Citizenship

Curriculum Intent 

The Citizenship Curriculum at St John Bosco Arts College aims to prepare our students to become compassionate, caring and productive members of society by equipping them with a depth and breadth of knowledge, skills and understanding.

Our Curriculum is divided into six main strands through which current events are interleaved to ensure that teaching remains relevant and accessible to all students. Human Rights, Poverty and Charity, Democracy and Parliament, the Environment, Justice and the Law and Digital Citizenship.

We seek to foster and develop our students’ understanding of each key theme through weekly taught sessions during form time, consolidated through real-world experience whenever possible. This could range from gaining an insight into democracy and public service through becoming an elected member of the Student Council, to visiting a Magistrates Court. As a school we strive to offer our students a wide variety of these types of activities to connect their classroom learning with its practical application.

Citizenship resources are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current local, national and global events, ensuring they meet the needs of the student community and promote British Values. British Values are further reinforced through regular form-time activities and structured discussion, enabling pupils to revisit and deepen their understanding over time.

Across KS3, KS4 and KS5, students’ study five key strands of Citizenship that build progressively in depth and challenge. These are democracy, exploring how the UK is governed and how citizens can influence decision-making; law and justice, developing understanding of the legal system and the role of the courts; rights and responsibilities, examining human rights and the duties of citizens; identity and diversity, fostering respect for different cultures, beliefs and values; and active citizenship, encouraging students to take informed and responsible action on issues of local, national and global significance. Citizenship education is delivered weekly during Friday form time, providing a consistent and structured opportunity for students to engage with key civic knowledge, skills and values.

Recommended Reading

If you are interested in human rights, politics or being an active citizen then why not try one of our book recommendations all about citizenship - simply select the 'Citizenship' Reading List image, and click on the book cover that you are interested in. Looking for more books based on this theme? Then check out our further book recommendations on Accessit here: Citizenship Reading List