I am thinking about assessment using the new Citizenship curriculum, should I use the 'Working Towards', 'Working At' and 'Working Beyond' statements or start using the new levels? Also my headteacher wants me to start giving levels for citizenship this year, what should I be doing?

Assessment and reporting arrangements for citizenship are changing. The introduction of the revised secondary curriculum includes a single attainment target for citizenship described as level descriptions. The first statutory teacher assessment where schools will assess pupil performance at the end of key stage 3 against the level descriptions, will take place during the summer of 2011. This is the first year in which the first cohort who have been taught the revise curriculum complete key stage 3. You can start to use the 8 level scale to help frame assessments whenever you wish, especailly with your new Year 7. You can use the previous descriptions for two more years with the current Year 8 and 9 but it may be useful to start using the 8 level scale across the key stage.

Reports to parents about pupil's strengths and areas for development in citizenship, continue to be required for pupils in each year of key stage 3 and key stage 4. From 2011, the annual report for year 9 pupils will also need to include the results of a level related judgement about pupil performance in citizenship. There is no statuary reason to do so before the summer of 2011.

It is important to build a full picture of each pupil's attainment in citizenship. During the course of the key stage, teachers will assess pupil progress to gather information about how pupils are doing. It is not necessary to record or report a level for each pupil at these points, however some schools choose to do so. Other schools may prefer to keep records using qualitative descriptions of progress and attainment. The end of key stage 3 teacher assessment should be based on a range of types of evidence of pupil responses to citizenship learning activities and active experiences.

To prepare for the changes to assessment and reporting arrangements for citizenship, schools need to:

ensure citizenship teaching staff are familiar with the new arrangements for assessment and reporting and the standards for citizenship set out in the level descriptions

plan regular opportunities for assessing citizenship across the key stage, to gather information about pupil's citizenship knowledge, understanding and skills

develop clear assessment criteria or success criteria for teaching and learning activities that are used for assessment

establish a baseline of knowledge, understanding and skills for pupils beginning KS3

develop mechanisms to gather and record evidence from a range of learning contexts

build an approach to moderation, in particular for end of key stage judgements made by staff across a cohort.

To view the new curriculum including the revised programmes of study for citizenship and the new level descriptions visit www.qca.org.uk/curriculum and click on subjects for the citizenship page.

Liz Craft, Citizenship adviser, QCA