1. Entry level learners and post-16 citizenship

2. Aims for today
To clarify the aims and purpose of citizenship education
To examine the relevance of citizenship for other college priorities and government initiatives
To raise awareness of the benefits of citizenship at entry level
To explore different approaches to delivering citizenship
To illustrate some active techniques which develop citizenship skills
To raise awareness of learning and experiences that contribute to citizenship understanding.
To explore ways in which these ideas can be made accessible to students who have learning difficulties
To highlight the support available to put their plans into action.
Other specific aims may be added here
Ask participants whether these aims fit with their expectations of the day, and refer back to the aims during the evaluation session. You can use this slide again at the end for the evaluation session.
The special purpose of today’s training at Lindeth is to see how these aims can apply to learners who have learning difficulties and disabilities.

3. What is Citizenship? Citizenship involves:
the investigation of topical, controversial, social and political issues, leading to
young people’s responsible action to influence the issue, for the benefit of the community.
Citizenship brings new knowledge and skills about our political system, and
it encourages young people to form considered opinions.
Citizenship enables young people to use their voice, within both their community and their learning organisation
This slide summarises the main components of citizenship, i.e. that it deals with real, topical and often controversial issues, that it involves responsible action based on knowledge and understanding, and that it enables young people to develop a view and to be heard. Citizenship does involve the teaching about democracy, although students are encouraged to consider whether democratic principles are always adhered to.
The three Crick principles, which participants may have heard of, are:
Social and moral responsibility
Community involvement
Political literacy
The last of these is the one that causes most confusion. Political literacy is the ability to apply knowledge and skills together in action to change things. A useful analogy is with literacy itself. When a child is taught to read, he/she has a set of skills and can choose what to read and when. Political literacy enables people to make their own choices about what issues they choose to take action on.

4. Foundation Learning
Provision within Foundation Learning consists of three strands, all of which offer some potential for citizenship:
vocational learning;
personal and social development;
Functional skills
A range of qualifications can be accessed through the Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF)

5. Arguments icebreaker 3 roles: Arguer Counter-arguer Observer Scores
One mark for a relevant point in the argument
Two marks for a reason to support that point
This slide may be used to remind the small groups of the three roles and the scoring system. Since the activity is simply used as an icebreaker and an opener, there is no need to take feedback or scores.
Arguments icebreaker: The icebreaker is intended to nail some of the arguments often put against allowing students to have a voice. Participants work in threes and take on one of three roles: Arguer, Counter-arguer and Observer. Cards copied and cut up from Handout 6 are placed on the table face down. The Arguer picks up a card and reads it to the Counter-arguer, who has to quickly make a counter argument and to give a reason. The observer scores this as follows: one point for a relevant point, two points for a reason to support that point. The Arguer replies with additional points and reasons to support the case he/she is making. Roles now switch. The new Arguer picks up the next card and the game continues until each of the three has had one or two turns. The activity does not need de-briefing, since its purpose is to have fun and to raise some of the issues that will be explored during the training session.

6. Citizenship links with national initiatives
Every Child Matters agenda
Strong links with citizenship, especially ‘making a positive contribution’ The role of further education providers in promoting community cohesion, fostering shared values and preventing violent extremism (DIUS and AOC) Greater coherence for Foundation Learning Rationalisation of qualifications available at Entry and level 1 (subject-based and vocational learning; personal and social development; Functional skills).
Personalised learning and learner voice as in FE White paper (‘Raising Skills,Improving Life Chances’) Post-16 providers must have a learner involvement strategy in place.
Learning for Living and Work . The government’s current focus on the role of education for people with LD is on living autonomously and contributing to the communities in which they live.
Embedding the messages of Valuing People Valuing People is the government's
plan for making the lives of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers
better. It promotes inclusion and choice.
These five initiatives are all opportunities for developing citizenship within a college. Citizenship can also help support and strengthen each of these.
Evidence from the Support Programme is that citizenship provides a motivating context for the development of personal, learning and thinking skills, and the skills for life and work required within the foundation learning tier.
Learner voice and community cohesion have clear overlaps with the content of citizenship, and young people who have had experience of citizenship education are often more willing to become involved in related activities.
ECM:
Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being
FlT: Vocational knowledge, skills and understanding; functional skills; personal and social skills
Functional Skills:
Functional skills are practical skills in English, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Mathematics, that allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life.
To ensure that functional skills are readily available to the full range of learners, they are being offered as free-standing qualifications at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2 during the three-year functional skills pilot that began in September 2007.
Functional skills will also be constituent qualifications of new Foundation, Higher and Advanced Diplomas.
The assessment approach will be primarily task-based scenario questions with a limited duration, delivered in a controlled environment. The assessments will support problem solving, skills-based approaches.

7. The Framework for Excellence
Judgements about
Responsiveness (to learners and to employers)
Effectiveness
Financial efficiency
Applies to us THIS YEAR and will be mapped into a new common inspection framework from Sept 2009
The FfE is the new performance-assessment framework for further education. Piloted during 2007/08, it will be applied to all colleges and
work-based learning providers from August All other providers in the FE system will come into scope by 2010, following further piloting.
The fundamental purpose of the Framework is to increase the quality and responsiveness of provision in the FE system for all learners and
employers.
The Framework has three dimensions: effectiveness, responsiveness
and finance.

8. Benefits of citizenship
DVD clip from one of the resources available from the Post 16 Citizenship Support programme:
Post 16 Citizenship: what, why and how?
Learners explain in their own words
Post 16 Citizenship: what, why and how?
Show part of video
What is citizenship – show up to 8 mins
Key messages: Examples: attend conference, build community relations, research causes of pollution
war in Iraq, wider view, rights of a worker
Build on personal issues - public policy and strategy. make a difference for self and others, same pay,
It is us, it is new
We are somebody
We have a voice
Leadership/be in charge
Put opinions forward
Active participation – in college, borough, neighborhood, country
Check physical access in work place
You can make a difference/fighting chance, don’t just give up, have a voice (4 mins)
_______________________________
Education about issues makes you care about them/ What I do affects other people/ Not just saying stuff – can actually do it
Active role and moral obligation/ Engage with issues/ value judgments/ entitlement/ownership/pride/confidence/responsibility
Being citizens themselves away from education
Didn’t think Citizenship was to do with them/experience citizenship (8 mins)

9. Can you imagine your learners…
Understanding democracy?
Making value judgments?
Being in charge of an activity?
Looking at a newspaper or watching a news programme?
Working with others to explain what they found out?
Participating in an activity involving counting, speaking/signing/posters/photos/film
Understanding if something is fair or not?
Expressing an opinion?
Making a choice in daily life?
Noticing changes or differences?

10. Benefits of citizenship
For young people:
Increased confidence and self-esteem
Greater interest in the world around them
A knowledge about the ‘system’ and an ability to get things changed
Experience of challenging and worthwhile activities
For the organisation:
Constructive involvement of learners and staff in decision-making
Motivated learners with positive attitudes
Increased retention and achievement
Better relations with the local community
What benefits might there be for society as a whole?
There are also benefits for society as a whole. You could ask participants what these benefits might be.
They include:
Encouraging in students an interest in current affairs and the world around them
Potentially increasing young people’s participation in their communities and in the political system, perhaps by voting in elections
Strengthening our democracy, including by encouraging young people to voice their concerns
Giving young people a positive attitude and a belief in the chance of changing things

11. Activity 2. Is it real citizenship?
Choose at least one of the examples
Does it show real citizenship activity?
To what extent are learners involved?
Could you improve on this activity?
Handout 5 – ‘the spectrum of engagement’ may help you
Examples of citizenship: In this activity, participants are asked to consider firstly which of the examples show real citizenship activity and, secondly, the extent of youth participation involved in each. The PowerPoint presentation should have included a slide on what a genuine citizenship activity should include and how it is different from personal education or simple volunteering.
Small groups are each given a set of cards (copied and cut up from Handout 3) outlining case studies 1 - 4, and they decide whether real citizenship learning is taking place in each. A feedback sheet (Handout x) is provided for your use – make this available to be circulated afterwards. You could take the activity further by asking groups to say how projects which were not ‘real citizenship’ could be adapted.
Give out Handout 5 and explain the Spectrum of Engagement. Ask participants to decide where they would place the activity on the spectrum. The examples shown are a deliberate mix of degrees of participation and extent of real citizenship learning. The aim is to stress that citizenship and learner voice can support each other, but are not identical

12. Is it real citizenship? Feedback
Case study A: Shoeboxes. As described, this is not a citizenship project, but could become one. It does show features from all levels on the spectrum of engagement.
Case study B: Visitors. No, not as it stands. It involves no real citizenship activity and the degree of student involvement is low, thought this could be easily improved. As it is, it seems a tokenistic level of participation.
Case study C: Earthquake. No, it is not citizenship, but a very worthwhile fund-raising activity. If the young people found out about the social and political aspects of the disaster, it would be. The degree of participation is high.
Case study D: Transport Yes, young people engage with their peers on a matter of local policy and make a report for the council.Though planned by staff, students are very involved in making it happen.

13. This slide has been made using Communicate in Print, with Widgit symbols. It has been approved and agreed for use by Widget
Ask participants to look at the two different symbols for ‘Citizenship’ used here. Which do they think is better? Answer – the one used in the title shows citizenship for nationality, while the symbol in points 1 and 3 is the correct symbol in ‘our’ context. Give out one per group for reference (Handout 16)
Widgit Symbols (c) copyright Widgit Software 2009 

14. Not just… Fundraising Volunteering
Being seen to have someone with learning difficulties on the student council
Being actively consulted as a matter of course
Being at the heart of planning and review
Having the opportunity to lead
Learning about how the system works
Getting involved in ‘big issues’

15. person centred planning and person centred approaches
Personalised learning
and learner voice
RARPA
Citizenship
self advocacy
The learner
in context
assessment for learning
This illustrates the current range of drives towards person centred approaches for students with learning difficulties. Citizenship sets this individualised into wider context – the local and national context in which every learner finds him/herself.
The blue terms are drawn from social services and health sector and the purple from education. It is true to say that services beyond education have taken the lead in many areas and there is much to learn from the practice of the self advocacy, person centred planning (PCP) and disability rights movements.
‘Person Centred Approaches’ refers to a publication that aims to bring these messages into education, with a focus on Skills for Life. It links PCP with the RARPA staged approach and with the Common Inspection Framework. It includes examples from many providers, including Lindeth College.
Disability rights
person centred planning and person centred approaches

16. Fairy cake syndrome: citizenship dimensions
moral
Should we use fair trade ingredients?
economic
What will it cost? Is it worth spending that amount?
historical
Why do we always make
these?
Participants could add examples to fit the other dimensions, if time.

17. Citizenship is not the same as…..
Lifeskills/PSHE
Citizenship looks at the public issues rather than the personal ones
Volunteering or charity fund-raising
Citizenship develops critical understanding as well as action
Nationality
Citizenship encourages existing, new and would-be citizens to get involved and take an interest in topical and controversial issues
To emphasise the distinctiveness of citizenship, it may be necessary to clarify further.
The three areas (Lifeskills/PSHE, volunteering and fund-raising, and nationality) are all commonly confused with citizenship education.
One of the later activities will unpick the confusion between PSHE and Citizenship, and a clear distinction is printed in the activity notes. – NB NOT IN THIS PRESENTATION
Many schools and colleges have volunteering programmes and fund-raising events. These are laudable and can support citizenship education, but are not sufficient on their own, since they do not always enable critical questioning of the actions of the charities or the voluntary bodies.
Because applicants for British citizenship are taught for the citizenship test, there is often confusion with citizenship education, which is aimed at all residents whether British or not. The whole issue of the test, is an interesting citizenship issue for debate.

18. From personal … to public
Why are some people starving while others are encouraged to eat too much?
Why do magazines always show thin people?
Why is a lot of cheap food fattening?
Why don’t supermarkets pay farmers very much?
This is an example of an image that will be recognised by all, and should be part of any learners’ experience. (image can be changed for copyright purposes). The questions show how a daily experience can provide the stimulus for Citizenship learning.
Don’t eat me, I’ll get fat!

19. Activity 2: Citizenship or PSHE?
THE ISSUE
PERSONAL
(PSHE/Lifeskills approach)
PUBLIC
(Citizenship approach)
Safety
e.g. How can I show I can be safe?
Smoking
e.g. Do you think it is right to ban smoking in pubs and bars?
Quick think…
THE ISSUEPERSONAL (PSHE/Lifeskills approach) PUBLIC (Citizenship approach)
Smoking
e.g. Don’t smoke, it’s bad for you e.g. Do you think it is right to ban smoking in pubs and bars?
Safety
e.g. How can I show I can be safe? e.g. what responsibilities do employers have for making the workplace safe?
PSHE and Lifeskills aim to give young people the knowledge, skills and attributes required to help them develop as individuals, manage their relationships and have fulfilling, healthy and positive lives. It covers all those aspects of life that affect each of us, every day and can make us happier, or less happy people, depending on the individual choices we make.
Citizenship develops many of the same issues (e.g. drugs, family, health) and considers others (e.g. crime, politics, environment) in such a way that young people get a wider social perspective on each. They learn about the political and economic implications of these issues for the whole of society and the policies that relate to them. They develop arguments to defend their own and others’ points of view. In particular they learn the importance of doing something to improve the world, and they develop the necessary knowledge and skills to help them take such action.
(see also pages 8/9 in Citizenship through group tutorial and enrichment programmes)
Now complete Handout 6

20. Citizenship and learner voice at entry level
Citizenship makes an important contribution to increasing
young people’s participation and sense of inclusion.
It offers a personalised and motivating context for
developing and applying knowledge and skills to real-life
problems, tasks and situations.
It offers a stimulus for developing skills for life, provides
relevance and promotes engagement. Citizenship issues
are central to the current concerns of young people as
they can see the purpose of what they are learning
especially when involved in local community activities.
Taken from publication Citizenship through Entry level programmes
including Skills for Life

21. Six approaches to post-16 citizenship
pictures used on this slide are from CHANGE
Six approaches to post-16 citizenship
learner voice
and representation
group tutorial
and enrichment
programmes
qualifications
and personalised
voluntary and
community-based
activities
single
events
research
projects
These approaches are described in detail in the six booklets referenced in the overview.
It should be stressed that many post-16 providers use several of these approaches in order to provide as many opportunities for learners as possible.
Effective citizenship education enables young people to learn and practise skills in different contexts, but it is also necessary for them to reflect on their learning (as emphasised in the three QCA essential opportunities) and so they need some taught time for this to occur.

22. Four principles of post-16 citizenship
Active learning
Community involvement
Youth-led action
Real, topical and controversial issues
This slide could be used on its own if time is short. The eight following slides are provided in case additional information is required on each principle.

23. Discussion of case studies
Which of the case studies best illustrate the four key features of post-16 citizenship:
Active learning
Community involvement
Youth-led action
Real, topical and controversial issues?
Could these approaches be adapted for learners at (college)
This discussion question can be displayed to help participants remember the key principles while they examine the six case studies.
They will work initially in pairs, examining three of the six case studies. After 45 minutes, they split up and make a new pair with someone who has examined the other three case studies. They then form a four for the next activity.