Education citizenship

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Schools teach Citizenship Education as a subject in the curriculum, in order to provide pupils with knowledge, understanding and skills which prepare them to play an active role as citizens, ensuring that they have a clear understanding of their roles, rights and responsibilities in relation to their local, national and international communities.

In primary schools, Citizenship is taught as one strand of an integrated non-statutory framework for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship, with learning objectives set out by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for each Key Stage.

In secondary schools, Citizenship is a statutory National Curriculum subject in its own right, with a Programme of Study and assessment requirements specified by the QCA.

Children and young people learn about Citizenship as much through their day-to-day experience as through formal teaching in the curriculum. As well as learning in the classroom, all schools seek to provide practical opportunities for pupils to participate actively in the life of their school and wider communities, through school councils and other extra-curricular opportunities and responsibilities.

Last updated: 2 December 2010