Religious Studies - moving up from GCSE to A Level

Ewan Brady, OCR Religious Studies Subject Advisor

So, you didn’t sit your GCSE RS exams this year – but GCSEs are not just about exams. They are two-year courses where students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills in a particular subject. Whilst the 2021 exams were cancelled, the course itself will have helped you prepare for what comes next.

If you want to know more about our A Level Religious Studies course you can check out our specification, past papers and more on the OCR website.

2021 has been an odd year, a very difficult year for many people. It follows on from another difficult year, 2020. But, where there is despair, there is hope, hope for a better future. For many young people, part of the hope will be about moving on to sixth form and beyond to university.

You may have been given a transition pack from your teacher with various tasks to help you prepare for studying A Level religious studies. Do this work – it is important.

My top six recommendations to help you get ready

1. Read the news. Read a quality newspaper like The Times, The Guardian or The I. If you don’t or can’t buy a copy, you can read them online. It is important that you raise your awareness of current issues that are relevant for A Level. This is especially important for ethics and topics such as euthanasia and business ethics. 
2. Watch TV. Again, watch the news. You can also watch discussion programmes like The Big Questions on BBC on Sunday mornings. And for some philosophical comedy, there is The Good Place on Netflix or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the BBC television series from Douglas Adams.
3. Watch YouTube. TED features talks from the TED Conference, where leading thinkers talk about technology, entertainment, design, science, global issues, the arts and more. Crash Course has videos covering philosophy along with other subjects including science, history, literature, drama, mythology, psychology, sociology and economics.
4. Watch films. Many films explore philosophical themes, such as Blade Runner, The Truman Show, The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Fountain. Watch a film about religion. For example, if you are studying Developments in Christian Thought (DCT), find a film about the life of Jesus. 
5. Read a book. Try reading some philosophy such as The Republic by Plato or Utopia by Sir Thomas More. Or you could read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – the TV series is based on the first two books of five by Douglas Adams. Read a religious text – for example, the Bible if you are going to be studying DCT. But it doesn’t need to be the King James Version – try a children’s Bible or a version in graphic novel form.
6. Have a great summer. You deserve it. Life has been hard during these past two years. Enjoy the time you have with your family. Play video games. Get outside and go for a walk. Enjoy nature. Play sport. See your friends. Stay safe.

Stay connected

Are there other resources or websites that you would like to share? You can comment below. You can email us at religiousstudies@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or follow us on Twitter @OCR_RS. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive email information about resources and support.

About the author

Ewan Brady joined OCR as a subject specialist in June 2014. Since joining OCR Ewan has been responsible for a number of subjects including Sociology, Government and Politics and Law. He took over responsibility for Religious Studies as Subject Advisor in 2017. Ewan taught for 16 years in Scotland and England and has eight years of leadership experience in humanities, teaching subjects including History, Law, Politics, Citizenship and Religious Studies. In his spare time Ewan enjoys walking, watching sport, going to the cinema and playing video games with his family.