Citizenship
Citizenship enables pupils to collaborate together, to express and challenge opinions, and provides opportunities for pupils to change the world around them.
Citizenship is a developing subject within the National Curriculum, and St. James’ Catholic High School is proud to be one of a number of schools within the country that have Citizenship as part of a Humanities Specialist Status. Based upon the school’s Catholic ethos, Citizenship at St. James’ is founded upon the belief that it is a new kind of subject which can transform learning. Citizenship has the opportunity to reignite interest in the Parliamentary process, to understand human rights and why they should be protected, to understand local, national and international institutions and why they should be protected and to appreciate the importance of a free press. It also provides the chance to understand the legal system and how it affects young people. In short, it is the only subject that enables students to comprehend the world around them.
Apart from being a subject in its own right, Citizenship encourages inclusion and participation across the school. It enables pupils to collaborate together, to express and challenge opinions, and provides opportunities for pupils to change the world around them. Most importantly, a long–term aim for the subject, clearly identified in the Specialist School Plan, is for Citizenship to pervade the entire school culture. At St. James’ we aim to encourage the development of the 3 C’s:
Citizenship in the school Culture |
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Citizenship in the Curriculum | Citizenship in the Curriculum |
The broad aims of the Department therefore are
To provide a programme of study that complements the school mission statement and the Catholic ethos.
To enable pupils to enjoy Citizenship and to see it as a useful way of understanding the present.
To create a programme of study that encourages pupils to appreciate Citizenship through an appreciation of different cultures and individuals.
To enable all pupils to be involved in their own progression through a targets and assessment for learning system.
To provide a curriculum that addresses all of our pupils’ learning needs and offers an exciting variety of different learning styles
Citizenship is taught as a cross-curricular subject that encompasses different units at both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. At present, pupils are taught one lesson of Citizenship (within subjects) per week at Key Stage 3. At Key Stage 4, pupils are taught Citizenship modules within PSHE, English, RE and Science; on collapsed timetable days; and finally, within option subjects. From 2006, Citizenship has been offered as a GCSE subject for all pupils.
The programme of study at Key Stage 3
The guiding principle within our schemes is a recognition of the need to ensure that there are varied teaching styles and learning methods employed to reflect the visual, auditory, kinaesthetic nature of our learners and to reflect the theories of multiple intelligence.
Careful consideration has been given to the selection of Citizenship units and the order in which they are taught across the three years of Key Stage 3. In Year 7, pupils are introduced to the concept of Citizenship through PSHE and take part in a set of activities on Citizenship and PSHE Day (October). They find out what rights and responsibilities are, and in RE pupils are introduced to the key concepts of identity and community, further developed in PSHE. The RE department also focuses on the role of charities, outcasts, poverty and Judaism. Geography provide pupils with the chance to explore the nature of the EU and to research and debate a key issue of contemporary relevance, such as the Euro. In ICT, pupils use data and statistics to examine power and authority within the school. Science also contribute a number of individual lessons on the importance of the environment. Finally, pupils investigate the role of local government, recycling and how they can influence it through units in PSHE. Pupils self-assess their work in these units, and a report is sent home to parents.
In Year 8 PSHE, pupils begin to understand their impact upon the world through an analysis of tourism. The concept of Parliament is introduced in History, and the current day importance of central and local government are studied in units in PSHE. A key focus here is on the importance of voting and how pupils themselves can make a difference. In RE, the issues of prejudice and discrimination are raised, with a focus on Martin Luther King. Pupils also work upon the environment and Hinduism as a faith in Britain. At the same time, the History department considers the historical struggle of black people to achieve their rights by focusing on the present. In Enrichment, pupils begin to understand the law and how it affects them. Pupils also study how the media works in English and discover why a free press is so important. Assessment is through a combination of tests and self-assessment, with reports going home to parents. In Science, pupils debate the ethics of noise pollution, healthy diets and vaccinations. In ICT, pupils debate a current issue, as well as focussing upon Stockport as an area to live. The Geography department extends pupils awareness of the local area by a trip to the local Stanley Green Industrial Estate.
In Year 9, more complex issues are introduced. In PSHE, pupils discuss the complex issue of racism in Britain and how it should be challenged. Closely related to this is the unit on Crime and Punishment in PSHE. The continuing theme of rights and their denial is taken up in Drama (through role play on asylum) and History (the Holocaust). In RE, pupils study the role of CAFOD, the North-South divide, prejudice and discrimination and Islam in Britain. In History, pupils investigate how conflict can be resolved through an analysis of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. They also consider the role of pressure groups, rights and voting in the Women’s Rights unit in History. In Science, pupils consider the ethical issues behind current issues such as cloning, smoking and genetic engineering. The ICT department focuses on the role of the United Nations, and judges whether it is a force for good in the world. Finally in Geography, pupils use their study of Amazonia to investigate and present their findings on a global issue. Assessment is again through self-assessment, written tests and peer assessment. An end of key stage level is then given to pupils and a report sent home to parents.
Key Stage 4
The description of how the syllabus operates can also be applied at Key Stage 4. The same skills are stressed, and all pupils have the chance to participate in the life of the school and also in the enrichment opportunities provided. GCSE Citizenship (AQA syllabus) was introduced for all pupils in September 2006. In the meantime, pupils are taught Citizenship through units in PSHE, RE, English and Science. Individual options subjects highlight Citizenship in their scheme of work (e.g. History). The remainder of the syllabus is delivered through work experience (Year 11), the excellent variety of enrichment opportunities and collapsed timetable opportunities in Years 10 and 11. For detailed schemes of work, the schemes of work file should be consulted. Below is a summary of how Citizenship is delivered at Key Stage 4, showing how the statutory requirements are met:
Year 10
How do Parliament and the law affect me – Making A Difference? (PSHE)
Globalisation – is it a good thing for the world? (PSHE)
Drugs and the law (PSHE)
Crime and the Criminal Justice System (PSHE)
The media and society (English/RE)
Prejudice and discrimination; racism (RE)
A current issue – abortion/euthanasia (RE)
Year 11
Work experience
Alcohol and the law (including the work of Alcoholics Anonymous)
Business and the Economy – Know Your Rights
Rights and responsibilities in the world of work (1h, 2a-2c)
Pupils consider Crime and the role of the EU on collapsed timetable days.
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CITIZENSHIP AT ST. JAMES’
How does the School Council work?
The School Council has a set budget each year derived from the Citizenship strand of the Specialist School Plan. Using this, it can, to an extent, meet pupils’ needs in terms of how they would like the school to be improved. But the Council is more than this; it is an example of how pupils at St. James’ participate actively within the life of the school. Since 2003, School Councillors have attended governors’ meetings, PTA meetings and have met with the Head teacher/Deputy Head teacher on a regular basis. All staff have been provided with training on the role of the Council, and are aware of its importance.
Primarily, though, the role of the School Council is simple –
to provide a robust voice for pupils in the school
to lead and promote opportunities for ‘active citizenship’ at St. James’
to lead and promote opportunities for ‘active citizenship’ within the local community
As such, the School Council plays a vital role in fomenting a culture of Citizenship at St. James’. Since 2003, some of the achievements of the School Council in meeting pupils’ needs have been:
getting the right for girls to wear trousers
getting the right for girls to wear long socks
allowing pupils to drink water in lessons
leading a campaign to improve the state of the toilets
organising a charity concert for CAFOD
playing a lead role in the organisation of the Family Funday
rewriting the school’s rewards policy
organising fundraising for the tsunami appeal
Securing the funding and building of bike sheds
Running the School Travel Plan
The Specialist School Plan
The Specialist School Plan was designed to provide the opportunity for every pupil at St. James’ to experience (and participate in) at least one ‘active citizenship’ opportunity per year. A list is provided below of how pupils took part in different initiatives in the academic years 2004-2008:
Improving the school grounds through the weekly litter picking scheme
Measuring the amount of waste produced by the school each week and coming up with an action plan to reduce it
The Debating Society meet weekly to discuss current affairs
Year 9 and Year 10 pupils went to North Cheshire Jewish Primary School to share knowledge of their faiths
Fundraising – tsunami/CAFOD/Operation Christmas Child/OXFAM/Red Nose Day
Mock General Election (May 2005)
Achieving National Healthy Schools Status (March 2005)
Holocaust Day (Year 9) in July 2005 and July 2006
Launch Day and Live 8 (Debates for Years 9-11)
Stockport Youth Council – all pupils voted and two pupils were elected
Family Funday – the School Council helped to organise the day
Toilets – pupils raised the money to improve several of the toilets
Organising new school council at Our Lady’s Primary School
Raising money for St. Ann’s Hospice- the school received the ‘Best School’ award in July 2006.
Fashion Show for CAFOD and St. Ann’s Hospice
Humanities and Enterprise Week – Enterprise Day for Year 10/Multicultural day for Year 10 and lots more!
Raising money and awareness for a school in Uganda
Holding debates with Stockport Academy
Visits to magistrates’ courts
Taking part in the Midnight Walk for St. Ann’s Hospice (May 2008)
30 pupils took part in the Citizenship Foundation Mock Trial competition (March 2008).
Much more is planned for 2009!