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As befits an unapologetically Catholic school, the RE Department at The London Oratory School is situated at ‘the heart of the heart’ and the core of the curriculum. All pupils engage in an enriched diet of Catholic catechesis and evangelisation, fitting them not only for the challenges of growing in faith in the modern world, but also in an understanding of the rich intellectual and spiritual treasury to which they are the heirs.
Throughout their first three years in the Senior School, pupils engage with the overarching narrative of ‘salvation history’ from the fall of the archetypical human, ‘Adam’ up to and including the incarnation. Along the way, pupils engage with the patriarchs and the great kings of Israel, such as Noah, Abraham, David and Solomon, amongst others. They also learn about the ‘life of grace’, and the life of virtue, enriching their participation in the sacraments of the Church and their own growth in wisdom. Finally, their grounding enables them to explore the only structure that is of divine institution: the Church and are able to sketch its unfolding throughout antiquity, the ‘Middle Ages’ and the Early Modern period.
Outline of Syllabus
The aim of Religious Studies in the fourth and fifth forms is to give pupils the opportunity to acquire a detailed and developed knowledge and understanding of the key elements of the Catholic faith and to attain an insight into the effect of the Catholic faith on individual and social moral behaviour, on attitudes to life’s experiences, and on personal lifestyles. They should also be able, through following the course, to evaluate by critical analysis different responses (both religious and non-religious) to contemporary issues of religion and morality.
These aims are achieved through study of two units, one on Catholic Christianity, and the other on Perspectives on Faith. In the first of these two units we look at Catholic teaching on six key topics (listed below). In the second we look from a Catholic perspective on themes drawn from the areas of marriage and family life and questions of social harmony and justice. This paper also includes a study of Judaism.
Scheme of Assessment
Paper One (fourth form): Catholic Christianity
Catholic beliefs, teachings, practices, sources of authority and forms of expression in relation to six topics:
Paper Two (fifth form): Perspectives on Faith
Section A: Judaism
Section B: Themes (two from three)
The examination is by two written papers, each 1 hour 45 minutes long and each worth 96 marks.
Awarding Body: AQA Specification: Religious Studies (B)
