Religion Spirituality & Philosophy

We changed the name of this subject from ‘Religious Education’ to ‘Religion Spirituality and Philosophy’ as this better reflects what goes on in this area of the curriculum. 

Being a Quaker School, silence is highly valued at Sidcot. All pupils are taught the ‘peace breath’ which helps the individual to find peace and stillness within themselves. We practice the ‘peace breath’ for 2-3 minutes at the beginning of each lesson and pupils are encouraged to practice the breath in their own time, night and day, so as to achieve maximum benefit.

Another unusual feature of the department is the Relaxation Class.  Religion, Spirituality and Philosophy is holistic at Sidcot. It is not only learning about different faith traditions, but also nurturing body, mind and spirit. Each class has at least one Relaxation Class every term and pupils are taught techniques to help them cope with the stresses of life, giving them tools to use while at Sidcot, and indeed, beyond.

Through Years 7, 8 and 9 pupils study most of the major World Faiths as well as some current affairs and social issues. In Year 10 we have a 7-week course during which we welcome a variety of speakers who share their experiences – Alcoholics Anonymous, The Samaritans and The Humanist Association.  In Year 11 a similar course looks at Morality and Human Rights. All of these are discussion-based lessons.

GCSE is offered as an additional subject (i.e. non-timetable) and currently we follow the Edexcel short course on Religion and Life from the perspective of Christianity and Hinduism.

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