For their Diploma, Fourth (Year 7) to Upper Fourth (Year 8) pupils study some of the major world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. The girls study each belief in depth, focusing also on the historical development of the faith. We encourage girls to examine contemporary debates and divisions within religions.
In Lower Fifth (Year 9) girls are introduced to Philosophy of Religion, where they are required to critically evaluate the classical theistic arguments for the existence of God. They also study non-theistic world views such as Buddhism and Humanism.
For AQA GCSE Religious Studies, girls study Christian and Muslim beliefs and practices. They also examine four ethical topics from a range of religious and non-religious perspectives. Some of these topics include medical ethics, crime and punishment, and environmental ethics.
For OCR A Level Religious Studies, girls sit three papers: Philosophy of Religion, Ethics, and Developments in Christian Thought.
RS is a core subject in Lower School and then is a popular option at GCSE and A Level.
Head of Department
Farah Dawood
Farah Dawood joined Benenden in 2018 after five years as Head of Department at Ashford School. Having recently completed her MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics in Education, Farah is now focused on developing her knowledge of Islamic philosophy independently before the desire for a PhD takes root.
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