All students study Citizenship as part of the Personal Development Rotation in Year 11.

Topic	Key Content	What you will know at the end of this term
Democracy and Government	How can I play my part in a democracy? Why should I vote? What are the arguments around votes at 16?	I can describe what a healthy democracy is and understand some of the issues as to why democracy might be at risk. I know why it is important to vote and how I can register my interest. I can evaluate arguments for and against votes at 16 and justify my position in this issue.

In addition, students have the option to take GCSE Citizenship. It is a popular course and prepares students for life in modern Britain. GCSE Citizenship is an academically rigorous course that develops foundation knowledge for both Law and Politics at A Level, as well as lending itself well to A levels in History, Journalism, English, Media, Psychology and International Relations.

Term	Learning Overview	Key Concepts
Autumn 1	Theme E: Completion	Apply skills of collaboration, negotiation and influence as they deliver the activity Critically evaluate their learning and the impact of the Action
	Theme C: What is the law for and how does it affect us? How does the justice system work? Is crime increasing in society?	The role of law in everyday life in dealing with complex problems Principles and sources of law Civil and criminal law The justice system in England and Wales Courts and tribunals Youth justice
Autumn 2	Theme C: Is crime increasing in society?	Crime and society Sentences and punishment Citizen participation in politics and society The role of groups and organisations in democratic society
	Theme D: Key questions explored: What power and influence can citizens have? What role and influence should the media have?	The role of the media and a free press Rights and responsibilities of the media The use of the media for influence
Spring 1	Does the UK have power and influence in the wider world?	The UK’s role and relations with Europe The UK’s role in the rest of the world Rights and responsibilities in challenging global situations
	Revision Paper 1 Theme A B C: Democracy at work in the UK	How have communities developed in the UK? What is identity? What are democratic values and where do they come from? How does local democracy work? Who runs the country? How does Parliament work? How is power shared between Westminster and the devolved administrations? What is the law for and how does it affect us? How does the justice system work? Is crime increasing in society?
	Revision Paper 2 Authentication of the citizenship action	Stages of the citizenship action Citizen participation in politics and society The role of groups and organisations in democratic society The role of the media and a free press Rights and responsibilities of the media The use of the media for influence The UK’s role and relations with Europe The UK’s role in the rest of the world Rights and responsibilities in challenging global situations
Summer 1	Knowledge and Skills Review – Paper 1 and 2 Exam	Targeted revision tailored to student need

The aim is for students to gain deeper conceptual knowledge of citizenship around:

Democracy and Government

• To have an in-depth understanding of how democracy has shaped and evolved over time, in. the UK and across the world.

Rights and Responsibilities

• To have awareness and understanding of rights and the role Citizenship plays in creating responsible citizens.

Fairness and Justice

• To understand the purpose of the justice system and be able to consider appropriate a range of appropriate punishment whilst understanding how laws are shaped and enforced.

Active Citizenship

• To provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society whilst equipping pupils with the skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments.

Year 11 End Points

• Be able to evaluate the roles citizens can take in shaping decisions and the extent to which they can influence the operation of political and legal systems.
• Describe the role individuals play in a democracy?
• Explain the arguments around votes at 16 why should I vote?
• Know how to register to vote
• Be able to evaluate the impact and limitations of policies on communities now and in the future and suggest alternatives
• Be able to use and apply what they have learnt about the origins and substance of different viewpoints in order to present coherent, perceptive and compelling arguments on citizenship issues
• Be able to research complex issues and challenges facing society, selecting appropriate methodologies and drawing on their own and others’ experience of taking action
• Be able to assess and evaluate the validity of a wide range of viewpoints and evidence, synthesising them to draw clear conclusions
• Be able to take an overview of the key citizenship concepts of democracy, justice, rights and responsibilities, identities and diversity and make sophisticated observation relating to the connections between them
• Be able to understand the complexity of identities and diversity in communities and explain the impact of some of the changes in UK society and the global community

GCSE Assessment Information

Students follow the Pearson Edexcel syllabus for Citizenship. The specification can be found here. Past exam papers and Mark Schemes can be found here. Students take two papers at the end of Year 11:

Career Opportunities

Skills learned in Citizenship are highly transferrable, students that have taken Citizenship have gone on to read Law and Politics at University, some have trained to become police officers and paramedics. This course is an excellent foundation for anyone wishing to pursue a career in law, journalism, the media, international relations, politics or the civil service.

Required resources/equipment for the course

There are no requirements for this course, an interest in law and current affairs is useful as is an interest in active campaigning.