“What happens when we die?”  “When does life begin?”  “If God is good, why does he allow disasters like the tsunami?”  “Do RS lessons make you believe in God?” 

Religious Studies lessons do not make pupils believe in God, but they do present them with the opportunity for reflection and discussion of these ultimate questions.  Pupils explain their own views, and learn to respect other opinions.  At times, the issues under consideration may be very pertinent to the personal experience of the pupil, if he or she is having to cope with a bereavement or divorce within the family, for example.  Religious Studies is not only about the sharing of ideas.  There is a solid factual foundation on which any valid opinion must be based.  It is essential that pupils are familiar with the beliefs and values systems of Christianity and other major world religions. 

Examination results, especially at GCSE, have been consistently excellent.  Success, however, lies not so much in recognised academic achievement, but when a pupil, having stayed behind after the lesson to pursue his or her queries, leaves with the words, “I’ll have to go away and think about that.”