Religious Studies
Head of Department: Mr B.T. Deane
The Religious Studies Department has five classrooms at the top of the Cloisters which look out over the rooftops of Oundle. Religious Studies forms part of the core curriculum for lower school pupils. It is also a popular choice for pupils at GCSE, AS and A2 level. At A Level we have a number of pupils who are studying the Sciences but see Religious Studies as the perfect complement to their studies. A number of pupils go on each year to read Theology or Religious Studies at University.
The Department runs a bi-annual trip to Rome and Istanbul for the Fourth and Fifth forms. This fits in with the iGCSE course as Rome is a place of great importance for Christianity, whilst Istanbul is a fascinating city which has immense relevance for both Christianity and Islam. In recent years the Department has organized Sixth Form trips to Egypt, Syria and India. These are open to all pupils regardless of whether or not they’ve chosen Religious Studies for A Level. We also run day trips to Walsingham, and the Peterborough mosque for IGCSE pupils; and a London trip to a Hindu temple, a Jewish synagogue and the central mosque for junior pupils.
This Sixth Form society invites speakers to talk on a range of theological and philosophical issues. Recent speakers have included Dr. Dormor of Cambridge University who spoke on Sexual Ethics, and Dr. Hampton, also of Cambridge University, who spoke on Thomas Aquinas. This year the Society will be hearing talks on subjects including, ‘Are we merely matter?’ and ‘Is religious belief all in the mind?’
The department regularly enters pupils for essay competitions run by Oxbridge colleges. Pupils complete independent research on a title provided for them by the college. Recent entries have included, ‘What’s wrong with cannibalism’ and ‘Is the will free?’. In recent years pupils have come first and second in the competition run by Trinity College, Cambridge.
The department is staffed by:
Mr R.S. Ambrose BA
Revd B.J. Cunningham MA
Mr B.T. Deane MA
Mrs C.A. Deane BA
Mrs A.E. Meisner BA
Mrs. C. Nolan BA
Mrs V. Gascoine BEd
Course Content
First to Third Form
All pupils study Religious Studies in the first three years. We aim to give pupils an understanding and appreciation of the beliefs and practices of a range of different religions including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Animism, Sikhism and Islam. Pupils are encouraged to see religion in a world context and learn about the effects it has therein.
Fourth and Fifth Form
Pupils electing to study Religious Studies will follow the Edexcel iGCSE course. We believe that the international GCSE offers a rigorous syllabus which focuses on the theological and philosophical elements of the two religions we cover, namely Islam and Christianity. We currently have 190 pupils who have chosen to study this course.
Sixth Form
We study the Edexcel specification at AS and A2, studying Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. The A Level course is designed to encourage pupils to research and question on their own, as well as to develop their abilities to debate in class. We look at the way that ethical and philosophical insights have influenced the social, political and cultural aspects of western society.