Religious Studies

Overview

Are you interested in discussing and debating life’s toughest questions? Do you like challenging others’ ideas, and are you comfortable having your own ideas challenged too? Then this is the course for you!

The Religion & Philosophy Department at KGS will help you navigate through a truly fascinating set of questions such as, ‘how can we know what is real?’, ‘what is the best way to ensure we act morally?’, and ‘does God exist?’

If you enjoyed GCSE Religious Studies then you can expect a great deal more discussion and depth of study of these topics in the Sixth Form, but equally there is no requirement for you to have studied this subject beforehand at all!

A true philosopher is one who thinks deeply and clearly,and enjoys debate and problem solving. This subject sits naturally alongside any of the others on offer at KGS.

For further information or to discuss in more detail, please contact:

Mrs C Williams Head of Religion & Philosophy

cwilliams@kgs.org.uk

Follow us on Twitter: @KGS_RP

How is the course assessed?

We follow the OCR Religious Studies

A Level syllabus, which is split equally into three parts, as follows: Philosophy of Religion; Ethics; and Developments in Christian Thought. All three papers are examined via a set of three essays from a choice of four, but this should not put you off! You will have every opportunity to become an expert at structuring and writing essays by the end of the course. If you want to aim for the very highest grade, you have to do quite a bit of reading, but the beauty of the course is that you can have a certain amount of autonomy in those areas you would like to read about in more depth. In the first module we cover important philosophical topics such as: Ancient Greek influences on modern Philosophy from Plato and Aristotle; whether God exists, and issues with the concept of God; as well as whether God-talk is meaningless.

In the second module we study ethical issues such as: whether religion should guide moral decision making; whether maximising human happiness should be humanity’s goal; whether there is such a thing as ‘morality’ in the first place; and the controversial issues of euthanasia, business ethics, and sexual ethics. In the latter module we consider various theological topics such as human nature; death and the afterlife; Jesus’ role as God; whether God can be known innately, or through revealed writings such as scripture; religious pluralism and the interplay between religion and the state; gender and society; and liberation theology.

Examination board

OCR Religious Studies

Useful attributes

Lessons are focused on discussion which makes them lively affairs! Having an opinion is therefore important, as is having the confidence and ability to challenge ideas that you read and hear. We teach, and insist upon, reasoned analysis and careful thinking, so you should be prepared to be challenged. As the assessment is through essay-writing, you need to be able to express yourself on paper.

Personal development

The key skills which you will develop by this course are the ability to think, to understand how arguments are formulated and to be able to challenge arguments through the use of logic and evidence. You will be able to contrast the ideas of different scholars and come to reasoned conclusions. You will be thinking about some of the most important questions about life and the world around us.

Future directions

Many of our students choose to continue studying Religion & Philosophy at undergraduate level, be it as a single or a joint honours degree. We have found that a great many university interviews involve a philosophical element, so the discussions we have in lessons are great preparation for this. For example, the course is an excellent preparation for students wishing to go into areas such as Law and Medicine; and it also complements subject areas such as Mathematics, History, Classics and English, as well as many others.

Your subject options

Ancient History & Civilisation*

Art & Design

Biology

Business Chemistry

Computer Science

Design & Technology

Drama & Theatre*

Economics (7 required in Mathematics & English Language)

English Literature

French

Further Mathematics (9 required in Mathematics)

Geography*

German Government & Politics*

History*

Italian

Latin/Classical Greek Mathematics

(8 required in Mathematics)

Music

Physical Education (7 required in Biology)

Physics

Psychology*

(7 required in English Literature & science-based subject or Mathematics)

Religious Studies

Spanish

* 7 required in an essay-based subject, preferably English Literature

Students must choose either three or four A Level subjects from this list. Most groupings of subjects will be possible, but this can never be guaranteed.

In the Lower Sixth year, in addition to A Level subjects, students will follow an Academic Enrichment Programme which is designed to broaden the students’ horizons and develop their independent research skills.

Entry requirements

In order to cope with the demands of an academically rigorous Sixth Form programme, students must have a sound base across all their GCSE or IGCSE subjects, and excel in those they wish to study at A Level. Prospective Sixth Form students, both internal and external, would be required to fulfil two criteria:

1.

As a minimum, students must achieve at least grade 7 (equivalent to A grade) in four separate subjects.

2.

All students must achieve a minimum grade 6 in Mathematics and English GCSE or IGCSE. Please also note that a minimum of grade 7 is required in those subjects, or closely related subjects, that students wish to study for A Level with the exception of Mathematics, where students will require a minimum grade 8 at GCSE, and Further Mathematics, where students will require a grade 9 at GCSE. For university entrance, you may need to complete an English (GCSE, IELTS, TOEFL) or Maths qualification, especially if you are not studying either course at A Level. If you hold an IELTS or TOEFL qualification, you may be required to re-sit the test to reach the minimum score required by the institution or to ensure validity, as both qualifications expire after two years.

Entry process

The first stage is to register by Monday 9th October 2023 using our online application form, available at www.kgs.org.uk/ admissions/registration, along with submission of a personal statement in support of your application. This should be no more than 500 words in total and answer the following:

1. Outline a topic or specific area of academic study that you are particularly interested in. What first sparked your interest? How did/would you go about investigating this further?

2.

Provide a recent example of when you have shown particular initiative, independence and motivation to pursue an academic assignment (project/homework etc.) beyond what was expected or required. (please give a different example to that in question

1) For those wishing to study Art & Design, Drama and Theatre and/ or Music at A Level there will be additional submissions required (please see page 18–19).

Once registered, we will request a copy of your most recent school report and a reference to include predicted GCSE grades. If successful at the first stage, candidates will be invited for interview.

16+ offers will be made any time after 1st December in line with HMC guidelines.