GCSE Religious Studies Tutors

Why should I take GCSE Religious Studies?

There are many reasons why people might choose to take GCSE Religious Studies, for example:

* Those looking for a career in teaching

* Those considering a career as a minister

* Those looking to explore spirituality/faith

* Anyone that wishes to hone their debating skills

What are the main components of the GCSE Religious Studies Course?

The course is assessment-led with students studying the following two components

* Thematic Studies

* The study of religions: beliefs, teachings, and practices.

GCSE Religious Studies: will I just study one faith?

No. As the title of the course implies, GCSE Religious Studies is far broader in scope than that. Throughout the course, you will learn about many religions including:

• Christianity
• Catholic Christianity
• Buddhism
• Islam
• Judaism
• Sikhism
• Hinduism

You won’t be expected to specialise in them all; you will simply choose two of the above from which to be assessed. The only caveat is that you cannot be assessed in both Christianity and Catholic Christianity.

The assessment process for the study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices.

This component equates to fifty per cent of your overall GCSE Religious Studies grade. The written assessment is relatively short, at just one hour and forty-five minutes. Each religion is allocated a series of two, five-part questions, comprising of one, two, four, five and twelve marks.

What does Thematic Studies Involve?

There are a couple of different options for assessment, which include:

Four religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes

or

Two religious, philosophical and ethical studies plus two textual studies themes

What are the Religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes for GCSE Religious Studies?

The themes to choose from are as follows

• Religion and life
• Relationships and family
• Religion, peace and conflict
• The existence of God and revelation
• Religion, human rights and social justice
• Religion, crime and punishment

The Textual Studies themes are broken down as follows:

• St Mark’s Gospel as a source of religious, moral and spiritual truths
• St Mark’s Gospel – The life of Jesus

The assessment process is similar to the first component in the sense that it equals fifty per cent of your overall grade and lasts for one hour and forty-five minutes. You will also receive marks for spelling, punctuation, and grammar in this component.

GCSE Religious Studies: options for further education?

Many students find GCSE Religious Studies to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, so much so that they wish to pursue it further. There are several routes open including A Level (either in sixth form, college, or online where you can learn at your own pace).

Will this benefit me in everyday life?

The ability to debate and a broad understanding of multiple faiths will stand you in good stead regardless as to which direction you choose to take in life. By its very nature, the course will promote a tolerance of faiths other than your own. Indeed, it is also an excellent starting point for those that question or who have no faith, as the course will either help to consolidate their thinking or question their thought process. The ability to analyse and think through arguments will help in a whole host of everyday situations.

Can I get some expert advice?

If you are still unsure as to whether GCSE Religious Studies is the right option for you, then you can get some expert guidance from The Profs. Our team are on hand to advise you on the merits of taking various courses and can also provide expert advice and tuition at educational stages from GCSE through to postgraduate.