Despite the grey clouds, our Year 10s had a great time visiting St Paul’s Cathedral as a reinforcement of their work on the Christianity Beliefs and Practices unit and the Thematic studies of the Religious Studies GCSE. As well as a guided tour, they also had a Q&A session with a priest, before visiting the iconic dome with spectacular views of London’s skyline.

Pupils were able to experience Christian worship in action, as well as absorb the ornate symbolism throughout the cathedral. This helped them reflect upon the importance of different sacraments as well as the core beliefs which were depicted through art and impressive mosaics. They were also able to gain a sense of the rich history of the Cathedral and see the Bishop’s throne where a bomb was believed to have been placed by the Suffragettes. Whilst on the tour, the guide spoke about how the view on women having authority within the church had changed, as the Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE was installed as the 133rd Bishop of London at St Paul’s Cathedral on 12th May 2018.

Meanwhile, the time with the Priest helped our pupils to reflect on how religion isn’t always a simple answer that provides immediate comfort and hope, but one that requires deep thought and reflection, through questioning and understanding of different Christian sources of authority.

Speaking about the trip, one pupil in attendance, Miles, said:

It was a really interesting trip. I found the symbolism in the cathedral captivating, and I enjoyed piecing together the artworks in their chronological order. The interview with the female priest was also insightful, giving me a sense of the complexity of the faith, as well as an understanding on how people of authority within the Church feel about certain topics I wonder about.