Citizenship

Citizenship

Citizenship Studies is concerned with the kind of society we live in and want to influence and develop. It covers, too, the role of the public and private organisations in the process. School courses help prepare students to become active citizens. The best of them promote students’ personal and social development, and make them more self-confident and responsible, in the classroom and beyond.

All external examination courses emphasise developing awareness of the role of citizens in a variety of contexts.

Just about any educational visit will contribute to the students’ exploration of new experiences and new ideas about being a ‘citizen’, but venues and activities that bring students into contact with other communities, other social contexts and other attitudes will be particularly exciting. Many museums and venues specialise in giving hands-on experiences of what some aspects of life in earlier centuries was actually like. These tend to be attractive to primary school groups.

Secondary groups often visit civic centres and attend local council meetings. Both primary and secondary groups will be welcome at churches, chapels, synagogues, mosques and temple, some of which offer programmes of talks and exhibitions. In cities this is relatively easy to arrange but even in rural communities priests and lay church people are prepared to help schools.

The Citizenship Foundation would be an excellent starting point. It claims to help 80% of secondary schools to nurture citizenship, and sets out to inspire young people to contribute to society. The Association for Citizenship Teaching also provides advice and teaching resources, while the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law delivers law and justice education at national heritage sites.

Main organisations:

Citizenship Foundation 

Association for Citizenship Teaching

National Centre for Citizenship and the Law (NCCL)

PSHE Association

Democratic Life

Hansard Society

Inclusion: NASEN

Thought of visiting?

The Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green

National Trust Museum of Childhood, Sudbury, Derbyshire

Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh

The London Museum

The National Archives, Kew

Houses of Parliament

Welsh Assembly

Scottish Parliament

Northern Ireland Assembly

Venues for this Curriculum

A park at the heart of the community

Morden Hall Park is green oasis in the city, giving you a taste of a country estate with a glimpse of its agricultural and industrial history.

Raleigh Park is 27 sloping acres, outside the city boundaries between Botley and North Hinksey. It has recently been accredited with Local Wildlife Site.

Huge park offering lakes, meadows and rivers for exploration, plus a multi activity centre and adventure playground. Incorporates a proper 9 hole golf course please note not crazy or mini golf though beginners welcome.

A beautiful slice of Kent countryside

Discover why the locals love this place so much by exploring this tranquil site along its network of paths, which wind their way up through the woodland. Once at the top, relax and take in the wonderful view to the south over the Weald of Kent.

White Peak Estate, including Ilam Park, Dovedale and Hamps and Manifold Valleys

Situated in the spectacular setting of the Staffordshire and Derbyshire Peak District, Ilam Park makes an ideal base to explore the other parts of the White Peak area.

White Peak incorporates several key areas that are well worth a visit. These include: Dovedale; the Manifold Valley; Ilam Park; Ecton Mine, Stanton Moor Edge; Miller's Dale and Ravenstor; and High Wheeldon.

A Land Apart...

A precious landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty is so outstanding that it is protected for future generations...

A natural amphitheatre on a spur of the Cotswolds, with views over the Vale of Evesham

Dover's Hill was the site of the original English Olympic Games, which began here 400 years ago in 1612.

Varied landscape of moorland, woods, farms and coast, rich in wildlife

Holnicote Estate makes up 12,000 acres of Exmoor National Park and is a contrasting landscape with everything from wild, rugged moorland and shingle beaches to ancient woodland and charming thatched villages.

500 acres of beautiful woodlands, grasslands, gardens and lake.

We have a children's play area, climbing forest, picnic benches and barbecue areas, a bird hide, woodlands, open space for the children to play and of course plenty of ducks and swans to feed!

It is the perfect location for a fun filled family day out or a relaxing picnic out in the fresh air.

Broads Holiday Adventure

Spend quality time on the Broads with Herbert Woods. 

A wonderful mix of open heathland, woodland and chalk downland

Headley Heath has a wide network of tracks to explore, and stunning views to rival any of its neighbours - the perfect place to enjoy the countryside, whether walking, cycling or horseriding.

Extensive chalk and grassland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Soar above a breathtaking landscape, sculpted over time, decorated by nature and enjoyed by generations.

Stand on top of Dunstable Downs for a view that will simply take your breath away. These Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are designated for the quality of their chalk grasslands.

A remote island in the Norfolk Broads

You may not have heard of Heigham Holmes, but this 500 acre nature reserve is an oasis of calm and a haven for wildlife – and heaven for wildlife lovers.

It’s a unique and internationally important site, with reed-fringed flood banks, open water, grazing marsh, scrub and wet woodland. They're linked by a maze of dykes and pools characteristic of the Norfolk broadland landscape.

Welcome to Clan Donald Skye, a magnificent 20,000 acre estate in south Skye. Enjoy an outstanding holiday experience, exploring the historic gardens and woodland trails around Armadale Castle, learning about highland history in our fascinating Museum of the Isles or staying in our self-catering lodges.

The park opened in 1934 after the land was presented to the City by Councillor F.E. Moss in memory of his sister Florence.

What facilities does it have?

Beecraigs Country Park is a great place to visit. It caters for a wide range of leisure and recreational activities within its 370 hectares (913 acres) and can be discovered nestled high in the Bathgate Hills near the historic town of Linlithgow. The Park is open throughout the year and admission is free.

Umberslade Adventure is an outdoor play area set in an 80 acre woodland in the heart of Warwickshire, offering physical and educational activities for all ages.

These include:
420ft Zip line: swoop from the trees if you think you are brave enough. It will get your adrenaline pumping.

Two acres of magnificent garden, set on the side of Kinnoull Hill overlooking Perth. Branklyn holds an impressive collection of rare and unusual plants. Schools are welcome to arrange a visit with the site manager.

This 100 acre site, managed in partnership with 

Lakeshore park with stunning mountain views

Situated at the very southern tip of Lake Windermere, Fell Foot is a great, family friendly location to play, explore and relax. Sweeping lawns offer plenty of space for games, picnics and gentle walks, while easy lake access makes the park perfect for paddling, swimming and boating.

Landscape of fell, meadow and woodland around Coniston Water

At five miles long, and with a maximum depth of 184 feet, Coniston Water is the third largest of the lakes. It provided an important fish source for the monks of Furness Abbey who owned the lake and much of the surrounding land in the 13th and 14th Centuries.

Rowing is fun and relaxing and a great way to spend a sunny afternoon on the river, pedalos and punts also available. You can hire the boat for an hour or if you want to make a day of it, just stay on the river as long as you like, simply returning the row boat to the boathouse before sunset.

A garden lovers' home for all seasons, with an extensive yet intimate garden set around a romantic house and ruins.

In the late 1800s Ludwig Messel bought the Nymans Estate in the Sussex High Weald to make a dream family house. Inspired by the wooded surroundings he created a garden with plants collected from around the world. Here this creative family entertained friends and family, enjoyed relaxing, playing and picnicking in the garden and woods.

Lichen-clad, ancient oak woodland valleys following the River Dart

Hembury and Holne contain two discreet woods on the south-eastern edge of Dartmoor National Park.

Perched at the top of Hembury Woods with far reaching views over Dartmoor, the iron-age Hembury Hill Fort gives you a real sense of what it would have been like to live in a protected palisade.

Discover the gateway to the famous Jurassic Coast

Follow a clifftop walk with breathtaking views of the Jurassic coast with a night under the stars at Prattshayes caravan and campsite.

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