Curriculum Lead

Miss J Thompson - Curriculum Lead Citizenship, PSHCE, R.E.

Curriculum Principles & Intent

The intent of the Citizenship curriculum at Key Stage 3 is to create individuals who are open-minded, critical thinkers.  They will develop knowledge of the world, its global politics, social issues and personal matters.  Students will have the experience of being exploratory learners, encouraged to develop their own opinions through self-expression and discussion, but also by listening and considering the thoughts and feelings of others.

Citizenship is an inclusive subject designed to raise a student’s awareness of their rights and responsibilities in, and to their community and wider society.  It will model the values of living in modern day Britain, including tolerance, respect and living by the rule of law.  Students will develop their political literacy and understand the importance of actively taking part in democracy, with all that entails.

Citizenship at Key Stage 3 is part of a seven-year learning journey for students.  The curriculum in Years 7, 8 and 9 builds deep, secure foundations to ensure students progress confidently and positively onto GCSE and A Level routes in subsequent Key Stages. 

At its core, Citizenship has a human focus that enables all students to understand the world around them, how they fit into it and how they can make a positive impact.

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GCSE Specifications

GSCE Citizenship Studies 

Board: AQA

Specification: 8100

Students will study a subject that encourages you to reflect their own experience of the social world. It develops their knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in order to encourage active participation in society, whilst learning skills that will not only help them at GCSE but also in everyday life.

 Course Content:

Citizenship studies investigates how the citizen is enabled by society to play a full and active part and how citizens are empowered to effect change within society. Citizenship understanding develops through the knowledge of how a society operates and functions and its underlying values.
The overarching theme of this specification is ‘How citizens can try to make a difference’. This aim is supported by three content themes: Life in modern Britain, Rights and responsibilities and Politics and participation. The skills, processes and methods underpin the specification.
The first theme, Life in modern Britain, looks at the make-up and dynamics of contemporary society, what it means to be British, as well as the role of the media and the UK’s role on the world stage.
The second theme, Rights and responsibilities, looks at the nature of laws, rights and responsibilities within the UK and has a global aspect due to the nature of international laws, treaties and agreements by which the UK abides.
The third theme, Politics and participation, aims to give the student, through an understanding of the political process, the knowledge and skills necessary to understand how to resolve issues, bring about change, and how the empowered citizen is at the heart of our society.
The opening section of each theme outlines the ‘key concepts’. This is followed by four questions with associated content. The final key question of each theme relates to how citizens can try to make a difference.
These key questions enable students to study the content and frame their learning through the application of the citizenship skills, processes and methods listed below.
Within each of these themes there is a requirement that students develop and apply citizenship skills and gain an understanding of the following processes and methods related to issues arising from the subject content.

Mode of Assessment:

Students will sit two final written papers (1 hour 45 minutes) at the end of Year 11. Both papers are equally weighted at 50%, 40 marks each:

• Paper 1:  Active Citizenship - (Unit/paper 1 also includes an individual project related to 'active citizenship'. This will be completed in school and is weighted as 15% of paper 1.)

• Paper 2: Politics 7 Participation.

The papers have a range of assessment of multiple choice answers, source based answers and extended answers.