Religious Studies Bulletin
SUMMER 2009	

WELCOME to the fourth issue of the WJEC Religious Studies Bulletin.

IN THIS NEWSLETTER
1	WJEC Anniversary Awards – Religious Studies
2	WJEC exam papers to be free of charge
3	GCSE Spec B – Advice on Entry Codes
4	GCSE news and key dates
5	GCE news and key dates
6	Entry Level news and key dates
7	INSETs Autumn 2009
8	Examiner vacancies
9	WJEC Website – don’t forget to visit regularly!
10	WJEC Secure Website
11	How to contact us

1.	WJEC'S ANNIVERSARY AWARDS – RELIGIOUS STUDIES
On 15 December 2008, WJEC marked its 60th anniversary by holding a prestigious Awards Ceremony in Cardiff to celebrate the achievement of WJEC's best A level students in England and Wales. Alice Evans from Welshpool High School was awarded the A Level subject prize in Religious Studies for having attained the highest score at A2 in the 2008 examinations series. She received a prize of £100 and a framed certificate to mark her outstanding achievement. 

2.	WJEC WEBSITE EXAM PAPERS TO BE FREE OF CHARGE 
From February onwards, WJEC past papers have been available free of charge from the WJEC website. This does not apply to hard copies obtained from the bookshop. For easier access, past papers can be downloaded by using the following link.:
 http://www.wjec.co.uk/index.php?subject=99&level=7&list=paper

It is still possible to purchase hard copies of past examination papers from the bookshop along with other teaching and learning materials. This can be done via our online shop, and in person or by telephoning the WJEC bookshop on  029 2026 5112. 
More information on WJEC's Publication Policy can be obtained http://www.wjec.co.uk/index.php?nav=90

3.	GCSE SPEC B - ADVICE ON ENTRY CODES
Entry coding arrangements for this Specification has been a source of some confusion and misunderstanding in previous years for certain centres. In order to minimise the scope for error a guidance document entitled Advice on Entry Codes has been placed on to the WJEC website on the GCSE Religious Studies Specification B subject page or by click here http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/2874.pdf

4	GCSE NEWS AND KEY DATES
WJECs has gained  approval for both new Specification A and new Specification B. Specifications, Specimen Assessment Materials and Teachers’ Guides for both the new specifications A and B are posted on the WJEC web-site and can be downloaded and printed out. The ‘staged assessment’ (i.e. one short course in year 10 followed by a further short course in year 11, which is aggregated to give a full course result) offered in both specifications will be maintained. 

Timescale for the new GCSE specifications
Current Specification ends 2010 (last exam in Summer 2010)
2008-2010 the last cohort of the current (legacy) specification
2009 – First teaching of the new GCSE specification

SPECIFICATION A
2010 – first examination of this new GCSE specification. Specification A has a systematic study of religion. This specification has been thoroughly revised. It includes for the first time two Catholic units and a brand new unit on Philosophy and Ethics. Christianity is for the first time being studied as a world religion.

Assessment for GCSE Religious Studies is untiered, i.e. all units cater for the full range of ability and allow access to grades A*-G for the subject award.

The specification content is prescribed in a series of eight units.
Candidates for the GCSE (Full Course) will be required to study two units from those listed below.
Candidates for the GCSE (Short Course) and GCSE (Further Short Course) will be required to study one of the units listed below.

The units are:
Unit 1: 	Christianity 
Unit 2: 	Christianity through the Gospels
Unit 3: 	Roman Catholicism 1
Unit 4: 	Roman Catholicism 2
Unit 5: 	Christian Philosophy and Ethics
Unit 6: 	Hinduism
Unit 7: 	Islam
Unit 8: 	Judaism

The following combinations of units are NOT permitted:

1	Roman Catholicism 1 with Christianity 
2	Roman Catholicism 2 with Christian Philosophy and Ethics
3	Christianity Through the Gospels with Christianity

Candidates for the Full Course will be required to sit two equally weighted external written examination papers. Candidates for the Short Course and Further Short Course will be required to sit one.

Each written paper will be as follows:

Written Paper: 1 hour 45 minutes   
100% of Short or Further Short Course; 50% of Full Course	

Four compulsory questions, consisting of visual or text stimuli leading to a series of paragraph and extended writing answers testing AO1 and AO2

There will still be the facility for candidates  to enter the full course either by end-of-course assessment, or by the entering for one short course first and then by sitting a further short course (usually at the end of Years 10 and 11 respectively). The assessment will be by means of a further short course if the second unit is taken at a different examination sitting from the first.  There is no controlled assessment in GCSE Religious Studies.

The WJEC is confident that the new revised specification A will be popular with both students and teachers.

SPECIFICATION B
Specification B involves a thematic study of some central questions and issues in human life and experience and explores the relevance of religious beliefs, values and traditions to these questions and issues. Specification B has the added advantage of allowing schools to meet the statutory requirements of both the 1944 Education act and the 1996 Education Act. 

Assessment for GCSE Religious Studies is untiered, i.e. all units cater for the full range of ability and allow access to grades A*-G for the subject award.

The specification content is prescribed in two units.
Candidates for the GCSE (Full Course) will be required to study both of the units listed below.
Candidates for the GCSE (Short Course) and GCSE (Further Short Course) will be required to study one of the units listed below, either Unit A or Unit B.

The units are:
Unit 1:	Religion and Life Issues
Unit 2:	Religion and Human Experience

Candidates who have already received a short course award in Unit A may enter for a Further Short Course award in Unit B. Candidates who have already received a short course award in Unit B may enter for a Further Short Course award in Unit A.

Candidates for the Full Course will be required to sit two equally weighted external written examination papers. Candidates for the Short Course and Further Short Course will be required to sit one.

Each written paper will be as follows:

Written Paper: 1 hour 45 minutes   100%	

Four structured questions consisting of visual stimuli used as a basis for a series of paragraph and extended writing answers, testing AO1 and AO2.

There will still be the facility for candidates  to enter the full course either by end-of-course assessment or by the entering for one short course first and then by sitting a further short course (usually at the end of Years 10 and 11 respectively). The assessment will be by means of a further short course if the second unit is taken at a different examination sitting from the first.

There is no controlled assessment in GCSE Religious Studies. The main thrust of Specification B will be maintained – as an interesting and stimulating issues based specification. Colour stimulus will still be used throughout the examination paper and the system of having the question paper and answer book combined will continue.

The content remains similar – though there has been some fine tuning. 

In Unit A the Topic ‘Identity and Belonging’ has been removed and content in the other topics have been increased slightly.

In Unit B the topic ‘Suffering and Evil has been removed and content in other topics increased slightly.

The subject specific criteria are more demanding and that is the rational for removing one topic in both units to allow students to study in greater depth.

RELIGION AND LIFE ISSUES
Topic 1	Relationships	Issues of love, marriage and divorce

Topic 2	Is it Fair?	Issues of justice and equality

Topic 3	Looking for Meaning	Issues about God, life and death

Topic 4	Our World	Exploring creation and our place in the world

RELIGION AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE
Topic 1	Religion and Conflict	Issues of peace, forgiveness and conflict 

Topic 2	Religion and Medicine	Issues of medical ethics and the sanctity of life

Topic 3	Religious Expression	Issues of expressing one's faith

Topic 4	Authority, Religion & State	Issues of law and order in religion and society

PUBLICATIONS TO SUPPORT NEW GCSE SPECIFICATION B
There are exciting developments on the resources being developed to support Specification B. 

Hodder and Stoughton are in the process of revising their very popular ‘Believing and Living’ (Religion and Life Issues) and ‘Believing and Experiencing’ (Religion and Human Experience) written by Joy White 
(Principal Examiner Specification B) and Gavin Craigen (former Chief Examiner for Specification B). Hodder are also developing a student work booklet to accompany the above titles.

Folens are developing a book to support the new Specification B Unit 1 – Believing and Living. This is being written by Ina Taylor who is a very successful author of a number of text books. She is a team leader for WJEC Specification B, Option A.

Heinneman, part of the Pearson Group are publishing books to support   Specification B, Units 1 (Religion and Life) and  Unit 2 (Believing and Experiencing) . They are also producing web based materials as well to support Specification B.

WJEC will be quality assuring all of these new publications before endorsing with them with the WJEC logo. All of the above books and materials once published will be available from WJEC bookshop or directly from the publishers.

These publications should be available in late Spring 2009. Once these books and resources are published the WJEC bookshop will stock them.

Key Dates for legacy GCSE specification 2008-2009
Submission of coursework: 			Saturday 2 May 2009
Deadline date for GCSE entries			Saturday 21 February 2009
Deadline date for Entry amendments		Tuesday 31 March 2009
(without incurring a charge)
Publication of Results Summer 2009		Thursday 27 August 2009

5.	GCE NEWS AND KEY DATES

WJEC provided examinations in all of the legacy GCE units and in all of the new GCE units for the recent January 2009 series. There were entries for all new units. WJEC considered it was important for students to be given the opportunity for being entered for the new units. It will be making available all of the new unit papers and mark schemes in March after the marking and awarding process has been completed. This will be a good opportunity for teachers and students to see the new question papers and associated mark schemes. These papers and mark schemes are also now available on the main WJEC website . Please see section 2 above i.e. WJEC Exam Papers To Be Free of Charge.

NEW PUBLICATION
UWIC Press has published  their text book on the Contemporary Society. This book is now available in English and Welsh from UWIC direct or from the WJEC bookshop. UWIC are publishing this book via a contact set by the Welsh regulators DCELLS. The Contemporary Society unit is proving to be very popular in centres and attracts a wide following amongst students. 

Joe Jenkins ( author of the Heinneman , Examining Religion series) has produced    a very  useful DVD entitled, ‘ Sex and Ethics’.  The Principal Examiner for Ethics , Andrew Pearce reviewed this DVD and has recommended it as a very worthwhile resource.  He writes, ‘Making  ‘applied ethics’  relevant, interesting  and  thought provoking for  teenagers is not an easy task, but  this DVD manages to do all three.  There are four  short video ‘bites’ which    cover four ethical theories (Natural Law, Situation Ethics,  Utilitarianism and Kant’s Moral Law). The initial videos outline the basics of the each theory,  its attitude to sexual ethics and  some of the theory’s  main strengths and weaknesses.  These videos would form an excellent starter activity to ‘hook’ students into a topic as they introduce the historical background of each theory together with its place in 21st Century society. 

Each of these ‘theory’ videos is then in turn followed by  a further video which contains a range of  factual, fictional and contemporary examples of sexual ethics,  which are then debated by Sixth Form students in an incisive way. These  videos would serve as an excellent means of testing students understanding of a theory and their ability to assess its usefulness - both  key components of  AS  and A2  modules.

The videos for each theory are also supported by a  series of well constructed teaching materials for use both before and after the videos,  which employ a range of teaching strategies.   Overall, an excellent multimedia  teaching resource  developed by an enthusiastic practitioner and well worth what amounts to the  price of  a few text books.  

 This resource is available  on DVD for £85 ( Including delivery) by sending a cheque to ‘ Ethics Online’, PO Box 257, Herefordshire HR1 9GQ. Joe Jenkins has also produced a very good DVD on the issue of War and Peace which is well worth looking at.

NEW SPECIFICATION DETAILS
GCE Religious Studies is fully approved by QCA and DCELLS.  Final versions of the specification and specimen assessment materials have been despatched to centres.  Both the specification and specimen assessment materials are available on the WJEC Religious Studies website. A final version of the comprehensive Teachers’ Guide has also been posted on the WJEC web-site. The WJEC will not be providing the Teacher’ Guide in printed format.

This is an exciting development which will attract more students to study Religious Studies at both AS and A2. The freeing up of the units in AS will give both students and teachers greater choice and freedom. 

WJEC Timetable of Introduction of the new GCE Specification

September 2008	New Courses start

January 2009	First examination of new AS units
Normal January provision of old AS units

Summer 2009	First Awards of New AS qualification
  Last full awards of old a level qualification
  Full provision of old AS units and cash –in

September 2009	Notification required by centres of take-up for last A2 papers
  (For Jan 2010)

January 2010		Last re-sit opportunity for old A2 units provided on request

Summer 2010	First awards of new a level qualification

Religious Studies is the fastest growing subject at Key Stage 4 and WJEC certainly wants to encourage the same expansion post 16.  The full range of units currently offered at AS and A2 will be available in the new specification. All of the content in the new specification has been reviewed and up–dated. The new specification has been set out in a new clear two column format with the topic set out on the left hand side and the issues set out on the right hand side. This will make for greater clarity for both teachers and students alike.

Key Dates for current GCE specification 2008-2009
Release of pre- release material for RS9			Start of Spring Term
Publication of Results Winter 2009			Thursday 12 March 2009
Deadline date for GCE entries (Summer series)	Saturday 21 March 2009
Publication of Results Summer 2009			Thursday 20 August 2009

Please contact WJEC if you have not received a copy of the RS 9 pre-release materials.

6.	ENTRY LEVEL NEWS AND KEY DATES

Currently, the WJEC continues to offer both Religious Studies and Religious Education at Entry Level. Entry Level is targeted at lower attaining pupils i.e. broadly speaking those who typically have not reached Level 3 of the National Curriculum at the end of Key Stage 3, and, additionally, for whom GCSE and equivalent vocational qualifications are not deemed appropriate.

The RE course mirrors the GCSE Specification B, Option A Religion and Life course. The Religious Studies course is a more systematic study of religion with nine options.

The WJEC has extended accreditation of the current courses until 2011. 

Entry Level RS/RE is used widely in comprehensive schools, special schools, pupil referral units and secure units. The WJEC can also offer direct help through experienced Principal Examiner, David Sharpe. Please contact Tudor Thomas at the WJEC for further details. 

Key Dates for Entry Level 2008-2009
Deadline date for Entry amendments		Friday 16 January 2009
(without incurring a charge)
Submission of coursework: 			Friday 1 May 2009
Publication of results				Thursday 25 June 2009

7.	INSETS - AUTUMN 2009 
Every year, a number of teachers miss out on INSET provision that is available for this subject because of being unaware of the date(s). INSETs for all Religious Studies subjects normally take place in the Autumn of every academic year. Dates for this Autumn’s INSETs are in the process of being finalised and will be posted on the WJEC website as soon as possible. When you visit the WJEC website, look under Professional Development for details and to download an application form to register. http://www.wjec.co.uk/professionaldevelopment 

There will be a charge for all 2009 GCE, GCSE and Entry Level INSETs (charges to be confirmed).
INSETS are normally held in the following locations between 10.00 a.m. – 15.30 p.m. 

GCE INSETS 
London		Monday 28 September
Mold			Thursday 5 November
Cardiff			Tuesday 10 November
Carmarthen 		Wednesday 11 November

GCSE INSETS
PLEASE NOTE The main focus of the GCSE INSETS will be the New Specifications – though there will be some feed back on the 2009 examinations.
NB There will be a charge for all INSETS in 2009.

ENGLAND GCSE INSETS for New Specification B
Grantham		Tuesday 22 September
London		Tuesday 29 September
Wigan			Friday 6 November
York                         Tuesday 17 November 
 
WALES GCSE INSETS for new Specification A and B
Please note that the INSETS for both specifications will be run separately but at the same venue.
Carmarthen		Monday 2 November
Cardiff			Tuesday 3 November
Mold			Wednesday 4 November

ENTRY LEVEL INSETS 
London		Wednesday 30 September
Cardiff			Friday 2 October
Mold			Thursday 5 November

8.	EXAMINER VACANCIES
There is always a need for examiners in this subject at all levels, especially in GCSE Religious Studies Specification B. If you are interested in examining for us, please apply online by downloading an application form from the WJEC home page. Alternatively, email the appropriate section for the application form required.

GCE A level: 	email:   rob.reynolds@wjec.co.uk
GCSE	email:   sandra.hutchings@wjec.co.uk
Entry Level	email:   chris.quinn@wjec.co.uk

If there are no vacancies, then your application will be kept in our Reserve bank and referred to as and when vacancies occur.

Vacancy for 2011 for GCE (A2)  RS Unit 3, Western Religions (i.e.) Judaism and Islam. Please contact Tudor Thomas for an informal discussion.

9.	WJEC WEB-SITE - DON’T FORGET TO VISIT REGULARLY!
Remember, here you can download specifications, past question papers, examiner reports, coursework/assessment and resource materials etc. If there are any ideas or suggestions on how you think the Religious Studies web pages could be improved please let us know. 

Please remember to visit our website regularly and especially the Religious Studies web pages for latest news, updates and information. The address to visit is:  http://www.wjec.co.uk/religiousstudies

When you have arrived at the WJEC Home Page, look to the column on the left hand side and you will see the Subject and underneath Level box menus. First, click on the Subject drop down menu and select Religious Studies. Secondly, click on the Level drop menu and select the appropriate level required. Once done, click Go. This will take you to the Religious Studies Home Page for the appropriate level selected. 

On the right hand-side you will see a column and the category “Documents”. Scroll down to see “View full list of documents”. Click this link to access the many source materials related to this subject level. 

10.	WJEC SECURE WEB-SITE
The WJEC Secure Website can only be accessed by authorised staff at Centres that work with WJEC. This is often the Examinations Officer within the Centre. Once a Centre is registered, access is available to a range of resources including circulars, past papers and marking schemes. There is also the facility for entry/amendment file uploads and the ability to make online post-results enquiries.

If your Centre is not registered, please send an email to securewebsite@wjec.co.uk stating centre number, centre name, contact name and contact email address. Only the centre examinations officer should send this email. We will then get a letter of registration out to your centre as soon as possible (normally within two working days). Please indicate on your email if your registration is urgent. Once registered, the examinations officer can then register up to 10 additional limited access accounts themselves. 

11.	HOW TO CONTACT US:

Subject Officer for Religious Studies
Tudor Thomas, tel: 029 2026 5122 email tudor.thomas@wjec.co.uk

Subject Support Officer to Tudor Thomas
Paul Bradley tel: 029 2026 5183 email paul.bradley@wjec.co.uk 

A Level Section
Kieran McDonnell, Section Head, tel: 029 2026 5148 email kieron.mcdonnell@wjec.co.uk

GCSE Section
Nick Brooks, Section Head, tel: 029 2026 5061 email nick.brooks@wjec.co.uk

Entry Level Section
Chris Quinn, Section Head, tel: 029 2026 5128, email chris.quinn@wjec.co.uk

Entries Section
Caroline McGlynn, Section Head tel: 029 2026 5193 email caroline.mcglynn@wjec.co.uk

Bookshop
Caroline Redman, Bookshop Manager tel: 029 2026 5042 email caroline.redman@wjec.co.uk

Did you find this newsletter useful? Could the WJEC Religious Studies web pages be improved? Please let us know. Feedback always welcome! Please email Tudor at tudor.thomas@wjec.co.uk.

Best wishes

Tudor Thomas