• Head of Department
• Overview of the Department
• Key Stage 3
• GCSE
• Links
• Extra Curricular

Within St. Colman's College we value Religious Education as an integral and indispensable aspect of the total education of our students. Each religion class takes place within the context of a Christian Community. In the class each pupil is given the opportunity to develop his gift of faith and to develop an understanding of the life of a Christian. The full range of catechetical methodology is employed.

The Religious Education Programme, through an exploration of the Bible, the liturgy, Church teaching, the witness of Christian Living, the World of nature and human experience, seeks to lead the students to know God and to become aware of God's plan for them and for creation. It seeks to help them to respond to God's communicating presence with them.

Through their religious education it is anticipated that students will develop their communication skills through discussion, written analysis, presentations, group work and independent studies. Students are also taught to be tolerant and respectful and opportunities are given to learn about other faiths.

The KS3 curriculum for Religious Studies seeks to provide a continuation from the primary school curriculum, examining many areas at a deeper level. Within the three-year programme for post-primary schools key areas are returned to each year, e.g. the Bible, the Eucharist, the Church, the person and work of Jesus; but are dealt with at a successfully higher level or from a different perspective.

The starting point for KS3 Religious Studies classes is the experience of students. This enables them to come to a deeper meaning of the significance of the events that happen to them everyday. They are encouraged to reflect on the challenge of the Christian message and are helped to consider how they can modify their attitudes and behaviour in the light of the teaching of Jesus.

Throughout the Fully Alive Series, the programme for KS3, one of the strategies that we use to help students reflect upon and understand the deeper meaning of their experience is storytelling. Prayer in its many different forms, traditional, liturgical, silent and spontaneous are explored. We foster in students an attitude of prayer- as awareness of God's presence, the ability to be silent; to reflect and to listen to God and an awareness of the fact that God is always listening to them.

In KS3 student participation in their own learning is encouraged to the optimum. Their journal is really a record of their thoughts and feelings throughout the year. Group work is encouraged so that students share and hear one another's ideas.

Examination Structure The religious education exercise book is called a journal. This journal is assessed as part of the end of term examination. It contributes to 10% of their end of term percentage. This assessment is based on the presentation of the pupils' work (2%), the content and quality of their work (2%), their spelling, punctuation and grammar (2%), their effort at and quality of homework (2%). Consideration is also given to their work in class (2%). Students also complete a project each term, which amounts to a further 10% of the end of term examination.

Examinations in KS3 are one hour long. They consist mainly of short GCSE style questions assessing knowledge, understanding and the ability to apply such to the Christian lifestyle. This examination amounts to 80% of the term's assessment percentage. Pupils take part in self and peer assessment at least twice a term.

Practical work Pupils take part in prayer services, using candles and music at the end of each unit of work. Project work is part of the students' yearly work and is usually completed in groups. At Christmas time a number of students from each year group make a presentation to their particular group on the meaning of Christmas. A variety of talents are used in song, music, poetry, drama and prose. This takes place in the Chapel.

In St.Colman's College we follow AQA Specification A, Christianity GCSE Religious Studies. All students study GCSE Religious Studies.

In year eleven students study the person and ministry of Jesus in Mark?s Gospel (option 2C). They will be expected to have a thorough knowledge of the background to the Gospel and the passages specified for the themes in the syllabus.

They learn about the:

• Authority of the Gospel, the way in which the Gospel came to be written, and the implications of this for the authority of the Gospel for Christians today. A knowledge and understanding of the various interpretations of the Gospel as the ?Word of God? is expected.
• Meaning and Significance of Christian Titles for Jesus, both for disciples and for modern Christians. They are expected to understand the relevance and importance of the Person of Jesus, as presented by St. Mark, for Christian faith today. (Son of God, Son of Man, Jesus/ Saviour, Christ' Messiah' Son of David)
• Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, his example of self-sacrifice and his suffering, death and resurrection. The central place, which these events have within Christianity, and the Christian belief in life after death.
• Beginnings of the Christian Community, its priorities and practices as shown in the life and teaching of Jesus. The importance and relevance of these themes for Christian life today. (The Kingdom of God, Faith and Prayer, Discipleship, Leadership, Worship, Baptism)

In year twelve students study the effect of the Roman Catholic Tradition upon aspects of Christian lifestyle and behaviour (option 2B). They will be expected to have a thorough knowledge of the Gospel passages specified for the themes in the syllabus.

They learn about:

• Christian Values (Features of Discipleship)
• Justice and Reconciliation (World Poverty, differences between rich and poor, issues of development including the exploitation of workers, Trocaire)
• Crime and Punishment (Forgiveness, the aims of punishment)
• Prejudice and Discrimination (Colour, race, class and disability)
• War and Peace (Just war, nuclear war, pacificism)
• Personal Issues related to Sacraments (Sacraments of Initiation and the effects upon Christian lifestyle and behaviour; the sacrament of reconciliation, its meaning and effects; the ideal of marriage in the Roman Catholic Tradition with reference to sexual relations outside marriage, contraception and abortion, responsible parenthood, marital breakdown and annulment; Holy Orders, the concept of vocation, religious life and lay ministries; Anointing of the Sick, attitudes to sickness and healing, death and life after death, attitudes to euthanasia.

Examination Structure

Candidates must complete one written paper and one piece of coursework from each section of the two- part course. Each written paper is worth 40% of the total marks for the course and lasts one and a half hours. Candidates must answer a series of short-answer questions (Part A), followed by two short stimulus response questions (Part B). Candidates then answer two structured essay questions (Part C) on the particular module studied, 1C and 2B.

Practical / Coursework

Candidates must submit two assignments on clearly stated topics on any aspect of the subject content options for the written papers. One assignment must be completed based on each topic taken, in St. Colman?s we study discipleship and abortion and euthanasia. Each assignment is 1000-1500 words in length and each is worth 10% of the final exam.

To fulfil its function as part of the assessment of candidates, each coursework for each specification must: Provide opportunities for candidates to select, organise and deploy knowledge of the specification content (AO1), Describe, analyse and explain the relevance and application of a religion (AO2), Evaluate different responses to religious and moral issues using evidence and argument (AO3). It is suggested that for each assignment, no more than 500 words are written for this evaluation question.

Each assignment will be marked out of 40. The proportion of marks to be awarded to each assessment objective is laid down as follows:

• AO1 is to be marked at 40% (out of 16)
• AO2 is to be marked at 35% (out of 14)
• AO3 is to be marked at 25% (out of 10)

The criteria for marks are set out in the specification for five bands. The skills to be assessed are identified more precisely in terms of ability in each band.

http://ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/icons/icons.html

• Baptists
• Judaism
• Church of Ireland:
• Presbyterian Church in Ireland
• The Bible
• The Book of Kells
• The RE Site
• The Vatican

GCSE, As and A2 level revision classes are provided by teachers in the third term. Details of times and venues are arranged by the teacher. The Religious Studies Department organises the annual Trocaire 24HR Fast. Annually a Christmas Appeal is organised by the department for SDVP. S2 students attend the Life Conference in Newry Town Hall

S3 students annually partake in the Citizenship Conference organised by Sr. Rose Devlin

S3 students take part in an extended day retreat in Emmaus Retreat Centre, Dublin and S4 students enjoy an overnight retreat at the same venue. A large number of contacts have been made with the wider community in Newry and beyond and many representatives visit the school to talk about their work, e.g. Newry Baptist Minister, Fr. Frank Diamond SMA, Representatives from the local Hospice, the local Drugs and Rehabilitation Centre, Action cancer etc.