Religious Education
Mrs. L. Dolan Head of Religious Education
Mr. A. Gould
Mr. A. Pritchard
Miss. H. Doherty
Students are introduced to religious views on various issues and helped to develop and to express their own opinions.
The 2012 Inspection of Anglican schools (SIAS) stated that “The effectiveness of the religious education at Archbishop Sancroft is outstanding”
Students achieve significantly above national expectations in Religious Studies at Archbishop Sancroft; in 2011 50% of students achieved an A or A* in their GCSE.
Students describe their RS lessons as “Engaging”, “Interesting”, “Sensitive”, “Deep”, and “unique” in which they become “immersed into the topic.
The inspection noted that students are confident in voicing their opinion and are not afraid to speak out on issues. Examples of issues studied at Key Stage 3 are:
- Should animals have rights? (year 7)
- Is war always wrong? (year 8)
- Should men and women be treated differently? (year 8)
- Should the death penalty be reintroduced? (year 9)
- Is abortion right? (year 9)
Students complete a project on Gandhi and learn about the lives of Jesus, Buddha Gotama, Aung San Suu Kyi, Guru Nanak, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
They will study Christian, Buddhist and Sikh ideas in depth as well as ideas from Hinduism, Islam & Judaism. This follows the Local Agreed Syllabus for Norfolk.
KS4 - Students study for a short course GCSE in Religion and Life Issues. Each year a group of students attend a lesson at lunchtime to prepare for a full course GCSE in Religion and Human Experience. Both full and short course follow WJEC syllabus B.
At GCSE students study Christian and Islamic responses to different issues. They must also express their own views.
Examples of the issues studied in the short course are:
- Sex before marriage.
- Contraception
- Divorce & remarriage
- Sexism
- Racism
- Poverty
- Vivisection
All of the issues studied in philosophy, ethics and religious studies give students grounding in some of the decisions or issues they will face in life. They are given an understanding of the multi-cultural society in which we live. They are helped to think critically and to develop reasoned arguments. They are taught to express these in writing and in debates. The knowledge and skills taught in philosophy, ethics and religious studies are essential for student’s personal lives as they develop into adults. The ability to present a reasoned argument along with knowledge of different ideas and cultures are essential in the modern workplace and in further and higher education.
