Citizenship
Through Social Sciences, young people develop their understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances; they also develop their understanding of the environment and how it has been shaped.
Curriculum aims
The Citizenship GCSE curriculum aims to give pupils a practical understanding of what it means to be a citizen alongside the knowledge, skills and confidence to think critically, respond to a range of social concerns and play a positive role in public life. We also strive to develop an understanding of the role of law and the justice system in our society and how laws are shaped and enforced. We want to equip pupils with the cultural capital needed to be successful in our modern world.
In particular, the aim of the Citizenship curriculum at the John Henry Newman Catholic School is to:
- support the development of strong British values and Catholic Social Teaching by encouraging students to think about the moral, social and ethical implications of Citizenship;
- support students in developing a greater understanding of social, political, legal and educational changes in society and their implications;
- students will develop greater empathy, tolerance and understanding of class, gender and ethnic diversity and differences in society and of the role and purpose of key institutions;
- promote a love of learning in general and of the study of Citizenship in particular, students will be inspired and engaged;
- support students in the development of their skills of analysis and evaluation so they can apply these skills in discussing real world issues;
- ensure students achieve mastery of the skills required to advance to the next stage of their education;
- prepare students for the world of work by highlighting career opportunities within Citizenship as well as ensuring they develop key literacy and oracy skills;
- enables students to further their Catholic faith in an atmosphere of trust, tolerance and a sense of community which is fostered through strong relationships in the classroom.
Curriculum features
As Citizenship is not studied as part of our Key Stage 3 curriculum, we begin the GCSE course by drawing on their knowledge from PSHCE lessons and understanding of different aspects of the UK from watching the news.
We follow the scheme of work produced by Edexcel because it is the best model to introduce new concepts, which we then build on as the pupils work through the course. Theme A is taught first, followed by Theme B and C. This is because the pupils need an understanding of the concepts from the earlier themes to be able to complete the longer exam questions, which require them to analyse and evaluate a range of evidence across all the themes.
The Citizenship in Action Theme is taught in the last term of Year 10. It is sandwiched between two parts of Theme D ‘Power and Influence’. This is to ensure the pupils can enrich their action with an understanding of how people can effectively contribute and have influence in a democratic society. The main text book used is ‘Citizenship Today for Edexcel GCSE, but the students are regularly encouraged to draw information from daily newspapers and current affairs documents.
The course and lessons are designed to be topical and thought provoking and to stimulate debate.
Co-curricular experiences
Outside of the lessons, pupils are encouraged to participate in voluntary work. Where possible we invite external speakers into lessons to talk about their experiences in a particular field of work e.g. police officer, magistrate, MP. Pupils are encouraged to watch and read the news on a daily basis to further their understanding of the topics covered. The course has many links with other subjects, especially History and RE, where many of the topics discussed overlap with content taught in these subjects. The course also links nicely with some of the components taught in Sociology and A Level Politics, and where possible, pupils have the chance to join the Politics trip to the Houses of Parliament.
