From the start of Year 7 there is the expectation that pupils will engage with difficult concepts and explore ideas different to their own. There is a major focus on Philosophy across the lower and middle school, including Philosophy of Mind, Political Philosophy, Medical Ethics, Animal Ethics, the Ethics of War, and Pop Culture and Philosophy. We also explore core concepts and enduring Theological questions in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.  Every belief or non-belief is accepted and the aim of every lesson to challenge the ideas, perceptions and knowledge we claim to hold about the world as it is and as it should be.  In Year 8 students also enjoy an additional lesson per fortnight to hold a Community of Inquiry on a range of different philosophical stimuli.  Debate, discussion, curiosity and evaluation are vital in every lesson; it’s rarely a quiet classroom!

While compulsory Theology and Philosophy ends in the middle school, in the upper school students get to pick optional pathways in Theology and Philosophy.

The Theology pathway is the AQA’s Religious Studies GCSE.  This two year course considers a range of religious and non-religious perspectives on different philosophical and ethical themes (such as human rights and social justice, crime and punishment, whether knowledge about God is even possible, etc…) while also doing a deep-dive study of the main beliefs, teachings and practices of Christianity and Islam. 

The Philosophy pathway is a bespoke two year Level 2 GCSE-equivalent course unique to Warwick School: the Warwick School Certificate in Philosophy.  This exciting new course consists of four units – Argument, Self and Knowledge; Art and Sport; Social and Political Philosophy; and Practical Ethics – and allows students to explore philosophical themes not covered in either GCSE Religious Studies or A-level Philosophy.  Assessment in the certificate is not via final exam, but consists largely of students producing presentations, TED Talks, podcasts, art projects, or through verbal assessment in debates and communities of inquiry. 

For students who cannot choose between the two courses, there is of course a Theology and Philosophy pathway – there is nothing stopping them from choosing to do both as options.  

In the Sixth Form we offer the AQA Philosophy A Level. This covers Epistemology, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy of Mind. This course is very demanding and challenging, but students are in safe hands with our experienced teaching staff who have an excellent track record of outstanding results.  The course is an excellent preparation for any university course or career, with previous leavers going on to study (besides those who chose to continue studying philosophy): medicine, mathematics, law, business, journalism, physics, biology, psychology, politics, economics and a plethora of other degrees.