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27/03/24

🌟 Our amazing pupils showcased incredible 'Character (to)day' diving into a variety of topics & activities! 🚀 Year 7s showed immense Courageous Advocacy, delving into Bee habitats and acing the Big School litter pick! 🐝🗑️ pic.twitter.com/zt2ebNR4ea

27/03/24

Ahoy there! ⚓️ The Year 9 crew from HGA set sail today for the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. 🌊 Anchors aweigh for a character-filled adventure on the high seas! ⛵️🌟 pic.twitter.com/yTfUrlmJjh

26/03/24

🏐🎉 Incredible news! Our year 8 netball team has smashed their way to the Harris Cup semi-finals! 🌟👏 Big shoutout to our amazing players, especially the year 7 stars shining bright! 🌟✨ Let's cheer them on as they face ! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/E4mK2T0cAT

20/03/24

🚀 Kicking off Creative Careers 2024! 🎨 Students are diving into a world of possibilities, exploring diverse pathways in the creative industry. 📸#CreativeCareers2024 pic.twitter.com/otVpl4Ua0K

19/03/24

🌟 Thrilled to share moments from the Speak Out Regional Final! 🎤 Megan Farr and May Mbabazi shone brightly, representing Harris Garrard Academy with their powerful voices. A celebration of young talent and the magic of expression. ✨ pic.twitter.com/yI8GICW9uF

15/03/24

Off to the we go, with Year 8 in tow, to witness love's timeless tale in a contemporary glow. Thanks to ’s generous sponsorship, Shakespeare's words will leap and dip. 🎭💔 pic.twitter.com/ezNpvHdema

08/03/24

pic.twitter.com/6A3IurXrFK

07/03/24

📚✨ The halls of HGA have transformed into a literary wonderland as our secondary staff channel their inner bookworms, dressing up as their favorite book characters! From the whimsical to the wicked, can you guess the characters? 📸🎭 pic.twitter.com/y8azMifcNq

06/03/24

The yr5/6 Netball final took place between today.Both teams have done exceptionally well to reach the final & were undefeated in their league so we knew we were in for a close game

05/03/24

The yr5/6 Netball final took place between today.Both teams have done exceptionally well to reach the final & were undefeated in their league so we knew we were in for a close game

01/03/24

Just wrapped up another fantastic week at HGA, proving that even when the skies open up, we find our pot of gold in the learning of our students. 🌈 pic.twitter.com/jKjPQHPkQ2

01/03/24

HGA Sixth Formers' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau was a powerful reminder of history's darkest chapters. Their solemn reflections will echo in our hearts and history classes. pic.twitter.com/k1CaBME2Ns

29/02/24

Excited to kick off day 1 of the Y12 Biology Residential! 🌿 Stay tuned for updates, insights, and all the fascinating discoveries we'll make together! pic.twitter.com/6nqWUWrZBE

27/02/24

We're looking forward to National Careers Week, 4th-9th March 2024. We will be using the many resources available, such as a virtual careers fair, films, talks and booklets to inspire our students about their future options and pathways. https://t.co/kTXTWlyLix pic.twitter.com/RyYS0u3HQR

20/02/24

🎉 What an inspiring afternoon at our Careers Fair! Students explored a world of opportunities with leading employers, colleges, and universities. Their futures look bright! 🌟 Check out the highlights 📸 pic.twitter.com/D5uRNqGvDW

09/02/24

Congratulations to everyone you have done yourselves, your school and your Borough proud https://t.co/AxU7Tsxvjc

09/02/24

Congratulations to everyone you have done yourselves, your school and your Borough proud https://t.co/AxU7Tsxvjc

09/02/24

We are officially through to the Sports hall finals. We finished inside the top 3 of todays qualifier and now will be one of 12 schools in the grand finals on the 19th March! This is the first time in the 3 years we have achieved this! pic.twitter.com/hw1DbJxEo1

09/02/24

We have officially arrived at for the indoor sports athletics London finals representing to team Let’s go Garrard!! pic.twitter.com/op0BNKu50R

09/02/24

Look what arrived in the post! These adorable handmade worry monsters were ordered from over a year ago. Big thanks to the talented knitters - they will bring comfort to many. Therapeutic tools for little ones. pic.twitter.com/r6GhmtALKl

Harris Academies
All Academies in our Federation aim to transform the lives of the students they serve by bringing about rapid improvement in examination results, personal development and aspiration.

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Willesden

Religious Education

Religious Education aims to teach students about the defining features of all the major world religions, as well as the major secular movements within the public sphere. It also aims to impart to students a confidence to employ ethics and critical thinking in their everyday lives.

Religious Education teaches students to attempt questions that do not have a clear or simple answer. An ability to attack questions with vigour despite the knowledge that they may not find an easy answer is something that breeds character and determination. Coupled with this is the benefit of combatting ignorance and polarised viewpoints through in-depth study of different religions and cultures.


Key Stage 3 overview

An overview of key questions taught to students in Key Stage 3 can be found below: 

 

Term 1A 

Term 1B 

Term 2A 

Term 2B 

Term 3A 

Term 3B 

Year 7 

Where is God? 

 Believing 

 

What is belief? 

 Believing 

What is so radical about Jesus?  

Believing 

Should religious building be sold to feed the starving?  

 Expressing 

 

What is good and what is challenging about being a teenage SIkhi in Britain today?  

Living 

What is good and what is challenging about being a teenage Muslim in Britain today?  

Living 

Year 8 

Putting belief and faith into practice. 

Believing 

 

Does living biblically mean obeying the whole Bible?  

 Believing 

Is death the end? Does it matter? 

 Believing 

How can people express the spiritual through music and art?  

Expressing 

What does it mean to be human? 

 Expressing 

Does religion help people to be good? 

 Living 

Year 9 

Do we need to prove God’s existence? 

Believing 

Why is there suffering? Are there any good solutions? 

Believing 

How important is family in a relationship? 

Living 

Why are some people Prejudiced? 

Living 

Should happiness be the purpose of life? 

Living 

Is religion a power for peace or a cause of conflict in the world today? 

Living 

 

Knowledge is assessed through one extended piece of writing per half term, and low-stakes knowledge quizzes throughout the term. Students are assessed on the components of AT1 (learning about religion) and AT2 (learning from religion). This gives learners the opportunity to develop knowledge of religious practices, whilst providing reflection for how to relate this knowledge into meaning in their own lives.  


Key Stage 4 overview

For Key Stage 4 learners, students can choose to study Religious Education as a GCSE option. The chosen curriculum is AQA and students’ study both Christianity and Islam. The course is assessed by two written exams at the end of Year 11. Where possible, local religious leaders and trips to places of worship enhance the depth of knowledge accrued. Students are able to participate in ethical debates, question fundamental principals in life, and develop their own meaning relative to their lives. Theories such as humanism and atheism are also discussed 

Also, all students in Key Stage 4 receive Religious Education through the Tutor Time programme, once every four weeks. Students look at current ethical and philosophical issues and study religious and worldviews response to these issues. , recapping what was learnt in Key Stage 3/4 and then in more depth and detail. 

An overview of what students learn throughout the terms can be found below2

 

Term 1A and 1B 

Term 2A and 2B 

Term 3A and 3B 

Year 10 

Religion and Ethics 

Religion and Life 

Religion and Medicine. 

 

Year 11 

Religion and Equality 

Religion and Poverty 

Religion and Sport 


We follow the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2021-2026 as agreed by the Bexley Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE). In KS4 we offer a GCSE in Religious Studies, and for those students who do not choose this option, we deliver timetabled lessons in the mornings. These sessions are delivered by our subject specialist. Click HERE for a map of how we deliver the Bexley Agreed Syllabus to KS4.


You can download Knowledge Organisers for each year group from our Knowledge Organisers page.

For queries about the RE curriculum please contact info@harrisgarrard.org.uk

For queries about the Religious Education curriculum please contact Olayemi Odetunde o.odetunde@harrisgarrard.org.uk

Further details of the curriculum can be found below.

Primary

RE is like an iceberg. As you unpack ideas, you come to understand a deeper meaning."

Religious Education encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while challenging and exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning and to develop their own sense of identity and belonging.

It also enables them to respect the views of others that differ from their own and prepares them for living in a world and local community that is diverse in both culture and belief. (Bexley Sacre 2021)   

There is a high academic ambition for all our pupils to see themselves in their curriculum and this is an intrinsic part of how we share our beliefs and faith. In our RE curriculum, we offer plenty of opportunity for the pupils to put this into practice through visits and visitors, and through artefacts for pupils to experience aspects of each religion. Our aim is that our pupils leave the primary phases with a secure knowledge of how different religions work and how they make up the fabric of our community.  

Miss Kanu, AAP and Primary RE & Culture Lead

Year 7

At the end of Year 7 students have developed their knowledge, skills and understanding of the six major religions and world views on ethical and philosophical enquiry questions: 

  • Where is God? 
  • What is belief?  
  • What is so radical about Jesus? 
  • Should religious building be sold to feed the starving? 
  • What is good and challenging about being a teenage Sikhi in Britain today?  
  • What is good and challenging about being a teenage Muslim in Britain today? 

The questions will follow to understand the belief of a religion, how this is then expressed and then how a person of faith lives by their religious and world beliefs.  

Students will be able to recall and relate factual knowledge to describe the key beliefs, teaching and practice(s) of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain, connecting them accurately with other features and making some comparison between the religions they see locally, nationally, globally and their own beliefs.  

They will also be able to show understanding of what belonging to a religion involves, and understand their influences on individuals, societies, communities and cultures. Students will have started to develop on a range of skills taught in Religious Education, including reflection, listening, and empathy.

Alongside, developing their Literacy, by using distinctive language (Tier 2 and 3 vocab) and numeracy skills i.e. mathematical information (ordering events in time). Students would have started to ask questions about the significant experiences of key figures, aspects of life and moral and religious issues, etc. This including showing understanding of why certain things are held to be right and wrong. Students will continue to build to develop themselves socially, morally, spiritual and culturally. 

Year 8

At the end of Tier 8 students have developed their knowledge, skills and understanding of the six major religions and world views on ethical and philosophical enquiry questions: 

  • Putting belief and faith into practice. 
  • Does living biblically mean obeying the whole Bible? 
  • Is death the end? Does it matter? 
  • How can people express the spiritual through music and art? 
  • What does it mean to be Human? 
  • Does religion help people to be good? 

The questions will follow to understand the belief of a religion, how this is then expressed and then how a person of faith lives by their religious and world beliefs.  

Students will be able to recall and relate factual knowledge to describe the key beliefs, teaching and practice(s) of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain, connecting them accurately with other features and making some comparison between the religions they see locally, nationally, globally and their own beliefs.  

Year 8 students have started to develop on a range of skills taught in Religious Education, including expression, application and problem solving. Alongside, developing their Literacy, by using distinctive language (Tier 2 and 3 vocab) and numeracy skills i.e. mathematical information (ordering events in time). Students will continue to build to develop themselves socially, morally, spiritual and culturally. 

Year 9

At the end of Year 9 students have developed their knowledge, skills and understanding of the six major religions and world views on ethical and philosophical enquiry questions: 

  • Do we need to prove God’s existence?  
  • Why is there suffering? Are there any good solutions? 
  • How important is family in a relationship? 
  • Why are some people prejudiced? 
  • Should happiness be the purpose of life? 
  • Is religion a power for peace or a cause of conflict in the world today? 

The questions will follow to understand the belief of a religion, how this is then expressed and then how a person of faith lives by their religious and world beliefs.  

Student can compare different religious views and respond to the teachings and experience of inspirational people on these ethical issues. They can show this by relating to religious beliefs, teachings, practices, lifestyles and forms of religions expression, including texts, figurative language, and symbolism, to their historical and cultural contexts.

Students have started to develop on a range of skills taught in Key Stage 3 Religious Education, including expression, application and analysis. Which can develop in Key Stage 4. Alongside, developing their Literacy, by using distinctive language (Tier 2 and 3 vocab) and numeracy skills i.e. mathematical information (ordering events in time). Students will continue to build to develop themselves socially, morally, spiritual and culturally. 

Year 10

By the end of Year 10, students can outline the beliefs, teachings and practices of Christianity and Islam. Students can compare on the theological and ethical knowledge gained from Year 10 and Key Stage 3 RE and develop their skill of being analytical. This is by, Students comparing their own understanding to their views found in different denominations in Christianity and Islam. Also, by relating to religious beliefs, teachings, practices, lifestyles and forms of religions expression, including texts, figurative language, and symbolism, to their historical and cultural contexts.

Students have started to develop on a range of skills taught in Key Stage 3 Religious Education in Key Stage 4. Alongside, developing their Literacy, by using distinctive language (Tier 2 and 3 vocab) and numeracy skills i.e. mathematical information (ordering events in time). Students will continue to build to develop themselves socially, morally, spiritual and culturally.  

Year 11

By the end of Year 11, students can now outline different religious and world views on ethical and philosophical questions. Students can use a range of religious beliefs and quotes to argue and analysis different ethical debates. This includes: 

  • Relationship and families
  • Religion and life
  • Crime and punishment
  • Human rights and social justice.

Students will develop on their skills taught in Key Stage 3-4 RE and will be able to use these skills in the wider community and adult life. Alongside, developing their Literacy, by using distinctive language (Tier 2 and 3 vocab) and numeracy skills i.e. mathematical information (ordering events in time). Students will continue to build to develop themselves socially, morally, spiritual and culturally.  

Careers

Religious Studies is a classical humanities subject, and is respected by universities.

Students who have an understanding of different religions and cultures are sought in the following career paths, amongst others:

  • Journalism
  • Social research
  • Armed forces
  • Charitable organisations and the third sector
  • Police force/Ambulance service
  • Teaching
  • Marketing     

Find out more about the careers programme at Harris Garrard Academy.