A-LEVEL Religious Studies

RELIGIOUS STUDIES - A LEVEL

INDUCTION

Religious Studies A Level is delivered in two distinct units. Background knowledge, achievements and past experiences of the subject are discussed together with students' expectations of the course. The importance of reading and personal research is emphasised and a variety of texts, together with a reading list are made available. To arouse interest, various parts of the course are superficially looked at together with methods of delivery, including discussion, debate, video and essay writing.

SYLLABUS

Christianity and the Christian Church: The 19th and 20th Centuries. A study of the effects of social, political and cultural factors on Christianity together with the religious developments in the UK in this period; persecution in Germany and Eastern Europe; the contribution made to Christian thought and practice of Karl Barth, Bonhoeffer and William Temple.

Philosophy of Religion with Ethics: The approach of western philosophy to issues such as the problem of evil and suffering; the existence of God and miracles. A study of concepts such as authority; conscience and freedom.

ü	SKILLS REQUIRED
	Active learning; the need for student participation; note making and orderly file keeping; personal research, reading and essay writing skills. Although many Sixth Formers will have obtained an A-C pass in Religious Studies at GCSE, this is not necessarily a pre-requisite to starting A Level, neither is any religious commitment.

ü	METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
	Students are assessed internally throughout the course, mostly through written pieces of work. An exam is taken at the end of Year 12 and a mock A Level later in Year 13. Predicted grades are assessed by these results. Ultimately, the final result is by two pieces of written course work and two 2½ hour exams. The most recent group achieved a 100% pass rate, achieving a high grade.

ü	CAREER IMPLICATIONS
	A wide range of courses and careers can be pursued by students completing this course. They are by no means confined to those of a religious nature. The subject is a rigorous one and enjoys the same status as other arts subjects. It is a useful component for any of the caring professions, management, the services, personnel work, civil service, law, teaching and medicine.