On Wednesday 8th January, a coach full of Bedford Free School Year 10 and 11 pupils went to London as part of their GCSE Religious Studies course. The pupils managed to squeeze in an impressive double visit to two of London’s landmark places of worship, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Central Mosque by Regent’s Park.
Mrs Lehain, Head of RE said “It was a fantastic opportunity to bring to life the religions that they have been studying in the classroom. We had wonderful guides show us around. In St. Paul’s the pupils were enthralled by the depictions of biblical scenes on the mosaic ceilings. They were able to see first-hand key features of Christian worship, such as the baptismal font and altars and chapels, before climbing 528 steps to the very top of the Golden Gallery. Pupils and staff were all pretty excited, and out of breath, but the views at the top of St. Paul’s were amazing!”
“At the mosque, stand out moments were the contrast between the amount of decoration in the cathedral and the simple elegance of the mosque. Students were privileged to enter the main prayer hall and observe devotees during afternoon prayers. It was a unique opportunity to witness first-hand how people in a faith community live out their beliefs. The pupils observed how all of those present rushed forwards to pray, not leaving any gaps in between each other, in order to demonstrate their equality before Allah.”
“Both venues allowed plenty of time for questioning, which was a great opportunity as the pupils had lots to ask and they benefitted from the valuable insights and personal experiences members of the community shared.”
