Religious Studies
We approach Religious Education at Appleby through beliefs and morality, thinking about issues that affect all of us, discussing these effects, then looking at how different religions also respond to these moral issues. The key religions we learn about are: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Sikhi.
In Years 7 & 8 students will learn the key beliefs of each of these six religions. However, their learning focuses on PSHCE-style themes, such as healthcare, death, inspiring people/heroes through their learning of Christianity, freedom, law & order, celebrity status when studying Islam, suffering and loss in Buddhism, and charity and racism whilst learning about Sikhism, reflecting on safety on the Internet whilst learning about the use of avatars in Hinduism, and finally, mental health issues, self-belief, diet, puberty through their study of Judaism.
In Year 9 this style of learning continues with students researching why some people feel there is a god through the ideas of the Design and Cosmological Arguments and the Problems of Evil. We finish by looking at alternative beliefs on how to live through the ideas of Humanism and Utilitarianism. Finally, students put it all together when students create their own society from scratch which helps them to work out what is vital in a thriving society and what issues there are in running one.
In all years students are expected to contribute to the many class discussions that will arise from the issues discussed. They are also expected to listen to, and respect, the views of others. By so doing, the school aims to teach students to respect different cultures and beliefs whilst maintaining their own identity. By focusing on morality, students get a greater understanding of the problems and issues that people face living in Britain, regardless of religious or ethnic background.
We no longer offer a full GCSE course; however, if enough students are interested, a short-course may be offered.