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

Step back in time to discover a restored mill and working forge in this pretty village

Nestling in a valley that reaches down to the sea on east Devon’s dramatic Jurassic Coast, the village of Branscombe is surrounded by picturesque countryside with miles of tranquil walking through woodland, farmland and beach. Branscombe's charming thatched houses, working forge and restored watermill add to the timeless magic of the place.

Norfolk's longest fifteen inch gauge line runs between the ancient market town of Aylsham and Wroxham, the 'Capital of the Norfolk Broads' with country stations serving the villages of Brampton, Buxton and 

A full-size railway service running regular steam-hauled passenger trains between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, largely along the scenic River Severn. We operate along 16 miles of track from Kidderminster via Bewdley to Bridgnorth.

Britain's Greatest Palace

Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough - the Churchill family. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace and is a World Heritage Site.

The Palace

The York Environment Centre is managed by the Friends of St Nicholas Fields. We exist to promote sustainable living to people in York and the surrounding area. In 1994 we began work to transform this former landfill site into a Local Nature Reserve and the Environment Centre, which was completed in 2000.

Situated on a large inner city allotment site the Birmingham EcoPark is an environmental education centre which is owned and managed by the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country. 

The only surviving windmill on the Isle of Wight

This little gem is a Grade 1 listed building and one of the island's most iconic images. Built around 1700, it last operated in 1913 but still has most of its original machinery intact.

Climb to the top of the mill then find out how it once worked as you descend its four floors.

A unique collection of vehicles from around the world. Over 400 amazing cars and bikes from nostalgic classics of the 50s and 60s, glorious Bentleys and Rolls Royces to exciting super cars of today, like the Jaguar XJ220.

Our Halls include:

Lings Wood Environmental Centre is situated in Lings Local Nature Reserve, a magnificent, urban woodland covering over 22 hectares in the Eastern District of Northampton. 

CAT is an education and visitor centre demonstrating practical solutions for sustainability. We cover all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing.

One of England's Finest Narrow-Guage Railways

The Leighton Buzzard Railway is one of the last survivors of the hundreds of 2 foot (610mm) gauge light railways built in Britain for industrial use. It is believed to be the only remaining line which owed its existence to the ready availability of surplus materials and equipment from the First World War battlefield supply lines.

A working steam museum where you can step back in time to the steam age. On steaming open days visitors can ride in vintage carriages pulled by a full sized steam engine and on our extensive miniature railway.

The lake railway uses miniature narrow gauge steam engines on its trains to give a scenic 3 mile return trip along the side of Rudyard Lake. Special family events at Bank holidays, children's parties and Santa trains in December.

The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is a canal in the south Midlands of England. The canal, which was built between 1793 and 1816, runs for 25.5 miles in total, and consists of two sections. 

The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal runs from Birmingham's suburbia to Shakespeare's Stratford in 25.5 picturesque miles.

The canal is usually considered as a northern and a southern section.

In a beautiful valley of the river Frome, on the border between Wiltshire and Somerset and only nine miles from Bath, stands the remains of Farleigh Hungerford Castle.

Started in the 14th century, it still has much for visitors to enjoy and provides a great day out for families to enjoy the beautiful surrounding countryside.

A haven on the east coast of County Antrim

A visit to Islandmagee is a trip back to less rushed and stressful times. A peninsula on the East Antrim coast steeped in history with cottages, rolling fields, quiet villages and spectacular coastline, it is a microcosm of the Northern Ireland countryside.

Formerly known as INTECH, the Winchester Science Centre is an internationally renowned, purpose built educational resource centre for science situated in Morn Hill, just outside the city of Winchester in Hampshire. Opened in 2002 after major grants from amongst others the 

So much more to see with our spectacular views

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the river Thames in London. It is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). It is currently Europe's tallest Ferris wheel, and offered the highest public viewing point in London until it was superseded by the 245-metre (804 ft) observation deck on the 72nd floor of the Shard.

Thousand-year-old royal castle shaped by warfare

Enjoy one of Britain's most iconic and evocative survivors of the English Civil War, partially demolished in 1646 by the Parliamentarians.

A favourite haunt for adults and children alike, you can't fail to be captivated by these romantic castle ruins with breathtaking views across Purbeck.

The Findhorn Foundation has been promoting principles of sustainable development since its creation in 1962. Located on the North East coast of Scotland on two main sites near to and within the town of Forres, Findhorn began with a small community of 3 adults and their children.

Explore what life was like for Hampshire people in the past by wandering through Milestones’ old cobbled streets. And as you wander round you may also encounter some of our costumed characters…

Enthusiasts will enjoy our collection of beautifully restored vintage vehicles - and so will kids of all ages!

Kids love a day out on a steam train.

The Swindon & Cricklade Railway re-creates the kind of railway that today's children may only have been told about by their fathers and grandfathers.

The Hockerton Housing Project is the UK's first earth sheltered, self-sufficient ecological housing development. Since the completion of the houses in 1998 Hockerton Housing Project has established itself as an exemplar of sustainable development locally and nationally.

A beautifully crafted museum where the static steam engines that used to power so many aspects of our lives are treasured and brought back to working life through an extraordinary system of steam pipes running throughout the complex of engine sheds.

Housing the Robert Opie collection, the world's largest collection of packaging and related materials. 

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