Citizenship GCSE

Course outline
The GCSE Citizenship course seeks to prepare students to become active citizens by raising awareness and understanding of their role in the world. The course also promotes personal and social development, making learners more self-confident and responsible, in the classroom and beyond.
Essentially, the course provides opportunities for students to consider social, political, ethical and moral problems and in order to do this effectively, students are encouraged to develop independent, critical and analytical thinking skills and informed personal opinions and judgments.

Theme 1 – Community Action and Active Citizenship
You will be introduced to the following ideas and topics: factors that make for effective ‘active citizenship’; the role and power of local government, the media, community and voluntary groups, charities and trade unions in making a difference in society; and the relevance of Citizenship issues in the workplace, focusing on rights and responsibilities, equal opportunities, health and safety and sustainability.

Theme 2 – Being a Citizen in the UK: Democracy and Identity
This theme focuses on the role of Parliament and Government; ways citizens can participate in democratic processes, particularly in terms of elections and voting; perceptions of being ‘British’ and the origins and implications of the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the UK; the effect of ethnic identity, religion and culture on community life and the role of individuals, schools and communities in promoting equal opportunities and community cohesion.

Theme 3 – Fairness and Justice
We will look at the rights and responsibilities of a British citizen within the broader framework of human rights; how citizens’ lives are affected by the law; the effectiveness of the criminal justice system; and, the influence of the media in creating public opinion.

Theme 4 – Global Issues and Making a Difference
You will be introduced to the following ideas and topics: the effectiveness of key international bodies in dealing with important international and global issues, in particular, international disagreements and conflict, and human rights and international humanitarian law abuses; the challenges faced by the global community in relation to inequalities and interdependence and how these challenges might be dealt with; the challenges of global interdependence and how they might be tackled; and, the UK’s role in the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations.

Subject Combinations
The GCSE Citizenship course links with all other subjects, but it particularly complements Media, Law and Sociology.

Assessment
The course is assessed through a combination of coursework and examination.

The examined units (1&3) account for 40% of the GCSE. They involve two 1 hour written papers at the end of the course.
In the Unit 1 exam there is a series of short-answer questions and a source-based question on Theme 1.
Students also answer one structured stimulus-based question on citizenship issues from a choice of three. There will be one question on each of Themes 2, 3 and 4.

The Unit 3 exam has compulsory sourced-based questions on all four themes and a choice of long questions from themes 2, 3 or 4.

The coursework units 2 & 4 account for 60% of the GCSE. These units involve what is known as ‘controlled assessment’; this means the coursework will be completed during class time under the supervision of the class teacher.

To successfully complete this element of the course students are required to be involved in activities that involve citizenship advocacy and representation (Unit 2) and taking informed and responsible action (Unit 4). Students must persuade a significant group of individuals towards their point of view. Alternatively, students may choose to invite individuals or organisations in a position of power into college in order to present their suggestions for change. Students are also required to provide evidence of how they planned and carried out their activities, and reflect upon the effectiveness of their activities in bringing about a change of other people’s awareness or opinion and the extent to which it improved their own overall citizenship knowledge and skills.

Progression
GCSE Citizenship provides a valuable introduction to key themes explored in various Level 3 subjects such as A Level Citizenship, A Level Law, A Level Government & Politics, A Level Sociology and the Extended Project. The knowledge gained and skills developed through this qualification are useful for a range of careers but specifically the course can lead to future employment in campaigning/political activism, local government, civil service, social services, police and probation, teaching, and law.

Entry requirements
Five grade Ds or 3s at GCSE, or equivalent, including English Language.