Memorandum submitted by the Qualifications
and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
TEACHERS AND
LEADERS ATTITUDES
TO CITIZENSHIP
EDUCATION; WORKLOAD
IMPLICATIONS
1. Attitudes to citizenship vary between
schools across the country and within school communities amongst
staff, learners and parents. An increasing number do see citizenship
as a subject that can help to re-invigorate teaching and learning
and create a meaningful curriculum experience that meets the needs
of learners and society. A future curriculum must engage and motivate
learners to enjoy learning and develop the necessary skills and
capabilities to play their part in society as informed members
of communities, as workers, voters and parents. This requires
a rigorous and robust approach to citizenship education.
2. In many schools and communities momentum
for citizenship is building; but challenges do remain. In QCA's
2004-05 subject report on Citizenship[1],
the top five reasons given for why citizenship can be difficult
to implement were:
— Lack of curriculum time (70%).
— Shortage of specialist staff (56%).
— Lack of time for planning/preparation
(43%).
— Lack of teacher subject knowledge
(38%).
— Difficulty of providing community-based
learning opportunities (35%).
3. Levels of confidence amongst teachers
have improved with 77% at key stage 3 and 60% at key stage 4 saying
they feel reasonably confident they are addressing the national
curriculum requirements for citizenship. However, this needs to
be balanced against Ofsted and QCA monitoring evidence that find
some key aspects of the subject are not yet well addressed including
teaching about our democracy, parliament and laws.
INITIAL AND
IN -SERVICE
TRAINING AND
ROLE OF
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
IN SUPPORTING SCHOOL
STAFF
4. The question of "who teaches citizenship?"
has been key in the development of the subject and is closely
related to the model of provision that schools have chosen. Whilst
it is encouraging to see that a subject leader for citizenship
has been appointed in nearly every secondary school, few volunteered
for the role. Many were given the responsibility on top of existing
ones and only 15.6% say they have a subject leader solely responsible
for citizenship.
5. There is considerable interest in developing
citizenship as a "specialist" subject. There are now
about 70 advance skills teachers for citizenship and 1,000 NQTs
who have qualified as citizenship teachers. Providers say initial
teacher training courses in citizenship are often oversubscribed.
In QCA's annual citizenship survey, almost two thirds (65%) of
teachers expressed an interest in the proposed new National Certificate
of Professional Development in Teaching Citizenship.
6. The role of Local Authority citizenship
advisers has been varied across the country, but their impact
is still notable. 78% of schools say they have attended external
training for citizenship organised in the Local Authority and
51.5% said they still receive limited but helpful support from
Local Authority citizenship adviser.
7. There remains a very clear demand for
further training and development in citizenship teaching and 80%
requested training on assessing citizenship.
CONTINUITY OF
CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
BETWEEN, PRIMARY,
11-16 AND POST-COMPULSORY
STAGES
8. Continuity of citizenship education can
be explored in different ways. The specification of citizenship
through the national curriculum and qualifications is not straightforward
and may be one reason for the lack of continuity and progression
between ages and phases of citizenship education. Currently citizenship
is specified in the following way:
— Key Stages 1 and 2, citizenship is
part of a joint non-statutory primary framework with PSHE;
— Key Stages 3 and 4 the subject is
specified separately as a National Curriculum foundation subject
that all schools must teach;
— Qualifications are available in Citizenship
Studies at entry level, GCSE (as a short course);
— Post-16 citizenship is not statutory
(as indeed no subjects are). There is an AS Social Science: citizenship
qualification (developed prior to the existence of the National
Curriculum for citizenship and the GCSE). In 2004 at the request
of the DfES, QCA published a learning framework for citizenship
post-16 as part of the "Play your part; post-16 citizenship"[2]
guidelines. This builds on the national curriculum and encourages
schools, colleges, training providers and youth and community
organisations to develop opportunities for citizenship learning
and action post-16.
There are two further developments which are
relevant here:
— QCA has begun work on criteria to
establish a new A level in citizenship studies so that Awarding
Bodies can develop the qualification for first teaching in centres
from 2008.
— Work is in hand to explore how opportunities
for citizenship are developed at 14-19, through general education
and through the new specialised and general diploma qualifications,
in particular through extended project qualifications.[3]
9. Continuity should also be considered
in terms of children and young people's citizenship learning and
progress. Learning that relates to citizenship education begins
in the foundation stage curriculum where early years practitioners
recognise the important role they play in laying the basis for
future learning in citizenship. Many primary schools see citizenship
as part of their core business but the lack of a clear national
framework for citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 makes planning
and assessing progress in citizenship difficult. Currently little
in the way of information about children's progress and learning
is transferred between key stages 2 and 3 and in year 7 work in
citizenship can be low level when contrasted with other national
curriculum subjects.
10. At key stage 3, unlike other National
Curriculum foundation subjects, national data on pupil attainment
in citizenship is not collected under current arrangements. Schools
are required to keep their own records of pupil achievement and
report on each pupil's progress and development needs annually
to parents. Teachers are required to make an overall judgement
about pupil attainment in citizenship at the end of key stage
3 (schools should keep this information in their records for citizenship).
They do this by drawing on evidence of pupil progress and achievement
from assessments made during years 7-9 and against the standard
set out in the end of key stage description in the National Curriculum.
More than 50% of teachers say they have real problems using the
current key stage 3 standard (end of key stage description) to
make such a judgement.
11. Assessing citizenship has been an ongoing
concern in many schools. New QCA guidelines "Assessing
citizenship. Example assessment activities at key stage 3"
(2006) have been extremely well received. These materials support
schools with practical examples of how to undertake teacher assessment
in citizenship and set out clear expectations for pupils in key
stage 3 through criteria and examples of pupil work. The key stage
3 review provides an opportunity to do further work here and to
look at developing an 8-level scale for the subject which 63%
of teachers say they are in favour of. This development would
also bring citizenship into line with the other National Curriculum
foundation subjects and enable national data on performance to
be collected.
12. Beyond key stage 3, schools have to
teach the key stage 4 programme of study for citizenship. The
key stage 3 review provides an opportunity to consider further
progression between these key stages and post-16 citizenship.
Schools have a choice about whether or not to offer qualifications
in the subject at key stage 4 and beyond. Citizenship Studies
is the fastest growing GCSE subject (according to the Joint Council
for Qualifications) with 38,000 candidates taking the examination
in 2005—an increase of 11,000 from 2004. QCA undertook an
evaluation of the short course GCSE qualification during 2005
and found that many schools wished to see a full course GCSE citizenship
studies qualification in the future. The evaluation also showed
that use of the GCSE had raised the status and credibility of
the subject with learners, staff and parents at both key stages
3 and 4.
QUALITY OF
CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
ACROSS THE
FULL RANGE
OF SCHOOLS,
INCLUDING FAITH
SCHOOLS
13. The curriculum for citizenship and the
quality of teaching and learning in the subject are improving
according to Ofsted findings and evidence through QCA's monitoring.
Citizenship is the newest subject in the national curriculum and
there remains a lack of understanding about its aims, purpose
and definition, in some schools. Further curriculum development
work around what a "sufficient" and high quality programme
of citizenship education looks like should be a priority for the
future.
14. Delivery models for citizenship vary
considerably school to school, involving a mix of: discrete and
separately timetabled citizenship lessons (25% of schools teach
some citizenship discretely with 15% stating this is their main
form of provision); teaching aspects of citizenship alongside
other curriculum subjects; suspended timetable activities; and
school and community based activities.
15. There continues to be confusion in some
schools about the relationship of citizenship with other National
Curriculum subjects and PSHE and the distinctive contribution
to other subjects that citizenship can provide when properly planned.
A declining but significant number (74%) indicate citizenship
is taught part of the time within programmes of PSHE. About half
(51%) state this is their main form of provision. Worryingly 22%
said their main form of provision was teaching citizenship in
combination with PSHE where no distinction is made between the
two subjects.
16. In 2002 the DfES published National
Strategy: designing the Key Stage 3 curriculum which recommended
a minimum of 3% of curriculum time (about 50 minutes a week) be
allocated to citizenship. Whilst one in five schools saying they
have increased curriculum time for citizenship, the current average
is nearer to 2%. But more important is how schools are planning
and using the time they do have and whether the quality of teaching
and learning provided is satisfactory or better.
17. The Key Stage 3 review has already begun
to identify specific areas that are not well addressed at Key
Stage 3 and which could be incorporated into citizenship teaching
at Key Stage 4. For example, European, international and global
issues and themes present a key part of many schools' citizenship
work at Key Stage 3, but formal teaching about European and international
institutions such as EU, UN and Commonwealth are generally seen
by teachers as complex for this age. The emphasis on local and
national governance and institutions at Key Stage 3 provide the
building blocks for further work of this kind at Key Stage 4 and
beyond.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
AND CURRENT
DEBATES ABOUT
IDENTITY AND
BRITISHNESS AND
CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION'S
POTENTIAL TO
CONTRIBUTE TO
COMMUNITY COHESION
18. Citizenship clearly makes a real contribution
to young people's sense of personal and national identities, their
cultural awareness and values. The National Curriculum for citizenship
requires that pupils are taught about "the diversity of national,
regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom
and the need for mutual respect and understanding" at Key
Stage 3. At Key Stage 4 they must be taught about "the origins
and implications of diverse national, regional, religious and
ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual
respect and understanding". Linking this with teaching about
rights, responsibilities and communities and skills of discussion
and debate is key to ensuring all young people are given a firm
grounding in debates about British culture and values and understanding
and tolerance of diversity within the UK as a democratic society.
Encouraging schools to create links with work in other subjects
that also contribute to these areas (history, geography and RE
in particular) should be a priority. Promoting confidence amongst
teachers to address and handle sensitive and controversial issues
is rightly a key plank of both initial and continuing teacher
training.
IMPLEMENTATION OF
"ACTIVE" ASPECTS
OF THE
CURRICULUM—IE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
AND INVOLVEMENT
IN THE
RUNNING OF
THE SCHOOL
19. Providing pupils with appropriate and
effective opportunities to develop citizenship skills and put
into practice knowledge and understanding through participation
and taking action in school and community based activities, has
been a challenge for many schools to organise and manage effectively.
This may reflect lack of staff time, resources, expertise or timetable
restrictions. There also remains a significant level of misunderstanding
about the type of activities that are required. In particular,
the skills of inquiry, participation and taking action should
be developed in the context of developing citizenship knowledge
and understanding as set out in section one of the National Curriculum
programme of study.
20. Within the school community there are
manageable ways in which opportunities for pupils to take action
on real citizenship issues working with different members of the
community whilst on the school site. Mock elections are the most
frequently mentioned example of this; others include fair trade
events, charity fundraising activities, crime and prison awareness
days, human rights events, student councils/youth parliament.
Volunteering or other activities based in the wider community,
increase from 47% at Key Stage 3 to 55% at Key Stage 4. This may
in part reflect the frequent use of work-related learning by schools.
However, the citizenship learning through such opportunities is
often not made clear or explicit to pupils. As a minimum pupils
would need to plan to analyse what is going on in the work place
for example in terms of employment rights and responsibilities,
equality and diversity practices, trade union or staff representation,
and to make recommendations for change or improvement on the basis
of their research.
21. The Every Child Matters agenda
should ensure children and young people have opportunities to
make a positive contribution to their communities and that the
student voice is listened to in schools and settings. The vast
majority of secondary schools do have student councils (96%),
almost always comprising representatives elected by pupils. Activities
that student councils are responsible for include: consulting
with pupils on school-based issues (88%); and planning and organising
school activities such as fundraising for charities (72%). In
one-third, the student council has a budget, spent at the discretion
of pupils on activities such as improving the school environment.
However the extent to which all pupils in a school are engaged
with and participate in student councils is less clear and the
real potential for student councils to play a genuine role in
developing citizenship skills and knowledge remain underdeveloped.
Proper consultation with children and young people about the services
and provision that relate to them will be necessary to ensure
the Every Child Matters objectives are demonstrated. The
opportunities to use citizenship as a curriculum vehicle for this
is not yet well recognised and few links are made between this
kind of activity and learning in citizenship subject lessons.
DISSEMINATION OF
THE CITIZENSHIP
CURRICULUM AND
OTHER DFES/QCA
GUIDANCE
Citizenship publications have been disseminated
widely both nationally and internationally with more than 180,000
documents having been despatched by QCA since 1998 as the following
table indicates:
| Crick report, 1998 |
28,166 |
| National Curriculum, 2000 | 50,000 plus DfES reprints
|
| Schemes of Work, 2001 | 66,615
|
| Play your part: post-16 citizenship, 2004 |
12,021 |
| Assessing citizenship initial guidance, 1999
| 19,133 |
| Assessing Citizenship at Key Stage 3, 2006 |
6,651 |
| Total | 182,586
|
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PRACTICE IN
OTHER COUNTRIES
Last year QCA commissioned the National Foundation for Educational
Research to undertake the second international thematic study
of citizenship (the first was undertaken in 1999). Delegates from
Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Hungary,
the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, Wales, Scotland, the United
States and the UK have participated in an international seminar
exploring "active citizenship" in March 2006. Background
and issues papers are available from www.inca.org.uk and a final
report on this work will be available in the July this year.
CONCLUSIONS
In summary there are considerable opportunities through existing
QCA work programmes in particular 11-19 reform, to ensure citizenship
develops with a clear and coherent curriculum and assessment framework
and with appropriate opportunities for accreditation through qualifications.
Priority should be given to:
— Ensuring the Key Stage 3 review lays the basis
for developing a clear and continuous citizenship curriculum experience
for learners 3-19.
— Reviewing policy regarding assessment with a view
to developing an 8-level scale for citizenship to ensure progression
and standards.
— Promoting curriculum development work to create
appropriate and "sufficient" models following the Key
Stage 3 review and supporting plans for extending CPD opportunities
in citizenship.
— Researching opportunities to ensure citizenship
is included in both general and future diploma qualifications
and the potential for extended project qualifications.
March 2006
1
Copies of the report can be downloaded from www.qca.org.uk/citizenship.
All statistics quoted are taken from this report. Back
2
Examples included and content draw heavily on the LSDA's programme
of post-16 citizenship, which began in 2001. Back
3
OCA has commissioned the awarding body AQA to run a small trial
for a new post-16 active citizenship studies qualification for
Level 3 learners. It is likely to be piloted from September 2006
as one version of the new extended project qualification. Back
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