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Philosophy, Religion and Ethics
PRE Mission Statement
As a department, we feel it to be vital to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them. We live in a culturally diverse society, and we see it as our duty to enlighten our students about the varying cultural and religious differences. We also feel it to be imperative to allow our students to develop and form their own opinions of the world through critically engaging with the world around them and reflecting upon their own values and beliefs.
Our curriculum
Philosophy, Religion & Ethics is taught through:
a) PRE lessons at KS3
b) Optional GCSE and optional A Level. Students at GCSE and A Level follow the OCR specification with a focus on Christianity and Islam at GCSE and Christianity at A Level.
c) KS4 through a Core PRE programme. Students at KS4 also take part in Holocaust Memorial Week. In addition, the whole school curriculum includes assemblies on Christmas, Easter and Interfaith Week, regular special events such as remembrance services and the Holocaust Memorial Day assemblies and lecture.
Year 7
Core
Autumn term: Religion (Judaism and Hinduism);
Spring term: Philosophy (identity, belonging, the origins, and end, of the universe);
Summer term: Ethics (what do we mean by 'good' and 'evil'; moral dilemmas, moral codes such as the Golden Rule and Ten Commandments; love and forgiveness)
Exam Subject
N/A
Year 8
Core
Autumn term: Religion (Buddhism and Sikhism);
Spring term: Philosophy (science and religion; biogenesis and abiogenesis; the 'purpose' of human life'; death and what happens after it);
Summer term: Ethics (Human Rights; the aims of punishment; the death penalty; responses to oppression - MLK; economic injustice; animal rights)
Exam Subject (s)
N/A
Year 9
Core
Approaches to knowledge - humanist; Christian and Islamic
Exam Subject
Autumn term: Epistemology; and identity, religion and resistance.
Spring term: Reading sacred scripture (engaging academically with the Bible and the Qur'an).
Summer term: being the OCR GCSE. Christian beliefs.
Year 10
Core
Ethics - protest, individualistic or communal ethics.
Exam Subject
Autumn term: Christian practices; and Islamic Beliefs.
Spring term: Islamic practices; and Families and Relationships.
Summer term: Existence of God
Year 11
Core
N/A
Exam Subject
Autumn term: Religion, peace and conflict; and Dialogues.
Spring term: Dialogues and revision.
Summer term: Revision
Year 12
Core
Sixth Form lecture programme
Exam Subject
OCR A Level
Ethics, and Philosophy of religion
Year 13
Core
Sixth Form lecture programme
Exam Subject
Developments in Christian thought
Statutory Philosophy, Religion & Ethtics
Statutory PRE occurs through:
Year 7 & 8: Through weekly PRE lessons.
Year 9:
- Optional GCSE PRE
- Lecture on Harry Bibring by Michael Bibring
- Form times: Spring 1 (human responsibilities & values), summer 2 (sources of wisdom)
- Creativity & culture curriculum: term 1 - one hour lecture featuring sources of wisdom and term 4 six hours ‘Responsibilities and Values, myself and others’.
- PRE drop down days: Spring 1 (The Holocaust), Summer 2 (Medical ethics)
Year 10:
- Optional GCSE PRE
- Ethics & debate week
- Form times: Spring 1 (The Holocaust), Summer 2 (medical ethics)
Year 11:
- Optional GCSE PRE
A Level:
- Optional A Level PRE
- Sixth form lecture programme
Key Stage 4
In year 9, we study four topics in the autumn and spring terms- a life for a life, sacred scriptures, the Holocaust and the minor world faiths. These topics give students the critical thinking skills that they will need to succeed at GCSE. We still want to develop the breadth of the curriculum at the start of year 9 so therefore we begin the full GCSE at the start of the summer term. We begin with Christian beliefs as it gives them the foundations they will need for paper 3 (Philosophy, Ethics & Religion)
In year 10, they complete the Christianity paper, the Islam paper (paper 2) and in March they begin their Philosophy, Ethics & Christianity paper (paper 6). We begin paper 6 half way through year 10 as the paper is not only more demanding in terms of higher order skills, but also students have to have a basic understanding of Christianity before they can delve into Philosophy & Ethics.
In year 11, they will complete the last two units of the Philosophy Religion & Ethics paper (paper 6). They then begin their revision of all three exams from the middle of March. This gives them the opportunity to review material from all three papers as well as to prepare for as many exam questions as possible. By the end of year 11, students have a detailed grasp of Christianity, Islam and four philosophy & ethics topics which then give them the foundations for A Level (we also OCR at A Level)
Key Stage 5
Most (but not all) students who study A Level PRE have previously studied GCSE PRE with the same exam board. The GCSE has given the students the foundations that they will then build on at A Level.
In year 12 students study for paper 1 (Philosophy) & paper 2 (Ethics). Each paper is taught by a separate member of staff. By teaching Philosophy & Ethics in year 12, we engage the students early and their passion for the subject grows further. This also ensures that we have just one paper (Developments in Christian Thought paper 3) to complete in year 13, therefore giving time for revision. In addition, this allows them to understand the concepts which are developed by thinkers covered by the DCT paper.
By the end of year 12, students have a secure knowledge of Philosophy & Ethics, some of which they will use when completing paper 3 (Developments in Christian Thought). This exam is taught in year 13 as it involves the use of primary sources as well as higher order thinking skills. Students finish the delivery of the paper by mid March, which gives roughly eight weeks in lessons to revise material and plan for potential exam questions.
By the end of year 13, students have a secure knowledge of Philosophy, Ethics & Christianity, which many of them go on to use at the Undergraduate level.
Exams & Assessment
Formal Assessment
Outlined below is the department formal structure for monitoring students progress. In addition to this, we employ a number of assessments for learning processes including retrieval and interleaving throughout the year.
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Autumn 1 |
Autumn 2 |
Spring 1 |
Spring 2 |
Summer |
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Year 7 |
Behaviour and attitude marks only |
End of term test. |
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End of term test |
Exam
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|
Year 8 |
Behaviour and attitude marks only |
End of unit test. |
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End of unit test |
End of year exam |
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Year 9 |
Behaviour and attitude marks only |
Sacred texts test |
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Minor world faiths project |
End of year exam |
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Year 10 |
Christian practices
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Muslim beliefs |
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Muslim practices
|
End of year exam |
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Year 11 |
Peace and justice
|
Peace and justice
|
Mock exam |
Dialogue
|
Public exams |
|
Year 12 Philosophy |
Language |
God |
|
Mock exam |
UCAS exams |
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Year 12 ethics |
Normative ethics |
Ethical theories |
|
Mock exam |
UCAS exams |
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Year 13 |
|
|
Mock exams |
|
Public exams |
GCSE
Examination Board: OCR
A Level
Examination Board: OCR
Resources & Reading List
PRE Reading List
A dedicated interfaith website gives information about our numerous faith societies at Watford Grammar School for Boys as well as how students an practice their own faith at school:
Support for Year 12 Students
How should you be spending your free periods?
Enrichment & Extra-curricular
There are numerous religious and cultural societies in the school. These clubs include Jewish Society, Islamic Awareness Society, Sikh Society, Hindu Society and Christian Union. There is also a Philosophy Society run by sixth form students.
The department organises a number of annual trips as follows (from September 2022):
- Year 7 visit to Watford Synagogue
- Year 8 visit to Watford Gurdwara
- Year 9 trip to the Imperial War Museum
- Year 9 talk by Michael Bibring, son of Harry Bibring
- Year 10 visit to Watford Mosque and St Mary’s Church
- Year 10 in-class visits by local Imam and Vicar
- Years 9 – 12 residential to Paris (bi annual)