Philosophy, Theology and Ethics

Who studies this course?

All students at Notre Dame have a one-hour PTE lesson once per week.

What will I study?

Philosophy, Theology and Ethics (PTE) provides you with a high-quality religious education that develops your knowledge and understanding of key issues involved in having a specific faith or worldview, or none at all.

It teaches you how to reflect on your own and other people's assumptions, as well as providing you with the skills to analyse, evaluate and reflect on different world views. The recent OFSTED report commented that 'students explore a stimulating range of social, political and cultural issues through the well-planned philosophy, theology and ethics curriculum'.

The programme is structured around 3 key questions: Who am I? What do I believe? and How do I want to live? The second question is central to the idea of Credo, which is Latin for 'I believe'. You will explore, evaluate, understand and reflect on your own and other worldviews.

Students will develop three ways of knowing:

• 'Understand' - gain knowledge
• 'Discern': analysing and evaluating, judging wisely in response to different interpretations.
• 'Respond': reflecting with integrity on what has been learnt, considering the implications of actions.

PTE aims to 'form the human person, equipping them to live life to the full – mind, body and spirit'. PTE is part of our mission as a Catholic college -  It helps our students to be knowledgeable, thoughtful and self-aware, and develop into the person they are meant to be.