PERCS Faculty
Head of Faculty - Mrs N Morrish
Subject Leader (Sociology) - Mrs N Morrish
Subject Leader (Citizenship/PSHE/PRE) - Mrs A Lapham
The PRE department at Moulsham has a strong history of achieving high examination results. Pupils have the option to study full course Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies specification B. Those that don't opt to study the GCSE complete core elements of PRE as part of the core lesson arrangement where pupils have one lesson per fortnight for half of the year.
We often invite guests into lessons and have strong links with the community. Students often attend A-Level conferences and are we aim to offer students the opportunity to experience Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy and Ethics through trips and visits.
Moulsham does not show bias to any one faith.
Useful Websites
Key Stage 3
Year 7
- The six world religions
- Festivals and celebrations
- Symbols and what they represent
- The nature of God
- Religious building – what makes space special?
- Film and Faith
Year 8
- Which is most convincing: science or religion?
- The problem of evil and suffering
- Does technology cause problems for religious beliefs?
- What makes a hero?
- Who was Jesus?
- Polytheism
Year 9
- How should we punish those who do wrong?
- What else is there other than the six world religions? Contemporary belief systems.
- What is a cult? Differences between a cult and religion?
- Religion and the media
- An introduction to G.C.S.E.: Big questions for religious believers
Key Stage 4
Religious studies helps students to develop an understanding of the world around them, whilst developing a variety of skills, including those of discussion and debate.
We currently study Edexcel Religious Studies B as an option subject and achieve excellent results. The topics we cover in the course are:
Religion and Ethics (Christianity)
- Belief in God
- Marriage and Family
- Living the Religious Life
- Matters of Life and Death
Religion, Peace and Conflict (Islam)
- Belief in God
- Crime and Punishment
- Living the Religious Life
- Peace and Conflict
Why PRE at GCSE?
GCSE would be a good option choice for students who:
- Have an enquiring mind and like to ask lots of questions
- Like to argue, discuss and debate
- Are interested in why people believe what they believe
- Are curious about how people make moral decisions
A GCSE in RS will help in jobs such as:
- Police
- Nursing
- Midwifery
- The Armed Forces
- Teaching
- Law
- Medicine
- Social Work
- Journalism
RS is also a valuable qualification when going to university for degrees based on:
- Humanities
- Arts
- Sciences
- Law
- English
Key Stage 5
Philosophy and Ethics is a linear A-Level.
Students study a number of philosophical, ethical and theological areas across the two years.
Unit 1: Philosophy of Religion
This unit explores the key elements of Philosophy of Religion through several different areas:
- Ancient philosophical influences (Plato and Aristotle)
- Soul, mind and body
- Life after death
- The existence of God (cosmological, design and ontological arguments)
- Challenges to belief (including the problem of evil)
- The nature of God
- Religious language
- Twentieth century perspectives
Unit 2: Religion and Ethics
This unit explores the key areas of Ethical Thought and Application through several different areas:
- Normative ethical theory; (virtue ethics, natural law, situation ethics)
- Applied ethics (sex and sexuality and euthanasia)
- Ethical language
- Meta-ethics
- Significant ideas of freewill and conscience
- Developments in ethical thought
Unit 3: Development of Religious (Christian)
Thought This unit explores the key areas of Christian thought and developments within it, including:
- Human nature and purpose of life
- The self and immortality
- Knowledge and revelation of God
- The Bible
- The nature of Jesus Christ
- Presentations of Jesus Christ
- The challenge of secularism
- Responses to secularism
- Pluralism in theology
- Pluralism in society
- Gender in theology
- Gender in society
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
In order to succeed at A level, students must have at least a grade 6 at GCSE for Religious Studies or History.