“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength”

Dalai Lama

The Cape Cornwall School curriculum ensures that all our students have the opportunity for academic and personal development across a broad range of subjects and experiences. It combines equality of opportunity to our core learning with opportunities for students to make individual choices regarding their learning experiences.  Acquisition of knowledge and transferable skills are the cornerstones of our student’s progress, and we place a high value on building their understanding of community, place and social justice. Lessons and other learning experiences are sequenced to build on students’ prior knowledge and ensure that students deepen their knowledge of each subject and the interconnection between subjects and their global context.

Our curriculum is the foundation to achieving our Core Principles:

• Students leave Cape with high-value achievements and the life skills and resilience that provide a platform for future success and happiness.
• We are inspired to work together to research, design and implement highly effective and sustainable solutions to develop and maintain our thriving school community.
• Continuous improvement is achieved through a whole school culture of, and commitment to, creativity, engagement and professionalism.

What is unique to the study of Religious Education?

Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God and religion, moral issues and what it means to be human in the 21st century.  It encourages students to explore different faiths, beliefs, values and traditions whilst learning from others.  Religious Education actively promotes the British Value of mutual respect and tolerance for different religions and beliefs. 

We study both elements of religious education and philosophy to nurture students’ academic curiosity.  They are encouraged to ask questions and evaluate the existence and meaning of life: where life begins and where life ends.   Within the framework of religion and philosophy, we aim to enable students to apply historical, philosophical and theistic ideology to an evolving world. Theology and philosophy allow students to debate different belief systems in a supportive environment and practise tolerance and mutual respect for other faiths and beliefs.   Students are also encouraged to consider their responses to the various belief systems they will study in the confidence of this mutual respect and tolerance.

Religious education is taught across all year groups following the Cornwall Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (SACRE) requirements. In addition, at the GCSE level, students study units from the AQA Short Course in Religious Education. 

RE Repeat Concepts:

• Beliefs, teachings and sources
• Identity, diversity and belonging
• Practices and ways of life
• Expressing meaning
• Values and commitments
• Meaning, purpose and truth