Religious Studies

As we have weathered the storm of the pandemic, many have found themselves with big questions. Many of these questions seemingly cannot be answered, and for some it is unclear to whom exactly we should be asking them.The study of religion is the study of faith, philosophy, and the questions that make us human. Despite the challenges of the past two years, our students have remained resilient and reflective in their understanding of the world, realising that listening, discussing, and contemplating are often the best ways to have our queries addressed.

Miss A Hewett (Head of Religious Studies)

A Level Conference 2020

We are grateful to Academy Conferences for continuing to run their excellent A Level Religious Studies conference, albeit online in view of restrictions. Talks covered a range of topics on the syllabus, from Keith Ward’s session on the attributes of God to Daphne Hampson’s intriguingly entitled talk, ‘On not being an Ostrich.’ The day ended with a coaching session on ‘How to make essay writing work for you’, ensuring our students were equipped with both the knowledge and communication skills to excel.

Bringing Culture to the Classroom

In a year of restricted travel the department has been bringing culture into the classroom. For example, Year 7 students enjoyed making dreidels with Miss Burdett as they learnt about the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Our GCSE students have studied Buddhist art and listened to chanting as part of their study of religious practices. One Year 11 student said: “I think what I enjoy most about the RS GCSE course is the variety of themes that we cover and the different perspectives that we get to see them through.This allows us to learn about a lot of different cultures and religions throughout the planet. It’s like travelling the world without ever having to leave the classroom.”

Emanuel School Philosophy Club

Every week we pick a motion (written by a member of the group) and take turns to raise our opinions on the topic in question. Some of the subjects we have discussed include time, the morality of prisons, and whether we really exist (everyone had a bit of a mental breakdown after that particular debate!). I really enjoy Philosophy Club as it gives me the opportunity to learn about other people’s points of view and it allows me to question... well, everything...! without anyone telling me what is right or wrong.