Academic Departments Religious Studies (Divinity)
Religious Studies (Divinity)
In the first year we take a chronological look at the history of God's relationship with his people as recorded in the Bible. Most pupils arrive with a reasonable knowledge of some of the most important Bible stories, but they often have little idea of their place in history or of how they fit together as a narrative. During the year pupils construct a 10-foot timeline which helps them see the ‘big picture’.
Working our way through the Bible events in historical order allows us to revisit the important Bible passages and consider their relevance for today: to discover how they fit in to a historical context, and to see how the understanding of God developed through the centuries.
The teaching is shared by the Chaplains, giving them the opportunity to get to know all first-year pupils.
In their second year all pupils study the ‘short course’ GCSE which is taken at the end of the E Block (Year 10). We follow Edexcel's specification 'A': religion and life based on a study of Christianity and one other religion (Islam). This requires us to study an introduction and five sections: Believing in God, Life and Death, Social Harmony, Marriage and the Family, Wealth and Poverty. The aim is critically to examine our own opinions as well as to introduce a range of beliefs and value systems.
