Religious education post-16

Expectations for teaching religious education at post-16 level.

Any student pursuing a GCSE, an A/S level or A’ level GCE qualification in religious studies is exempted from the requirement to follow any other prescriptions of the Ealing agreed syllabus for the period in which the course is being followed.

To facilitate examination work post-16 it would help teachers if the RE scheme of work for those students not taking a public examination shares common material with the examination syllabus.Teachers may design their own programme of study based on a shortened and simplified version of any existing A’ level or A/S level religious studies syllabus provided:

1. students of all abilities are able to access the work;
2. it involves significant attention being paid to Christianity over a full two year course;
3. it includes the production of at least one substantial piece of written work based on a student’s own research into one the themes detailed in the agreed syllabus for post-16 work.

Schools must ensure that the time available for religious education post-16 allows for substantial and meaningful work to be done and to this end it is recommended that a minimum of half-an-hour a week—or blocked equivalent—of teaching time is made available for the subject.