The Religion and Philosophy Department
Religion is the human response to being alive and having to die Why do people kill themselves for religion? Why do people live for religion? Is there anything else out there? These are some of the questions faced by pupils who study RE at Dyke House School. The Religion and Philosophy Department teaches every pupil in the school for one lesson per week from Year 7 to Year 9. In Year 10 and Year 11 pupils study RE within their PDP (Personal Development Programme) lessons with their form tutors. Pupils may also choose the GCSE option in GCSE Religion, Philosophy and Ethics as a full course which is taught twice a week. The department is very forward thinking and aims to introduce pupils to some of the main issues faced by believers and non-believers of religion in the world today, ranging from moral and ethical ideas about war, terrorism, persecution, abortion and euthanasia to name a few. To compliment this further, the department has invested heavily in artefacts from all of the world’s faiths and it uses guest speakers from organisations and the religious community. So far we have had a Buddhist monk, a Holocaust survivor, British Humanists, a guest speaker discussing abortion, Dignity in Dying (euthanasia) and many more. The department also has access to first class ICT and computer facilities, such as interactive whiteboards and voting pods for pupils to use. Extending pupils learning is at the core of what we believe and so regular after school clubs and holiday clubs are offered for those interested. At Key Stage 3 pupils study some of the following units: How and why is Buddha important to Buddhists? Why do some people believe in God? What do Muslims believe? What do religions say about prejudice and discrimination? Was Jesus a ‘man’ or a ‘myth’? What is the history of religion? What is so significant about Israel? Why are religious leaders important? What do religions say about wealth and poverty in the world today? Where did the universe come from? Who are the Jewish people? What are the effects of religious persecution? What do Hindu’s believe about God? Is life sacred? How will the universe end?
The GCSE Religion, Philosophy and Ethics covers very controversial topics which are relevant to everyday life and often in the news; these include abortion, euthanasia, marriage and divorce, homosexuality, capital punishment, religious wars, cloning, the environment, IVF and genetic engineering. Debates are often lively and interesting!
Check out the upcoming Religion and Philosophy events by clicking here
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