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:
Association for Citizenship Teaching
National Centre for Citizenship and the Law (NCCL)
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
The Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green
National Trust Museum of Childhood, Sudbury, Derbyshire
The shell of Appuldurcombe, once the grandest house on the Isle of Wight and still an important example of English baroque Architecture stands in 'Capability' Brown-designed grounds.
An exhibition of photographs and prints depict the house and its history.
This museum is a real treat. Beautifully composed displays lead you through a series of rooms on two floors that circle the courtyard of this historic building. As well as a clear time-line of the city’s dramatic history you’re introduced to Norwich people of all kinds in displays peppered with insights and anecdotes.
A classic Norman motte and bailey castle, founded soon after the Conquest to overawe the Saxon town. A later stone shell-keep crowns its steep mound, giving sweeping views across the town rooftops to the River Dart.
Set high on a dramatic escarpment of Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site, Housesteads Roman Fort is a fascinating tourist attraction in the north east of England. There are some stunning panoramic views to enjoy from the walls of this ancient fortress.
Dramatic Dunstanburgh Castle was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become openly hostile.
Built on the most magnificent scale, Dunstanburgh Castle stands on a remote headland in Northumberland.
One of Norwich’s most famous landmarks, Norwich Castle was built by the Normans as a Royal Palace 900 years ago. It now houses the Art gallery and museum, as well as hosts tours of its dungeon.
There is something for all the family at this warm and welcoming 18th-century property, the former home of the Earls of Enniskillen. The house enjoys a peaceful setting in west Fermanagh, with a dramatic backdrop of mountains and forests. There are glorious walks to enjoy, as well as fine vistas and play areas. There is even a charming walled garden.
A charming Gothic Revival 'eyecatcher' built in 1760 in the park of the Bishops of Durham. It provided deer with shelter and food, and had grounds for picnics and rooms for enjoying the view.
The Bishops of Durham have kept a residence at Auckland since the Norman period.
Famed in the Middle Ages as ‘King Arthur’s Round Table’, the amphitheatre at Caerleon was built to serve the Roman legionary fortress of Isca around AD 90.
Explore the remains of this once important Roman staging post, including 'mansio' (Roman inn) and bathhouse.
The site is entirely open-air and manned by volunteers, who are happy to provide more detailed information on the site on the last weekend of every month from March to October.
Letocetum is under the guardianship of English Heritage.
Now open to the public, the shelters, with a network of tunnels almost 1.6km (1 mile) long, once sheltered 6,500 people.
Come and experience life as it was during a 'black out' in wartime Britain and experience the sights and sounds of the home front.
Hurst Castle provides a remote escape by the sea with plenty of things to do and see! Built by Henry VIII it was one of the most advanced artillery fortresses in the England.
Beautiful ruins, regular events and storytelling folk in costume - who says history can't keep them interested!?
Welcome to Ludlow Castle, an unusually complete range of medieval buildings with a varied history of Norman Fortress, Fortified Palace, Administrative Centre and finally the romantic ruin it is today.
A good display of Luton history and a history of the development of Luton industries.
Hagley Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century house in Hagley, Worcestershire. It was the creation of George, 1st Lord Lyttelton, secretary to Frederick, Prince of Wales, poet and man of letters and briefly Chancellor of the Exchequer.
On Plymouth's historic Barbican, you'll find an ancient doorway that takes you back in time to Drake's Plymouth.
Down panelled hallways and up spiral stairs, you'll find yourself in the furnished home of an Elizabethan merchant or sea captain.
Mind your head on the low ceilings and feel the creaking oak of the sloping floors as you explore the Elizabethan House.
Welcome to the finest drama, the brightest West End musicals, the cream of the comedy circuit, award winning ballet and dance, family friendly shows, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, Opera North and Rambert Dance – and (we think) the best Pantomime in the country!
Worcester's principal art gallery and museum hosts a unique programme of contemporary art exhibitions, as well as housing a historic picture collection and an intriguing selection of objects ranging from a 19th century chemist's shop to the wonderful Regimental Museum.
True's Yard is built around the last surviving cottages in King's Lynn’s once thriving North End community. The tiny, carefully recreated rooms capture the harsh realities of fishing life and the traditions and spirit of a close-knit community.
The City's heritage walking tour from the Nottingham Ghost Walk team! See the key sites of interest in the City and hear intriguing tales about Robin Hood and many other famous Nottingham characters. Tour includes a cave visit (subject to availability). Was Robin Hood a Hero or a Villain?
Affectionately referred to as the ‘Downton of the North’, Gawthorpe Hall was redesigned in the 1850s by Sir Charles Barry, designer of the Houses of Parliament and the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.
The Wallace Collection is a national museum in an historic London town house, which displays the wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard's widow, Lady Wallace, in 1897.
We are a small museum chronicling the life and times of the famous writer, Jane Austen, plus Regency tearoom.
Our Jane Austen experience begins with a warm welcome and introductory talk from one of our knowledgeable and experienced guides. The introduction takes place on the first floor of this attractive Georgian town house, in a classically decorated period room.
The spire of St Mary’s is one of the tallest in England and for over 500 years it has dominated the skyline of Shrewsbury's old town. In 1739, showman Robert Cadman attempted to slide from it, head first, using a rope and a grooved breastplate. His engraved obituary stands outside the west door. The church is now the only complete Medieval church in Shrewsbury.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.