ACT [Association for Citizenship Teaching] :

info@teachingcitizenship.org.uk 020 7253 0051

ACT is the professional subject association for those involved in citizenship education. This website offers resources and information to help you deliver excellent citizenship education.

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National Curriculum Secondary

Education for citizenship equips young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an effective role in public life. Citizenship encourages them to take an interest in topical and controversial issues and to engage in discussion and debate. Pupils learn about their rights, responsibilities, duties and freedoms and about laws, justice and democracy. They learn to take part in decision-making and different forms of action. They play an active role in the life of their schools, neighbourhoods, communities and wider society as active and global citizens.

The proposals for a new National Curriculum are detailed below. However, until 2014 the current curriculum remains statutory.

Citizenship education is statutory in England and Wales in secondary education at Key Stages 3 and 4. It has been statutory since 2002.

The Framework for the National Curriculum

The report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum Review 2011

This is the official review docment published on December 19th 2011. There are full details of all subjects here, including Citizenship education. The most important sections to read are:

1. Chapter 2 - The Structure of the School Curriculum (for primary and secondary)

2. Chapter 3 - Subjects in the Curriculum through the Key Stages of Schooling

3. Annex 4

4. Annex 5

You can download the full document below

Links

The secondary curriculum (overview)

The Importance of Citizenship Education

Key Concepts

Key Processes

Range and Content

Curriculum Opportunities

Eight-level scale KS3(assessment)

Eight-level scale KS4(assessment)

How to implement the secondary curriculum and develop assessment

Ofsted Inspections of Citizenship education from January 2012

Advice for teachers

The revised Ofsted Framework and Evaluation Schedules for the inspection of maintained schools and academies respectively set out the general principles, guidance and grade descriptors that will be used by inspectors as they make judgements and report under section 5 of the Education Act from January 2012.

Under the revised inspection framework for 2012, there will be a stronger emphasis on lessons. Citizenship education will continue to be inspected.

Download the advice document from ACT below.