The students at Duchy of Lancaster C of E Primary School in Methwold, near Thetford, took part in an interactive workshop exploring how the two subjects can work together.

The idea behind the workshop, inspired by the Learning About Science And Religion (LASAR) project, is to give young people the chance to think about how science and faith combine, helping them to discuss the topics and form their own opinions.

Children from the school, which is part of the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust, took part in activities that gave them the chance to explore ethical debate, widen their philosophical knowledge and ask questions they might not have considered before.

Headteacher Damon Finney said: “This interactive session was so much fun for our pupils and gave them some real food for thought.

“They asked interesting questions, including ‘where did the universe come from?’ and ‘why are we here?’ which then gave everyone the opportunity to have thought provoking debates.

“The responses to their questions covered the areas that science can answer and also gave rise to thinking about faith alongside this and how ideas linked to religion support some of the unknown answers about the universe.”

The workshop was led by an educational organisation called God and the Big Bang Theory who say their events aim to ‘equip young people with the tools they need in order to form their own opinions and engage in rational, exciting, well-reasoned and thought-provoking discussion about the part science plays in God’s world.’

As part of the workshop, the students from Year 5 and 6 took part in fun science experiments including making body part predictions for the age of the universe and investigating what could be inside a mysterious object in groups and had the chance to lead debates and listen to each other’s thoughts and ideas about the world.

Mr Finney added: “This workshop was something really different for the pupils and gave them a chance to step away from their everyday activities and take time out to think about some of life’s most important elements. As a school we strive to give the students wide ranging experiences which stretch their capacity for thought and expand their knowledge and the children were certainly inspired by the event.”