Arthur Mellows Village College

Delivering learning for life within an aspirational culture

Citizenship

Aims – Arthur Mellows Village College follows the Department for Education’s guidance for a citizenship curriculum which aims to ensure that all students:

  • Acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of how the United Kingdom is governed, its political system and how citizens participate actively in its democratic systems of government
  • Develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the role of law and the justice system in our society and how laws are shaped and enforced
  • Develop an interest in, and commitment to, participation in volunteering as well as other forms of responsible activity, that they will take with them into adulthood
  • Are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions, to enable them to manage their money on a day-to-day basis, and plan for future financial needs

At Arthur Mellows our curriculum is broad and balanced, complies with legislation and provides a wide range of subjects which prepares our students with the necessary skills to become well-rounded citizens that are able to positively affect our society.

Students in Key Stage 3 receive one Citizenship lesson each fortnight. The Key Stage 4 programme is delivered through collapsed days as well as weekly themes throughout form time. Our Citizenship lessons are supported by a comprehensive Life Skills programme as well as weekly assemblies that help develop our students in terms of their sense of agency in their world.

Citizenship Key Stage 3 Programme Outline

The programme at Key Stage 3 is designed to meet the following two challenges:

  1. Teaching should develop pupils’ understanding of democracy, government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  2. Pupils should use and apply their knowledge and understanding while developing skills to research and interrogate evidence, debate and evaluate viewpoints, present reasoned arguments and take informed action.

Pupils are taught about the following key areas in Citizenship:

  • The development of the political system of democratic government in the United Kingdom, including the roles of citizens, Parliament and the monarch
  • The operation of Parliament, including voting and elections, and the role of political parties
  • The precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom
  • The nature of rules and laws and the justice system, including the role of the police and the operation of courts and tribunals
  • The roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities, including opportunities to participate in school-based activities
  • The functions and uses of money, the importance and practice of budgeting, and managing risk

Our programme at Key Stage 3 builds on those key areas is focused around the following seven themes in citizenship which meets the national curriculum requirements whilst also providing a platform for Citizenship at Key Stage 4 and throughout life in the College and beyond.

Identities and communities

Rights, justice and law

Politics, parliament and government

Media and digital democracy

UK and wider world

Finance and the economy

Active Citizenship

Themes

Lesson units

Extra provision

(not exhaustive)

Identities and communities

Unit 2 What are our identities and communities? (Year 7)

 

Unit 14 Are people treated equally in UK society? (Year 9)

 

 

Weekly Themes: LGBT+ History Month

Rights, justice and law

Unit 3 What rights should all children have? (Year 7)

 

Unit 5 What is crime? (Year 7)

 

Unit 9 What is the law and how is it changed? (Year 8)

 

Unit 11 Why was the struggle for the vote important today? (Year 8)

 

Unit 14 Are people treated equally in UK society? (Year 9)

 

Prison, Me? No Way Collapsed Day (Year 9)

 

Life Skills sessions (Years 7-11)

 

Displays throughout College

 

 

Politics, parliament and government

Unit 4 How does local democracy work? (Year 7)

 

Unit 7 How does the political system work in the UK? (Year 8)

 

Unit 13 How is the UK governed? (Year 9)

 

Weekly Themes: for example Parliament Week and Citizenship: Local Elections

Media and digital democracy

Unit 8 How does the media affect us? (Year 8) 

 

Unit 17 Can digital democracy increase political participation? (Year 9)

 

Weekly Themes: Safer Internet Day and Global Media and Information Literacy Week

 

Life Skills sessions (Years 7-11)

 

UK and the wider world

Unit 12 What can we do about global problems? (Year 8)

 

Unit 15 Why do people move around the world? (Year 9)

 

Weekly Themes: Our World weeks 1 and 2

Finance and the economy

Unit 16 How can we manage money well? (Year 9)

 

Weekly Themes: My Money Week

 

Life Skills sessions (Years 7-11)

 

Active Citizenship

 

Unit 6 How can we make a difference in our communities? (Year 7)

 

Unit 10 How can citizens bring about change? (Year 8)

 

Unit 18 How can young people play an active role in democracy? (Year 9)

 

Weekly Themes: Active Citizenship (MLK day, Our school and community)

 

Each unit comprises 3 lessons each. At the end of every two units (once a term) there will be an assessment in which we can evaluate student progress. The assessments are designed to ensure that lesson content has been understood, embedded and so that we can track progress.

 

Year 7

1 Citizenship - What's it all about?

2 What are our identities and communities?

3 What rights should all children have?

4 How does local democracy work?

5 What is crime?

6 How can we make a difference in our communities?

 

Year 8

7 How does the political system work in the UK?

8 How does the media affect us?

9 What is the law and how is it changed?

10 How can citizens bring about change?

11 Why was the struggle for the vote important today?

12 What can we do about global problems?

 

Year 9*

13 How is the UK governed?

14 Are people treated equally in UK society?

15 Why do people move around the world?

16 How can we manage money well?

17 Can digital democracy increase political participation?

18 How can young people play an active role in democracy?

 

Citizenship: Key Stage 4 Programme Outline

Our programme is designed to meet the 3 challenges below:

  1. Teaching should build on the Key Stage 3 programme of study to deepen pupils’ understanding of democracy, government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  2. Pupils should develop their skills to be able to use a range of research strategies, weigh up evidence, make persuasive arguments and substantiate their conclusions.
  3. Pupils should experience and evaluate different ways that citizens can act together to solve problems and contribute to society.

Pupils are taught the following nine themes through our collapsed days and through our programme of weekly themes during form time:

  • Parliamentary Democracy

Parliamentary democracy and the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, including the power of government, the role of citizens and Parliament in holding those in power to account, and the different roles of the executive, legislature and judiciary and a free press

  • Different electoral systems

The different electoral systems used in and beyond the United Kingdom and actions citizens can take in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond

  • Beyond the United Kingdom

Other systems and forms of government, both democratic and non-democratic, beyond the United Kingdom

  • Different forms of governance in the UK and the wider world

Local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world

  • Human rights and international law
  • The legal system in the UK

The legal system in the UK, different sources of law and how the law helps society deal with complex problems

  • Diversity, respect and understanding

Diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding

  • Active Citizenship

The different ways in which a citizen can contribute to the improvement of their community, to include the opportunity to participate actively in community volunteering, as well as other forms of responsible activity

  • Managing Money

Income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent

 

Curriculum

Collapsed Day sessions and Weekly Themes

Extra provision

(examples, not exhaustive)

Parliamentary democracy

 

Year 10 Collapsed Day

 

Parliament Week Weekly Theme

 

Whole School Elections

 

School Council

Different Electoral Systems

Year 10 Collapsed Day

 

Beyond the UK

 

Our World Weekly theme 1 (Different systems of governance)

 

Different forms of governance in the UK and the wider world

Our World weekly theme 2 (International Organisations)

 

Weekly Theme: Local Elections

 

Year 10 Collapsed Day

 

Human Rights and International Law

Human Rights Weekly Theme

 

The legal system in the UK

Year 11 Collapsed Day

 

Diversity, respect and understanding

LGBQT+ History Month Weekly Theme

 

Disability Weekly Theme

 

Black History Month activities

 

Active Citizenship

 

Active Citizenship Weekly Theme: MLK Day

 

Active Citizenship: My School and Community Weekly Theme

 

School Council

 

Prefect system

Managing Money

 

Year 11 Collapsed Day

 

My Money Week Theme

Life Skills sessions in Year 11

 

The two collapsed days for Key Stage 4 are as follows:

Year 10 - Democracy Day

Year 11 – The Law and Money

 

Citizenship at Key Stages 3 and 4: Promoting British Values

The Citizenship Programme at Arthur Mellows Village College aims to prepare students for life in Modern Britain. A key focus for this programme is to help develop an awareness of and engagement in the four key British Values. The tables demonstrate where these values are explicitly addressed.

Key Stage 3

British Values

Lesson Units

Extra-Provision

Democracy

Unit 4 How does local democracy work? (Year 7)

 

Unit 7 How does the political system work in the UK? (Year 8)

 

Unit 13 How is the UK governed? (Year 9)

 

School Council

 

Displays throughout the College

 

Weekly Themes: Local elections

The rule of law

Unit 3 What rights should all children have? (Year 7)

 

Unit 5 What is crime? (Year 7)

 

Unit 9 What is the law and how is it changed? (Year 8)

 

Prison, Me? No Way Collapsed Day (Year 9)

 

Life Skills Sessions (Years 7-9)

Individual liberty

Unit 3 What rights should all children have? (Year 7)

 

Unit 14 Are people treated equally in UK society? (Year 9)

 

Human Rights Weekly Theme

 

Life Skills Sessions (Years 7-9)

Mutual respect for and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Unit 11 Why was the struggle for the vote important today? (Year 8)

 

Unit 14 Are people treated equally in UK society? (Year 9)

 

Weekly themes: World Religion Day

 

Key Stage 4

British Values

Collapsed Days and Weekly Themes

Extra-Provision

Democracy

Year 10 Collapsed Day

 

Weekly Themes: Local elections

 

School Council

 

Displays throughout the College

The rule of law

Year 11 Collapsed Day

 

 

Individual liberty

Human Rights Weekly Theme

 

Life Skills sessions (Years 10-11)

Mutual respect for and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Weekly themes: World Religion Day

Life Skills sessions (Years 10-11)