At St Edward’s, our Religious Studies course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to form persuasive and well-informed arguments in response to a range of controversial issues arising from discussions in Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Developments in Christian Thought.

Why Study A Level Religious Studies?

Religious Studies is a popular subject; both at St Edward's and nationally. In the UK, more than 20,000 students take the final exams each year. Students that choose this subject are often attracted by the opportunity to develop a wide range of transferable skills and the ability that it gives you to appreciate other people’s points of view. Students are often surprised at how much they enjoy both forming and expressing their own viewpoints in relation to the wide range of philosophical, ethical and theological concepts that we explore in lessons and learning how to develop cohesive chains of reasoning in their essay writing.

If you enjoy academic rigor, have a curious mind and enjoy trying to answer unanswerable questions then this is the course for you!

Course Contact

Mr Trevor Willis
Religious Education Subject Leader

Course Content

Component 1 - Philosophy of Religion, 33.3% of the total A Level
Through the study of the Philosophy of Religion you will learn to think both abstractly and critically.

Component 2 - Religious Ethics, 33.3% of the total A Level
Within Religious Ethics you will learn about the different theories for resolving moral dilemmas.

Component 3 - Developments in Christian Thought, 33.3% of the total A Level
The developments in Religious Thought unit tackles some of the major shifts within Theology and the impact they have on our understanding of the human condition.

Exam Board Code: OCR H573

Where can this take you?

As a subject that is recognised to encourage independent thought and develop the ability to construct persuasive arguments, Religious Studies is widely recognised as a challenging academic subject that provides students with a range of transferable skills that will help them make the move to the world of work or university.  Some of the best matches for courses and career options are: teaching, law, medicine, journalism and policing.  These are just few examples, there are many more!

Student Destinations

Students that have studied Religious Studies at St Edward’s have taken advantage of the wide range of subjects that are compatible with it and have continued their studies at:

University of Kent - Philosophy and Religious Studies
King's College London - Philosophy Politics and Economics
University of Southampton - Psychology
Oxford University - Law
University of Winchester - Primary Teaching
Swansea University - Criminology and Criminal Justice

Key information

Download Entry Requirements

Student Testimonials

"Religious Studies is one of my favourite subjects because I really enjoy exploring and debating concepts from philosophers that most people have never heard of!"

Quinn, KS5 Religious Studies student

"The reason that I chose to study Religious Studies at A Level is that I really wanted to study a subject that would allow me to learn about both myself and other people, helping me to make sense of some of life’s big unanswerable questions."

Jane, KS5 Religious Studies student