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ACT National Conference

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NATIONAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Relaunching Citizenship: A day of CPD for Citizenship teachers and education professionals.

The 2013 ACT conference is an opportunity to celebrate the continued growth of Citizenship and will help you prepare to teach the new Citizenship curriculum and bring you up to speed on the latest changes to the subject.

Choose from a range of workshops and seminars that will equip you with fresh ideas and resources. These are tailored to the big themes and issues of the new curriculum. Displays of resources by leading publishers and NGOs will enable you to browse the best products that make Citizenship such a vibrant school subject for pupils.

Our keynote speaker will be David Blunkett MP, political founder of Citizenship Education and a key ally in maintaining the status of the Citizenship in the new curriculum

Book your place now.

Many more announcements to come - watch this space.

> read more

CPD With The Holocaust Education Trust

15 May 2013

Teachers from secondary schools and colleges across England are invited to take part in a teacher only Lessons from Auschwitz course. These four-part professional development courses are for secondary or post-16 teachers of any subject area.

There are still places available on our courses in both Manchester and London. The application deadline is Friday 24th May. Go here to apply.

ACT is recruiting new Trustees

26 April 2013

ACT wants to recruit new Trustees to its Board to expand and enhance the expertise available to the Charity. We are particularly keen to recruit those who are committed to ACT’s mission and strategic aims, can contribute actively to the Board’s role in setting the overall strategic direction of the organisation to help ensure the organisation meets its objectives, is well managed, is in line with legal obligations and is financially sustainable and provide support and advice to staff in delivering ACT’s agreed programmes work.

ACT would especially like to hear from those who have knowledge and experience in finance, human resources, business development, fund raising and how the law affects charities.

Download more information here.

ACT Council submit commentary to DfE consultation.

17 April 2013

ACT Council submitted its commentary on the Citizenship draft PoS to DfE this week. The consultation closed on Tuesday April 16th. ACT is delighted that at least 130 submissions came from Democratic Life supporters, thus enhancing the overall focus on Citizenship within the curriculum review. ACT Council also commented on the absence of clarity regarding Citizenship in Key Stages 1 and 2.

Now that the consultation on the curriculum has ended, ACT expects an announcement to be made later this school term and that new materials for teachers to use will be sent to schools for the Autumn term. Currently the Coalition government plan for the new curriculum to be taught from September 2014.

ACT Council and staff will be planning a full suite of support materials and activities for teachers from Autumn 2013. Details of these will emerge during the next few months. Most importantly, the ACT Conference on July 9th will have a focus on the big themes proposed in the new curriculum and provide an opportunity for members to discuss the new curriculum and its implications for schools, pupils and teaching. Do make sure that you attend to get the best and latest advice and support. Details of the ACT Conference can be read via this link

The ACT Council submission to the DfE can be read at the bottom of this page

> read through MORE NEWS ITEMS

22 Apr 13 - 25 Apr 13

Smart School Council Masterclass: One-day CPD training

Platform, Hornsey Road Baths, 260 Hornsey Road, London N7 7QT

17 May 13

The European Union: What's it all about? - University of Exeter

University of Exeter

06 Jul 13

Educating the Nation(s): The Politics of History, Education, and Identity in the UK

University of Huddersfield

09 Jul 13

ACT National Conference

University of London Union

> browse all FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Ask the Experts - Your Questions Answered

Featured Question :-

Question

I am thinking about assessment using the new Citizenship curriculum, should I use the 'Working Towards', 'Working At' and 'Working Beyond' statements or start using the new levels? Also my headteacher wants me to start giving levels for citizenship this year, what should I be doing?

Answer

Assessment and reporting arrangements for citizenship are changing. The introduction of the revised secondary curriculum includes a single attainment target for citizenship described as level descriptions. The first statutory teacher assessment where schools will assess pupil performance at the end of key stage 3 against the level descriptions, will take place during the summer of 2011. This is the first year in which the first cohort who have been taught the revise curriculum complete key stage 3. You can start to use the 8 level scale to help frame assessments whenever you wish, especailly with your new Year 7. You can use the previous descriptions for two more years with the current Year 8 and 9 but it may be useful to start using the 8 level scale across the key stage.

Reports to parents about pupil's strengths and areas for development in citizenship, continue to be required for pupils in each year of key stage 3 and key stage 4. From 2011, the annual report for year 9 pupils will also need to include the results of a level related judgement about pupil performance in citizenship. There is no statuary reason to do so before the summer of 2011.

It is important to build a full picture of each pupil's attainment in citizenship. During the course of the key stage, teachers will assess pupil progress to gather information about how pupils are doing. It is not necessary to record or report a level for each pupil at these points, however some schools choose to do so. Other schools may prefer to keep records using qualitative descriptions of progress and attainment. The end of key stage 3 teacher assessment should be based on a range of types of evidence of pupil responses to citizenship learning activities and active experiences.

To prepare for the changes to assessment and reporting arrangements for citizenship, schools need to:

ensure citizenship teaching staff are familiar with the new arrangements for assessment and reporting and the standards for citizenship set out in the level descriptions

plan regular opportunities for assessing citizenship across the key stage, to gather information about pupil's citizenship knowledge, understanding and skills

develop clear assessment criteria or success criteria for teaching and learning activities that are used for assessment

establish a baseline of knowledge, understanding and skills for pupils beginning KS3

develop mechanisms to gather and record evidence from a range of learning contexts

build an approach to moderation, in particular for end of key stage judgements made by staff across a cohort.

To view the new curriculum including the revised programmes of study for citizenship and the new level descriptions visit www.qca.org.uk/curriculum and click on subjects for the citizenship page.

Liz Craft, Citizenship adviser, QCA

> read more Q&A FROM OUR EXPERTS


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