Head of Department: Nicholas Henshaw nnh@sevenoaksschool.org

The Religious Studies Department
The Head of the Religious Studies Department is Revd. Nicholas Henshaw who is also the school Chaplain. Mrs Wendy Heydorn (BA Cantab, PGCE) is a part-time member of staff.

The department aims to enable all pupils to examine religion from an academic viewpoint. The views of each pupil are respected and they are encouraged to develop their own beliefs and ideas whilst also developing a sensitivity for the beliefs and views of others.

Our aim is that pupils should become increasingly aware of how beliefs and values of religions such as Christianity affect the way we view the world in terms of history, morals and theology. Bearing in mind the multicultural nature of British society and the internationalism of Sevenoaks, this makes the study all the more exciting and relevant.

Years 7 & 8
Students follow a course which introduces them to the study of the Old Testament and New Testament. They develop a knowledge and understanding of key biblical texts and relate them to contemporary moral and social issues. These range from the personal, such as friendship, to the global, such as care for the environment.

Year 9
Students develop the skills to study the world religions from an academic perspective. They study themes which many world religions have in common such as religious buildings and symbols. A special study of Hinduism takes place in the Lent Term when students develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the religion. In the Summer Term, students study some contemporary moral issues.

Years 10 & 11
Students in Year 10 undertake a detailed study of four main world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. They develop a knowledge and understanding of each world faith as well as its place and importance in today’s world. In Year 11, the focus is on contemporary moral issues. It covers personal, social and global issues including marriage, wealth and poverty, euthanasia and homelessness. Each issue is studied in relation to various religious responses.

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