Religious Education

Welcome to the RE Department

At St Ursula's Religious Education Department, we are dedicated to fostering academic excellence, spiritual growth, and moral development. Through a comprehensive curriculum rooted in Catholic teachings, students engage with theology, Church history, and ethics to deepen their faith and understanding of the world. We follow the AQA B Religious Studies GCSE exam board, which allows students to dive deep into key religious topics, including Christianity, Judaism, and contemporary ethical issues such as social justice and conflict. Our goal is to guide students in becoming compassionate and respectful Ursulines that live out the value of Serviam daily. Our dedicated staff include Mr Emuze (Teacher of RE), Ms Simpson (Teacher of RE) and Ms Curzydlo (Head of Department). 

In the RE department, we aim to inspire students to think critically about faith, ethics, and the world around them. Rooted in Catholic teaching, our curriculum encourages deep reflection on theology, Church history, and contemporary issues, helping students develop both their understanding and their own moral perspectives.

At KS3, we follow the Religious Education Directory (RECD), which provides a strong theological foundation of Catholic teachings exploring the person of Jesus, Creation, the Bible, the Church, community, and life after death. Broader contemporary themes students can expect are focused around justice, dignity of others (Catholic Social Teachings), social justice, and environmental responsibility (Laudato Si’) all linked to real-life issues. Within each topic students investigate an inspiring role model, artistic expressions of theological ideas and evaluate questions to form balanced perspectives. 

At GCSE, students study Catholic Christianity (AQA B) alongside Judaism and two ethical themes (Theme A: Religion, Relationship and Families and Religion, and, Theme C: Social Justice and Human Rights). Lessons explore key theological concepts and how they apply to modern ethical debates. We focus on developing key skills like evaluation, argument building, and applying religious teachings to contemporary issues. We believe these are essential for both exam success and life beyond school.

To support learning, we use a mix of approaches:

• Collaborative tasks like discussions, group presentations, and art work analysis to encourage deeper engagement.
• Regular assessments (quizzes, essays, and practice exam questions) to check understanding and build confidence for examinations. 
• Developing their own reasoned judgement - as an essay-based subject we strive for our students to be successful critical thinkers who can think for themselves. 
• Exploration of the liturgical calendar, making connections between faith, tradition, and everyday Catholic life. 

We aim to teach beyond the classroom - shape how our students engage with the world. Inspired by the Ursuline motto, Serviam, we encourage students to put their learning into action. Through studying themes like justice, human dignity, and moral responsibility, students develop a deep understanding of how faith calls them to serve others.  

 Ms L Curzydio

Head of Religious Education