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Citizenship


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

Examples of work-related learning at key stage 4.

Case 1

Students learn about the needs of their local community and the services available from the local authority and voluntary organisations. Speakers are invited to talk to students about policies and issues concerning sustainable development and recycling. Visitors include staff from the local authority’s planning department, as well as people from voluntary sector organisations involved in environmental issues. Students then undertake a research project looking at the views of local people on the issues of sustainable development and recycling. Two local councillors and a local planner are invited to hear students’ ideas about what would make a real difference to people in the area. Students develop their understanding of the public and voluntary sectors of the economy and learn from people in work.

Case 2

Students work in teams to research and develop community or social enterprise projects. In order to identify worthwhile projects they have to investigate the needs of particular groups of people in their local community by talking to local community groups and leaders. The students discuss these projects with the teacher then vote on the project they most want to undertake. Students take on different roles in their enterprise and, if necessary, they all work to raise funding to carry out the tasks. They work in partnership with community groups to undertake the work, which includes holding an event to support a local charity, working on an environmental project or running an activity for a children’s group. Students have to write up their project for their GCSE citizenship including: a record of what was done through an activity log; supporting evidence; and the individual’s contribution to the team effort. Students develop enterprising skills and qualities.

Case 3

Students are given a choice of special citizenship assignments linked to their work experience programme. Their assignment work must follow various stages: questions for investigation; research and data collection; analysis; report writing; presentation; and evaluation. The choice of topics include: the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees; employer-employee relations; work-life balance; health and safety at work; and equality and diversity. Research generally involves collecting key documents and interviewing a manager and a staff representative or trade unionist. Students make their presentations to their manager or supervisor on the last day of their placement. Students develop employability skills, learn from a work context, and develop their knowledge and understanding about the world of work.

Case 4

For a citizenship project, year 12 students organise a Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA) for the whole of year 10 at their school. The year group is divided into thirty country teams of six people and they research the background to their country and likely attitudes towards the issues of globalisation and fair trade. Students use the Internet for their research over a number of weeks. On the day after initial introductions in the General Assembly (the school hall), the group divides into two committees of the UN. Each country divides into two groups to attend the committees. They make an opening speech and are then involved in the debate and adjournments when deals are struck between different countries trying to gain support for their resolutions. At the end of the afternoon votes are held on two resolutions put before the General Assembly on fair trade and globalisation. Students learn about international economic issues and develop employability skills.

Case 5

Students have a series of lessons on the role of the media in society. The lessons culminate in a classroom debate on whether or not the press has too much freedom. Students have prepared arguments for and against the motion with evidence gained from newspapers, the Internet and textbooks. They look at the role of the media in other countries and at other times in history where there has been strong state control. They hold a debate on the motion that is witnessed by a journalist from a local newspaper. The journalist comments on the arguments used and draws on her own experience in the media to give students insights into the industry perspective on the issue. Students then discuss case examples where journalists have protected and not protected their sources of information. The journalist defends the right to protect a source. Students learn from working people.

Case 6

Students learning about consumer protection prepare for a role-play lesson by reading about consumer laws. In the lesson students work in threes and take on the role of consumer, retailer or trading standards officer. A local trading standards officer attends the session and briefs students playing that role on the legal rights and responsibilities underpinning each of four scenarios. The consumer and retailer act out the situation and then the student trading standards officer asks them what they think is the legal position in each case before telling them what it is. The teacher invites four of the groups to act out one of the situations in front of the class. The trading standards officer then comments on the situations and gives examples of sharp practice from their own experience. Students learn about rights and responsibilities of consumers and learn from working people.

Case 7

Students taking the GCSE citizenship short course are encouraged to apply for elections to the upper school student council. To help prepare students a local trade unionist runs a workshop for candidates on advocacy and negotiation skills. Students participate in various role plays and undertake group work with feedback to practise these skills. They prepare profiles of themselves for display in the school hall and hustings are held at which each candidate can explain why fellow students should give vote for him or her. Students learn from people at work and develop their employability skills.

Case 8

As part of a unit on equal opportunities at work, students take part in a role play of a selection panel for a sales assistant and a new store manager for a (hypothetical) department store. The class works in four teams of six students and the teams are split into two rooms. There are five candidates for each job and selection panels have a letter of application. Two groups in one room have applicants’ names and letters only, while in the other room both groups also have photographs. A human resources manager from a local department store attends the lesson. In debriefing, the teacher brings out different decisions made by the group and tries to draw out stereotypes based on people’s names and appearance. The manager explains how companies try to comply with equal opportunities legislation to avoid stereotyping based sex, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Students develop their understanding of rights and responsibilities at work and learn from people at work.

Case studies

> Work-related learning