Citizenship Teaching Awards 2024: Secondary School of the Year Awardee

A school environment where civic engagement and active participation is encouraged, has the power to transform young people’s lives and the world around them. Nahyan Islam, Head of Citizenship at Highlands School and Sixth Form, reflects on the importance of nurturing active and informed global citizens, through inspiring Citizenship education.

Background: From the Campaign Trail to the Citizenship Classroom

My path into Citizenship education was shaped by my degree in politics, and formally started when I studied for my PGCE from UCL’s Institute of Education Citizenship PGCE programme. My interest, however, started as a child when my dad ran to become a local councillor. He involved me in some of the campaigning by helping to hand out leaflets, door to door campaigning and talking to people in the community about the changes that they wanted to see. As a result, I had regular exposure to political news and discussions at a young age. That really sparked an early interest in politics and civic engagement in me. 

Growing up, I noticed a lack of understanding about political systems amongst my peers and community members. It was clear to me that the gap between what people know and what they should  know is huge.  Repeatedly, I heard young people express the sentiment that school learning doesn’t apply to the real world.

When I chose to pursue a teaching career, I wanted to teach a subject that was current, that young people could connect with, and had clear application in the real world once they had left education. Citizenship was the clear choice.

Citizenship Teaching Award: A Handcrafted Curriculum

Being awarded the ACT Secondary School of the Year award means so much, both to me and the school. On receiving the award, I was overwhelmed by the recognition that came from both the Senior Leadership Team and the student body. 

As a Citizenship teacher, it is often difficult to co-collaborate with other specialist practitioners because there’s not many of us! I have a deep passion for bringing Citizenship education to life in schools, and I am very thankful that Highlands has given me the opportunity to do that in the curriculum. I have spent years handcrafting a curriculum, as finding resources tailored to what you want to design can be incredibly difficult. A lot of the work that I’ve done is made from scratch, so I’m honoured that the work I have put into it has been recognised.

Active Engagement: The Key to Success

At Highlands, we have a dedicated Citizenship curriculum and we teach Citizenship as a standalone discrete subject from Year 7 all the way up to 11. We lay a strong foundation in civic knowledge and engagement with Citizenship from Year 7 to Year 9 and we have a high volume of students choosing to continue it at GCSE. 

Our provision goes beyond the national curriculum, covering topics such as media literacy and the impact and influence of the media. We look at the importance of understanding political ideologies that have shaped the Western world, such as liberalism, conservatism, and socialism. These concepts shape the society that we live in, and we introduce their foundational elements at Key Stage 3.

As a school we work in multiple ways to provide an engaging and active learning experience of Citizenship for students. For example, with The Politics Project, we deliver digital surgeries for our students to meet and talk with politicians. We also organise debating clubs and school visits to places such as the UK Supreme Court and Parliament.

We regularly host Culture Days to celebrate the diverse cultures and religions within our school community. These events foster cultural understanding and respect among students. Additionally, we hold assemblies featuring diverse role models, such as Stuart Lawrence, brother of Stephen Lawrence, who share their valuable insights into different cultural life experiences in the UK.

Promoting community spirit, engagement, and responsibility is a central focus for us. Students participate in house competitions to raise funds for local charities, engaging in activities like bake sales during break times. Our aim is for students to understand their ability to drive change and make meaningful contributions to the world around them.

Challenges and Solutions: Championing the Importance of Citizenship

At Highlands, Citizenship is taught as a standalone discrete subject, however this was not the case before I joined the school. My primary objective was to integrate comprehensive Citizenship education, as I believe this is essential to foster a broader understanding amongst school staff and the wider community about the importance of the subject. It is important for everyone to recognise that Citizenship needs to be taken as seriously as any other discipline.

In schools across the country, Citizenship often competes for attention with other subjects, affecting our ability to deeply engage students and achieve our intended impact. The lack of Citizenship specialists in schools across the country poses a significant problem, particularly because of its nature as a contemporary subject that requires a huge workload to ensure the curriculum remains relevant, to mirror a rapidly changing landscape.

This situation highlights the need for strong support and promotion of Citizenship from senior leadership teams in schools and from the government. There needs to be an increase in the number of Citizenship teachers, as there is a significant shortage of us. It greatly impacts the subject from expanding and developing due to competing for time in both timetables and the curriculum. 

Advice for Educators: Engage and Inspire

For schools that cannot offer Citizenship as a standalone subject, it’s crucial to engage young people through initiatives such as parallel elections, debate clubs, and campaigns on issues they care about. Whether they are discussing local crime rates or the climate crisis, fostering debate helps deepen their commitment to civic engagement. Projects that inspire students to take active roles serve as stepping stones, empowering them to become catalysts for positive change in their communities and beyond.

Being a member of ACT provides access to an exceptional network of professionals and valuable resources to enhance your Citizenship provision. I encourage anyone involved in teaching Citizenship to attend networking events such as the ACT Teaching Citizenship Conference. These events offer crucial opportunities to learn from field experts, collaborate with fellow practitioners, and advance best practices in our schools. By participating in such events, we not only promote the subject but also inch us closer to the integration of Citizenship education into every curriculum across England and Wales.

Looking Ahead: Keeping Young People Informed

As AI and technology advance, prioritising the teaching of media and digital literacy is essential. Young people increasingly spend significant amounts of time on social media platforms, so we must equip them with the skills to critically assess the information they encounter online. The rise of deep fake content poses significant problems that impact our society on a large scale. It is our responsibility to ensure that young people are well-informed.

Going forward, we need to do everything within our power to get Citizenship at the heart of every curriculum. I think the future is optimistic. We are however, living through a political participation crisis in the UK. We have a generation of young adults who have not had quality Citizenship education and do not understand the importance of active citizenship. The heartbeat of a functioning and healthy democracy relies on young people being informed and active citizens. I hope to see strong support for the subject from the government in the coming years.