religious education Department

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

Mr Richard Waddington

Religious Education is an important subject taught in all sections of the school. In Junior School the children examine and discuss their own place in the world through their understanding of themselves and their relationships with those close to them. The boys examine how ritual is used by their families to mark important events in their lives.
In Years 3 and 4, the boys examine the main world religions in turn, focusing on buildings, festivals and rites of passage. During this time, the boys will visit various religious sites to deepen their understanding.
In Years 5 to 7, the boys begin a systematic study of Biblical narratives in order to prepare them for their public examinations in Year 8. The boys also examine various ethical issues to develop their ability to explain their ideas about our complex world.
In Year 8, the boys learn how to express their own ideas and how to successfully argue their own points. They continue their studies of ethics, focusing on exclusion through race, gender, ethnicity, age or poverty. All boys at the end of Year 8 also produce a project about a religious tradition of their own choice.