Citizenship Studies

AQA Citizenship Studies investigates how the citizen is enabled by society to play a full and active part and how citizens are empowered to effect change within society. Citizenship understanding develops through the knowledge of how a society operates and functions and its underlying values.

The overarching theme of this specification is ‘How citizens can try to make a difference’. This aim is supported by three content themes: Life in modern Britain; Rights and Responsibilities; and Politics and Participation.

COURSE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
3.1 Citizenship skills, processes and methods:

Developed throughout the course.
3.2 Life in modern Britain (Autumn Year 10):
The first theme - Life in modern Britain, looks at the make-up and dynamics of contemporary society, what it means to be British, as well as the role of the media and the UK’s role on the world stage.

3.3 Rights and responsibilities (Spring and Summer Year 10):
The second theme - Rights and responsibilities, looks at the nature of laws, rights and responsibilities within the UK and has a global aspect due to the nature of international laws, treaties and agreements by which the UK abides.

3.4 Politics and participation (Autumn Year 11):
The third theme - Politics and participation, aims to give the student, through an understanding of the political process, the knowledge and skills necessary to understand how to resolve issues, bring about change, and how the empowered citizen is at the heart of our society.

3.5 Active citizenship (Spring Year 11):
The final key question of each theme relates to how citizens can try to make a difference. These key questions enable students to study the content and frame their learning through the application of the citizenship skills, processes and methods listed below.
Within each of these themes there is a requirement that students develop and apply citizenship skills and gain an understanding of the following processes and methods related to issues arising from the subject content.

HOW IT IS ASSESSED

2 Exams both 1 hour 45 minutes and worth 50% of the final grade each.

Paper 1
Section A: Active citizenship
Section B: Politics and participation

Paper 2
Section A: Life in modern Britain
Section B: Rights and responsibilities

Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, source-based questions, extended answer.

SKILLS GAINED
Through studying GCSE Citizenship Studies students will:

gain the ability to form their own hypotheses, create sustained and reasoned arguments and reach substantiated conclusions about citizenship issues
understand the range of methods and approaches that can be used by governments, organisations, groups and individuals to address citizenship issues in society, including practical citizenship actions
formulate citizenship enquiries, identifying and sequencing research questions to analyse citizenship ideas, issues and debates
select and organise their knowledge and understanding in responses and analysis, when creating and communicating their own arguments, explaining hypotheses, ideas and different viewpoints and perspectives, countering viewpoints they do not support, giving reasons and justifying conclusions drawn
present their own and other viewpoints and represent the views of others, in relation to citizenship issues, causes, situations and concepts
plan practical citizenship actions aimed at delivering a benefit or change for others in society
critically evaluate the effectiveness of citizenship actions to assess progress towards the intended aims and impact for the individuals, groups and communities affected
Show knowledge and understanding of the relationships between the different citizenship aspects studied, using the concepts to make connections, identify and compare similarities and differences in a range of situations from local to global.

CAREER PATHS
Citizenship Studies is a good path for any student wishing to go on to undertake academic or vocational studies. Academically they can use this GCSE to take Law, Politics or Citizenship A-Levels, and continue on to university, or vocationally to train to work in the private, public or charity sectors.

SCHOOL WIDE BENEFITS
Citizenship Studies would be beneficial to any student considering joining any number of extra-curricular clubs and for applying to the Student Senior Leadership Team, during year 10.