Religious Studies
Why study Religious Studies
Religious Studies is an important part of the Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 curriculum at The Heath. It helps students understand the world around them by exploring religious and non-religious beliefs, ethical issues, different cultures and some of the biggest questions faced by individuals and society.
Through RS, students learn to challenge misconceptions, appreciate different perspectives and express their own views in a respectful and well-reasoned way. Lessons encourage discussion and debate around important issues such as equality, human rights, crime and punishment, medical ethics, relationships, war, conflict and social justice.
RS develops a wide range of transferable skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, communication, literacy, evaluation, empathy and debating skills. Students learn how to analyse information, consider different arguments, use evidence effectively and reach justified conclusions.
RS provides a strong foundation for areas such as law, where students must be able to understand different viewpoints, construct persuasive arguments and evaluate evidence carefully. These skills are also valuable across many different sectors and careers, including politics, medicine, education, journalism, policing, social work, business, human resources, public service and the charity sector.
RS at The Heath aims to develop confident, thoughtful and informed young people who are able to engage respectfully with different beliefs, ideas and perspectives in an increasingly diverse world.
Applied and job-related learning
There is a range of vocational qualifications (such as BTECs, NVQ/SVQs and diplomas) linked to religious studies, including:
- travel and tourism
- health and social care
- childcare
- uniformed public services
- legal studies
Apprenticeships
There are some apprenticeships associated with religious studies such as:
- arts, media and publishing, e.g. exhibition guide, visitor services support
- leisure, travel and tourism, e.g. tourist guide, travel adviser
- health, public services and care, e.g. community support worker
- education and training, e.g. learning support assistant
Academic subjects – such as A levels
- You can study religious studies.
- Related subjects include health and social care, geography, law, history, classical civilisation, sociology, philosophy, psychology, government and politics, communication and culture.
Skills and qualities - from studying religious studies
Problem solving
Some jobs particularly require problem solving skills and creative thinking to recognise problems and their causes, to identify a range of possible solutions and then assess and decide the best way forward.
Patience
You’ll need to be able to tolerate waiting, delay, or frustration without becoming agitated or upset. Some jobs require lots of patience such as dealing with customers or clients who may be upset or unwell, and job roles where you have to explain or repeat information or instructions.
Communication
If your job requires verbal communication, you may need to write or give speeches and presentations. For jobs which require written communication skills, you will need to write clearly and convincingly – you could be producing or dealing with legal documents or writing articles for a newspaper. You may also require good listening skills, the ability to negotiate, or to be persuasive.
Literacy
You’ll need good reading and writing skills. This could include a good standard of spoken and written English, and good knowledge of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Interpersonal skills
You’ll need listening and speaking skills, as well empathy to build friendships and ensure good working relationships.
Careers using Religious Studies
- Aid worker
Aid workers provide support, food, resources, and infrastructure to people in need. - Air cabin crew
Air cabin crew look after and keep airplane passengers safe. - Construction project manager
Construction project managers deal with the day-to-day running of a construction project. - General practitioner
General practitioners (GPs) are doctors who provide medical services to people in their practice. - Hospital doctor
A hospital doctor diagnoses and treats illness and disease in patients admitted to hospital. - Human resources manager
Human resources managers deal with recruitment, training and retention of staff. - Newspaper journalist
Newspaper journalists research and report the news, publishing their work in newspapers and online. - Nursery worker
Nursery workers look after small children. - Police officer
Police officers investigate and prevent crime. - Primary school teacher
Primary school teachers teach children from the ages of four to 11 - Religious leader
Religious leaders offer support to followers of their religion through spiritual and moral guidance. - Secondary school teacher
Secondary school teachers teach children from the ages of 11 to 18. - Wedding planner
Wedding planners help organise weddings. - Youth and community worker
Youth and community workers provide support for young people.
Religious Studies Revision Resources
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Term 1
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Term 3
