Why Citizenship and Economic Wellbeing?

There is one weekly lesson for Citizenship and Economic Wellbeing. Citizenship will be studied during the Autumn and Spring terms and the new courses in Economic Wellbeing and Financial Capability will take place during the Summer term.
Citizenship addresses issues relating to social justice, human rights, community cohesion and global interdependence, and encourages students to challenge injustice, inequalities and discrimination. It helps young people to develop their critical skills, consider a wide range of political, social, ethical and moral problems, and explore opinions and ideas other than their own. Students learn to argue a case on behalf of others as well as themselves and speak out on issues of concern. It helps students to become informed, critical, active citizens who have the confidence and conviction to work collaboratively, take action and try to make a difference in their communities and the wider world.

The Key Concepts involved in Citizenship

• Democracy and Justice: Students will explore issues such as Voting, Democracy, Justice and be challenged to Participate as ‘Active Citizens’ to make sure these things are happening.
• Rights and Responsibilities:  Students will explore their Rights, the Diversity of Britain, the Role of Britain in Europe and will look at the value of Community.
• Identities and Diversity: Students will explore the Ethnic, Religious and Cultural diversity of Britain and consider the connections between Local, National and Global Community.

Key Processes (skills) that students will build on in Citizenship

• Critical Thinking and Analysis: Students will learn to reflect, evaluate, question and recognise conflicting viewpoints.
• Expression of Opinion: Through debate, speeches, discussion and argument students will learn to persuade and use balanced viewpoints to strengthen an opinion.
• Participation and Taking Action: Students will actively seek to take action on problems they highlight in the community. Through community walks and protest students will seek to positively change their community and see the impact of the individual.

Programme of study/content

Autumn and Spring Terms

• Identities
• Human, Legal and Political Rights
• Participation and Taking Action
• The Changing Nature of British Society
• ‘My Journey’ Project (Immigration, Identity and Community)

Economic Wellbeing

Economic Wellbeing is a topic studied at the end of the Summer term all the way through the years in KS3, and comes under the topic of Citizenship and Economic Wellbeing (CEWB).

It aims to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the economy, the world of work and personal finance. This education is designed to build awareness of the skills and personal attributes that our students will need in order to become confident, informed and critically aware economic participants in our society.

The Key Concepts involved in Economic Wellbeing and Financial Capability

• Career: Students will understand that everyone has a career and they will develop a sense of personal identity for career progression. They will equip themselves with the qualities, attitudes and skills needed for employability.
• Capability: Students will explore what it means to be enterprising and will learn how to manage money and personal finances. They will understand how to make creative and realistic plans for transition and they will become critical consumers of goods and services.
• Risk: Students will understand risk in both positive and negative terms and will learn about the need to manage risk in the context of financial and career choices.
• Economic understanding: students should be able to understand the economic and business environment and the functions and uses of money.

Key Processes (skills) that students will build on in Economic Wellbeing and Financial Capability

• Self-development: Students should be able to develop and maintain their self-esteem and envisage a positive future for themselves in work. They will be able to identify major life roles and ways of managing the relationships between them, assess their needs, interests, values, skills, abilities and attitudes in relation to options in learning, work and enterprise and review their experiences and achievements.
• Exploration: Students should be able to use a variety of information sources to explore options and choices in career and financial contexts, recognise bias and inaccuracies in information about learning pathways, work and enterprise. They will also be able to investigate the main trends in employment and relate these to their career plans.
• Enterprise: Students should be able to identify the main qualities and skills needed to enter and thrive in the working world, assess, undertake and manage risk, take action to improve their chances in their career and manage change and transition. They will learn how to use approaches to working with others, problem-solving and action planning and will understand and apply skills and qualities for enterprise, demonstrate and apply understanding of economic ideas.
• Financial capability: Students should be able to manage their money, understand financial risk and reward, explain financial terms and products and identify how finance will play an important part in their lives and in achieving their aspirations.

Economic Wellbeing and Financial Capability Summer Term

• An introduction to the British Economy.
• The cost of running a family.
• Developing questioning and informed views as consumers of goods and services.
• Managing money and finances.
• Transferable skills needed for employability.

Setting arrangements and amount of curriculum time

The Citizenship & Economic Wellbeing lessons will be scheduled for 1 hour per week. Students will be taught in their teaching.

Assessment

In Citizenship, assessment will be varied and include:

• Written Assessment
• Project Work Assessment
• Debate Assessment (using Film)
• Peer Assessment & Self Assessment
• Using the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment), a website for pupils to post work on.

Marking Criteria

Students will be marked based on the distinct 8 level framework as part of the national strategy, receiving both formative and summative assessment. The key elements of assessment are Participation, Discussion, Knowledge, Debate and Transferable Skills. Assessment will take place each half term. Students are given marks that correspond with National Curriculum levels. At the beginning of Year 7 we expect all students to have reached a level 3. Students could be awarded a 2c, 2b, 2a, 3c, 3b 3a, 4c, 4b, 4a, or 5. The letter indicates where in the level the pupils work falls, for example a 3a is a high level 3, a 3b is a middle level 3 and a 3c is a low level 3. All assessments are graded in this way together with an effort. It is hoped that all students will achieve at least a good for effort, which will require at least one hour’s work.

Homework

Will be set each week and will be used to develop in-class knowledge, promote independent learning and for ongoing project work. The pupils will be given an effort grade for homework. Students will be expected to use the Virtual Learning Environment to complete certain elements of homework.

Curriculum Opportunities

• Debate Club
• Public Speaking
• Young Persons Question Time
• Citizenship Foundation Young Journalism Award
• GNation Awards

Main texts/useful websites

http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship
www.citizenship.org.uk/
news.bbc.co.uk
http://www.pfeg.org/parents.asp?id=parent
www.natwest.com/moneysenseforschools
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/
http://www.childtrustfund.gov.uk/
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/guidanceonthelaw/fcg/
http://www.whataboutmoney.info/
http://www.redbox.gov.uk/