Richmond School
Policy | Policy List | Citizenship Policy
CITIZENSHIP POLICY
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy document is to:
• demonstrate the commitment of Richmond School to (education in) Citizenship;
• explain the principles and rationale behind (education in) Citizenship;
• clarify the role of (education in) Citizenship within the aims and ethos of the school;
• describe the ways in which students develop Citizenship across the school;
• explain how Citizenship Education contributes to the development of young people’s maturity, independence, and ability to contribute to society.
WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?
There are four inter-related strands:
• Social and Moral Responsibility - students develop socially and morally responsible behaviour;
• Community Involvement - students learn the importance of contributing to their communities;
• Political Literacy - students learn about political systems and the role of the citizen within the democratic process;
• Global Issues - students learn about the issues affecting global health and security.
THE AIMS OF CITIZENSHIP WITHIN RICHMOND SCHOOL
Through education in Citizenship it is the aim of the school to:
• provide students with the information they need to participate in democratic society, knowing their rights and responsibilities;
• develop in students the skills necessary to make constructive contributions to communities;
• help students practise the skills of democracy;
• enable students to assimilate values which are the foundation for participatory Citizenship in adult life.
CITIZENSHIP (THE VALUE OF) WILL BE PROMOTED IN THE SCHOOL BY
• establishing a welcoming and inclusive ethos for all;
• expecting all to follow a code of conduct which is founded on the value of mutual respect;
• encouraging self-evaluation and target setting as aids to progress and improvement;
• encouraging review and consultation in all areas of school activity;
• eliciting the views of all members of the school when changes are proposed to the way the school is run, wherever appropriate, relevant and practical;
• expecting all to value human individuality, diversity and equality of opportunity;
• expecting all to commit themselves to honesty, justice, truth and trust;
• making opportunities for students to learn and practise social and environmental responsibility;
• recognising and celebrating all kinds of genuine achievement;
• challenging discrimination and stereotyping.
STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT AND PRACTICE THE SKILLS OF CITIZENSHIP USING THE FOLLOWING METHODS:
• Teachers of subjects reinforce Citizenship Education when teaching topics which include a Citizenship dimension;
• The PSHE course includes topics which focus specifically on Citizenship knowledge, skills and values.
• Extra-curricular activities develop and reinforce students’ awareness of their role as members of a working community;
• The extra-curricular programme encourages the involvement of students in planning, preparing, running and evaluating activities and events;
• specific whole school activities are held to help students improve knowledge and understanding of Citizenship issues.
ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING OF STUDENT PROGRESS IN CITIZENSHIP
Students will be assessed at the end of KS3 in relation to the Citizenship Attainment Targets as:
• working towards;
• achieving;
• working beyond the end of the Key Stage expectations;
• Aspects of Citizenship taught within subjects are described in the course details of subject reports. Subject staff make comment on students’ knowledge, understanding and skills of Citizenship in relation to their subjects;
• Tutors make comment about student involvement in and contribution to Citizenship activities over the year;
• Student self-evaluations and review discussions with tutors refer to experiences and achievements in Citizenship;
• Student Progress Files at KS3 and KS4 record their participation in events and activities that have a Citizenship dimension.
MANAGEMENT OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
• There is a co-ordinator for Citizenship whose responsibility is to ensure that the Programmes of Study in Key Stages 3 and 4 are being covered through the methods;
• A school Steering Group for Citizenship is the lead group in developing fresh approaches to the provision of education in Citizenship throughout the school;
• Heads of Subject are responsible for identifying opportunities for Citizenship within the schemes of work for their subjects, and for supplementing resources with material that will help to teach and reinforce the knowledge and skills of Citizenship;
• Subject teachers are responsible for having a working knowledge of the Key Stages 3 and 4 Programmes of Study for Citizenship and for using opportunities within their teaching to help students learn Citizenship.
• Cross-curricular Theme leaders are responsible for identifying explicitly the features of their schemes which help students to learn and practise Citizenship;
• PSHE Co-ordinators are responsible for ensuring that aspects of Citizenship are appropriately covered through the PSHE Scheme of Work;
• Heads of Year and Senior Tutors encourage activities for their year groups which help students practise the skills of Citizenship;
• Tutors are responsible for encouraging their students to participate in and learn from activities which require co-operation, team work, planning, social responsibility, and which contribute to the life of the school, the community or to a national/global cause;
• Senior Management is responsible for the development and expansion of the Citizenship programme within all areas of the school.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF CITIZENSHIP
• Heads of Subject and Key Stage Co-ordinators report to the Co-ordinator for Citizenship on the development of a Citizenship strand within the subject’s schemes of work and students progress against the attainment targets at Key Stage 3;
• The Co-ordinator for Citizenship has copies of Departmental Development Plans and monitors the extent to which the Programmes of Study for Citizenship are being extended and developed by departments;
• The Head of Year 9 reports to the Co-ordinator for Citizenship on the progress being made by students against the Key Stage 3 Attainment Targets through events and activities which have a Citizenship dimension as described in the tutor reports;
• All Heads of Year monitor the involvement of students in activities which help them learn and practise Citizenship;
• The school keeps a record of all extra-curricular activities held during each year, which have contributed to Citizenship;
• The school’s programme for Citizenship is matched against examples from other schools at an annual meeting with the LEA's adviser for Citizenship;
• The extent to which all students have access to the range of opportunities for Citizenship experience, activity and learning is monitored by the SENCO, Head of Key Stage 3 and 4, the Co-ordinator for Citizenship and the Senior Management Team.
Review October 2007
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