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Citizenship

Key Stage 3 & Key Stage 4 - Study Matrix 2021 – 2022

Rationale

At St Aidan’s we aim to deliver a high-quality citizenship education which helps to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society. In particular, citizenship education should foster pupils’ keen awareness and understanding of democracy, government and how laws are made and upheld. Teaching should equip pupils with the skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments. It should also prepare pupils to take their place in society as responsible citizens, manage their money well and make sound financial decisions.

Intent

At St Aidan’s CE Academy, we believe that it is imperative to equip pupils with the knowledge and understanding of how to be a successful citizen. Given the demographics of our academy, it is essential that aspirations are developed, the law is understood and finances can be correctly managed so that pupils are able to live in the wider community with an awareness of successfully managing adulthood.

Implementation

At St Aidan’s we ensure Citizenship is delivered to a high standard to enable all pupils to have a broad and balanced knowledge of citizenship and the values it encompasses:

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3 a foundation is built and as a minimum we cover:

• How the political system of the United Kingdom has developed as a democracy, including the role of the monarchy, the development of our constitution and Parliament, and how democracy is different from other forms of government
• The operation of Parliament, including voting and elections, and the role of political parties
• The precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom
• The nature of rules and laws, and the difference between criminal and civil law
• The justice system, including the role of the police, and how courts and tribunals work
• The functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management and a range of financial products and services.

Key Stage 4

• In Key Stage 4 teaching builds on the Key Stage 3 programme of study to deepen pupils’ understanding of how the United Kingdom is governed, as well as other forms and systems of government. Pupils are taught about:
• Parliamentary democracy, including the role of Parliament in holding governments to account, and the different roles of the executive, legislature and judiciary
• The different electoral systems used in and beyond the United Kingdom and actions citizens can take in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond
• Other systems and forms of government, both democratic and non-democratic, beyond the United Kingdom
• Local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth and the wider world
• Diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding 5
• The different ways in which a citizen can contribute to the improvement of their community, to include the opportunity to participate actively in community volunteering
• Wages, taxes, credit, debt, financial risk and a range of more sophisticated financial products and services.

Impact

Throughout life at St Aidan’s we offer a Citizenship curriculum appropriate to each individual child. Our curriculum is delivered in a fully inclusive manner. Pupils are provided with a balance of financial, governance and topical education. We promote the impact that a good knowledge of Citizenship can have on a pupils’ mental health and well-being. Pupils have access to a highly differentiated revised curriculum which caters for the needs of the local area and for the academy as a faith school. The range of experiences and knowledge is intended to provide for pupils’ increasing self confidence in their ability to manage themselves, their finances and their understanding of the world we live in. 

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