Citizenship
|
|
"Let the Teaching of Citizenship open up fields of enquiry rather than deliver settled doctrines."
... Professor Bernard Clark
At Bishop Challoner School we fundamentally believe in the idea of learning through discovery. We also believe that the most potent vehicle for discovery is the curriculum and the pedagogical approaches we employ to explore that curriculum.
So powerfully do we view the curriculum that it is our conviction that for citizenship to be experienced in real contextualized way, it must be experienced through the curriculum.
Beyond Serendipity This does not mean that we simply map our curriculum and cross reference it against Citizenship orders. (although we have done this - see passports). Such an approach would make student access to citizenship overly implicit, opportunistic and accidental.
Key subject areas have committed to teach Citizenship Modules and they are explicitly signposted as Citizenship Education. Additionally these subjects have agreed to undertake assessments of students along the following criteria.
- Knowledge & Understanding about becoming informed citizens.
- Developing skills of enquiry and communication
- Developing skills of participation and responsible action.
We understand Strand One to be predominantly about the taught curriculum, i.e. how our curriculum delivers the content specified in the statutory orders.
We understand Strand Two to be predominantly about pedagogy i.e. how our pedagogical approaches allow opportunities for students to develop and deepen their skills of enquiry and communication.
We understand Strand Three to be the "caught" curriculum i.e. school and community based activities in which students negotiate, take part responsibly and reflect on the process of participating.
Knowledge and understanding
-
The legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society, basic aspects of the criminal justice system, and how both relate to young people.
-
The diversity of national, regional, religious and identities in the United Kingdom and the need mutual respect and understanding
-
Central and local government, the public services they offer and how they are financed, and the opportunities to contribute.
-
The key characteristics of parliamentary and other forms of government.
-
The electoral system and importance of voting.
-
The work of community based, national and international voluntary groups.
-
The importance of resolving conflict fairly.
-
The significance of the media in society.
-
The world as a global community, and the political, economic, environmental and social implications of this, and the role of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations
Strand One is delivered predominantly through the humanities of History, Geography and RE. English support this by providing 3 units of work on the role of the media and the PE Department deliver a Module on the Citizen and Health in Recreation in the community.
At key Stage 4 Citizenship is delivered exclusively though RE.
Developing Skills of Enquiry & Communication
"Pupils something to do, not something to learn. And the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking. Learning naturally results" ...Dewey
We understand strand two to be about the process of constructivism. We do not want to hand our students ready made meaning, but believe it is essential our students construct it for themselves "knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world".
Therefore our approach to citizenship is that it is not about acquiring information, but to go beyond it. Learning involves the search for pattern, regularity and predictability for these reasons citizenship exists in a multidisciplinary format so that students recognise thecompexity, not the simplicity of issues. In this way pupils can make connections between seemingly unrelated issues.
Our TAL policy reflects this approach to learning and we ensure that all lessons have episodes where pupils construct and demonstrate learning. This will usually manifest itself in the following 3 days.
-
Pupils will think about topical political, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural issues, by analysing information and it's sources.
-
Pupils will justify orally and in writing personal opinions about the above in the demonstration phase of lessons.
-
Pupils can contribute to group and exploratory class discussion and take part in debates.
In this way pupils acquire understanding of citizenship in public and private ways. Constructing understanding privately and altering, modifying it in the public phase.
Why do we believe that this is the most appropriate Model? Essentially discrete citizenship is reductionalist and presents concepts as neat black & white issues. While students may acquire knowledge they will not acquire understanding or creativity.
"Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected" (William Plouser). More importantly, however, and why we seek a multi-discrepancy approach is it's potential to offer context Fritjov Capra sums our views up.
"The parts can only be understood within the context of in larger whole. The living world (of which we are all citizens) is a network of relationships".
Our citizenship vision is not to instil students with knowledge but rather with a curiosity and a desire to seek understanding and make connections. Only then will we have responsible respired and reflective citizens.
"You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself".
Developing the skills of Participation and Responsible Action
"It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them - the character, the heart, generous qualities and actions, progressive ideas". (Fyoder Dostoyevsky)
Unless what we learn and understand changes us it is pointless. Therefore most important of all of the strands is the 3rd one. We view these being two distinct elements elements to this:
-
Pupils have opportunities to negotiate, decide and take part responsibly in both school and community based activities.
-
Pupils have the opportunity to reflect on the process of participating. (See Assessment and Reporting).
-
Throughout KS3 and 4 pupils are provided with numerous opportunities to exercise active citizenship. (See citizenship passports and PE and Citizenship document).
-
At the end of each year pupils are invited to reflect on their citizenship experiences by way of a reflection tool. This allows students to synthesise all experiences from across a range of Departments and experiences. Pupils are then asked to complete a citizenship competencies questionnaire. Alongside Module assessments from contributing statements a formative statement for citizenship is generated, which forms the basis of the annual report to parents.