On extended learning day the year 11 GCSE Religious Studies classes went to Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif in Birmingham. When we got there, we met our tour guides and put on our headscarves before we entered the mosque. Inside we saw all the features we had been learning about in class, seeing them for ourselves was amazing as it really brought all the theory to life and made it much easier to understand and remember. Our guides were very knowledgeable and gave us lots of information about what everything was in the Mosque, as well as what its purpose was. They also talked about their experiences of lockdown and how it had affected their community. After we had been shown around and had seen the prayer halls, we were taken to an exhibition all about Islam.

The exhibition was extremely interesting, because it was set up by someone who wanted ‘to educate people about Islam, to dispel some of the myths about Islam and to bring a better understanding of Islam to people in the United Kingdom’. We were once again taken round by knowledgeable guides and visited sections such as ‘Faith and History’, ‘Family Life’ and ‘Islam and Science’. It was so helpful to hear everything we had learnt in class, as well as new content, shared by people who have direct experience of those beliefs and practices. We also had fun looking at some Muslim architecture, art and calligraphy. The day ended with a question and answer session with the person who set up the exhibition. We asked him about his experiences of being a Muslim in the UK, his view on women in Islam and how aspects of his faith influence how he lives. Overall, it was a very informative and exciting day.