planning)
• Life and death (origins of life and the world, when life begins, abortion, euthanasia and beliefs about the afterlife)
• Living a Christian Life (how Christians worship, the importance of prayer, pilgrimage etc.)

Year 11 Curriculum

• Crime and Punishment (issues around justice, treatment of prisoners, forgiveness and suffering, the death penalty)
• Peace and conflict (pacifism, religious viewpoints and attitudes towards War and Holy War)
• Living a Muslim Life (how Muslims worship, the 5 Pillars and obligations)

Extra-curricular information

• Cross-curricular links (some topics covered in Philosophy and Ethics may also be visited in other subjects, such as Crime and Punishment in History)