ACT : Association for Citizenship Teaching

Chris Waller, Professional Officer said 'ACT is delighted to see this report demonstrating the achievements of Citizenship education teachers and pupils. Along with the NFER Report from November 2009-the CELS Report- the evidence demonstrates the impact the subject is having on schools, learners and communities. Whilst there is of course still more to achieve, the late Prof Sir Bernard Crick would have been most satisfied'.

The teaching of citizenship is improving but some schools have limited understanding of what is required to provide an effective citizenship education according to a report published today by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

Citizenship established? Citizenship in schools 2006/9 shows schools are making encouraging progress in establishing citizenship as a secure part of the curriculum, with just over half of the secondary schools visited judged good or outstanding for students’ achievement in their knowledge and learning.

The best schools do not just teach citizenship in classrooms, but help pupils become active citizens as well, by giving them opportunities to take on leadership roles in their school community, through volunteering or community action, or as part of a school council.

The report shows the best examples of citizenship education are often found in schools where citizenship has dedicated and regular space on the timetable. Those schools that rely too heavily on suspending the normal timetable to provide occasional time for citizenship are most unlikely to meet National Curriculum requirements.

Examples of schools’ experience in teaching citizenship are threaded throughout the report, describing how school councils and guided discussions are used to encourage students to think about government and politics, international affairs and justice.

While the report focuses on citizenship education in secondary schools, it also finds a positive picture in primary schools which were found to be particularly strong at helping children understand issues such as community, sustainability and human rights.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, said; Citizenship is becoming a well established part of the school curriculum and this report highlights the ways in which schools are successfully promoting social responsibility, community involvement and political understanding. It is important that the good practice featured in the report is replicated more widely.

Recommendations from the report include:

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) should:

• with the Training and Development Agency for Schools, maintain the numbers of trainee places for initial teacher education and the level of provision for continuing professional development in citizenship.

• The DCSF should also promote the take-up of courses for continuing professional development in this area.

Local authorities should:

• consider how they can support schools in developing citizenship programmes and facilitate networks of teachers and, in particular, encourage schools where provision is weak to become involved.

Schools should:

• develop the quality of citizenship teaching by taking advantage of existing expertise in the school, capitalising on training opportunities and recruiting specialist teachers when the opportunity arises.

• establish a clear link between citizenship and community cohesion, in particular highlighting the contribution that pupils can make to their local community.

• ensure that all their staff understand the principles defining citizenship and how these relate to other subjects, particularly the humanities and PSHE education.

• ensure that the citizenship curriculum and opportunities for participation and responsible action are available to pupils of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

The whole Ofsted report can be downloaded at the

ACT web site