“We aim for no less than a change in the political culture of this country, for people to think of themselves as active citizens… willing, able and equipped to have an influence in public life…”

The Crick Report, 1998

Citizenship education is NOT...

about making young people more courteous and respectful;

simply about raising money for charity;about teaching young people about

‘Britishness’ and how to get along;just a classroom-based subject

Citizenship education IS ... about exploring a series of deep and meaningful

concepts and processes around justice, democracy, rights and responsibilities;

a statutory subject, a different kind of subject and more than a subject;

about building young people’s knowledge, skills and conviction to have an effective role in public and political life;

about helping young people take action to change their communities for the better

Citizenship Policies and Manifestos

Don RoweSenior adviser, curriculum,

Citizenship Foundation

“During the 1990s, Citizenship had been one of a group of well-intentioned “cross-curricular themes”. Too

often this meant Citizenship was, in effect, “everywhere but nowhere”. It was in every sense seen as less than a subject, under resourced and often unstaffed. Almost two decades on from the launch of these themes, Citizenship is emerging as

more than a subject.”

Tony Breslin, CE of Citizenship Foundation writing in “Placing Citizenship at the Centre”

Citizenship’s key concepts

Crick Report 1998

• Democracy and Autocracy• Co-operation and conflict• Equality and diversity• Fairness, Justice, rule of law,• Rules, law and Human Rights• Freedom and Order• Individual and community• Power and authority• Rights and responsibilities

National Curriculum 2007

• Democracy and Justice

• Rights and Responsibilities

• Identities and Diversity

How is citizenship learned?

Head Thinking

Heart Feeling

Hands Doing/Experiencing

• Thinking (cognitive) through growing understanding and

mastery of the world and through sensitised empathy

• Feeling (affective)through emotive responses, bonding, experiencing solidarity, identifying with others

• Doing (active and experiential)through doing, learning from experienceand reflecting on it, and modelling personal behaviour and values on respected others

What should a policy cover?• Importance statement

• What is citizenship for? Who will it benefit?• Curriculum delivery

• Who teaches it? How? Where? • Assessment, recording and reporting

• Who does it? Is there a single or multiple assessment points? exams?• Managerial responsibilities and issues

• SLT? Departmental? Monitoring? Development plan?• Opportunities in school and wider community

• Entitlement? Enrichment? Assemblies? Student voice? Extended schooling?• Controversial and sensitive issues

• Safeguards against indoctrination and disclosure policy• Links to other policies

• For example, PSHEE, ECM, duty to consult, race equality, equal opps., community cohesion, anti-bullying, behaviour policies, ‘rights respecting school’

What is a citizenship manifesto?

• An outward facing document• Brief and inspirational in tone• Sets out the entitlement for all students• Offers a range of enrichment activities• Commits to partnership working

What is the possible impact?

• How might having a clear policy for citizenship and a public manifesto document contribute to raising the quality of teaching and learning as well as the profile for citizenship in schools?

Useful Links and resources• Placing Citizenship at the Centre: developing a Citizenship Manifesto for your school by Ted

Huddleston and Rebecca Galbraith is available online from the Citizenship Foundation

• Rights Respecting schools in England available online from Unicef UK 2008

• The Business of School Councils by Don Rowe is available online from The Citizenship Foundation

• Every Child Matters: What it means for Citizenship Teachers by Peter Brett is available from the Citized website

• Working with Outside Agencies: a case study of Envision available from Citized website