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What is the National Citizenship CPD Certificate course?

Questions and answers about the Citizenship CPD Certificate course

What is it?

The DCSF - now Department for Education (DfE) - Citizenship Education CPD programme aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning within citizenship. It provides a valuable opportunity for teachers to broaden and deepen their knowledge and become ‘citizenship specialists’.

Details of the courses for 2009-10 can now be seen at the HERE web site.

Who is the programme for?

The programme is open to those who teach or lead (Key Stage 1 – 4) citizenship education.

Who delivers the programme?

The programme is managed by Plymouth University and delivered and accredited by Plymouth. The DfE CPD course is organised in a series of Hubs across the country-one in each of the government regions. ACT, with the support of LAs in each Hub will lead the teaching. The DfE CPD certificate can also be undertaken by distance learning. Candidates are able to gain 30 CAT points towards a Masters degree.

What’s involved?

Each Hub will develop a course (or equivalent) of between 30 hours, which is run over two or three terms. Whilst each Hub will address key areas and require teachers to meet nationally agreed standards for the teaching of Citizenship.

What does it cost?

The course is FREE and attracts a bursary.

Where can I do it?

The details of each of the Hubs can be seen on the ACT Regional page

How do I progress from the Certificate to M Level?

Course members have to write up the case study analysis of Citizenship education in their school, perhaps making use of the presentation to SLT about ways forward they undertook earlier in the course. They will need to accompany the presentation itself (it needs to be more than a PowerPoint) with a description that can make reference to aspects of course reading concerning curriculum, student voice, community involvement etc.

The Scheme of Work used earlier in the course has to be developed, a lesson or two trialled more rigorously and some evidence of reflection on that process. This will need to be discussed in writing and that discussion should reference QCDA literature, Crick, course readings, ACT literature e.g. on design of the compelling learning experience or progression and assessment, future direction of the work.

The third aspect involves writing about the value of Citizenship education and the values underpinning with reference to teachers’ own values. ACT has already provided this outline ADVICE on the REFLECTIVE WRITING.

These three pieces of work need to total 5,000 words in all.

Is it the same as the PSHE CPD programme?

No. The two courses are different, with each developing subject knowledge and pedagogy in their distinct areas. Teachers with responsibility for PSHE & Citizenship may have taken part in the PSHE CPD course already and now may wish to develop their expertise in Citizenship.

Why should I go on the programme now?

High quality teacher training is key to driving up standards in teaching and learning in Citizenship. Recent developments, including the introduction of new curriculum areas alongside revisions to the existing secondary curriculum, plus the duty on schools to promote community cohesion will place new demands on those with responsibility of subject. Participation on the programme will enable teachers to improve their confidence and effectiveness in teaching and learning within Citizenship.

What resources can I find on this page to help me?

The full resources used in the course are available below. The main PowerPoints are at the bottom of the page.

Details of the course can now be seen at HERE

The Portfolio and M Level

So, what do I have to produce in the Portfolio and the M Level?

The documents listed here give details of the Portfolio and the M Level requirements. additionally and there is advice on writing the personal reflection.

Portfolio requirements

M Level requirement

Reflective writing

Writing the three critical taks at M Level

Resources from the CPD Certificate Course

Selected resources for teachers to read

These documents form part of the enrichment and background reading for teachers who are taking part in the CPD Certificate Course

Useful Documents - Right click to download

Extract form the CPD Handbook

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : extract_from_making_sense_of_citizenship_nusery_and_primary_citizenship_education_dated_06.pdf ( 556 K )

Description : Early Years and Primary Citizenship education

Extract from the CPD Handbook

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : extract_from_making_sense_of_citizenship_secondary_school_teaching_and_learning_dated_06.pdf ( 494 K )

Description : Secondary Citizenship education

Youth Commissioners Report 2008-9

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : youth_commisoners_final_report_dated_09.pdf ( 2.28 MB )

Description :

The Children's Plan 2007

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : the_childrens_plan_dated_07.pdf ( 586 K )

Description :

The Rose Review Executive Summary 2009

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : rose_review_executive_summary_09.pdf ( 1005 K )

Description :

The Rose Review of the Primary Curriculum 2009

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : rose_review_of_primary_curriculum_09.pdf ( 1.96 MB )

Description :

The Cambridge Review of Primary education 2009

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : cambridge_review_of_primary_schooling_09.pdf ( 161 K )

Description :

Ofsted Report into Citizenship Education 2006-9

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : ofsted_report_citizenship_established_09.doc ( 778 K )

Description : Citizenship established?

Citizenship Review of schools from NFER 2002-9

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : cels_report_from_nfer_09.docx ( 717 K )

Description : Seventh CELS Report from NFER

Disciplined Innovation

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : disciplined_innovation.pdf ( 1.40 MB )

Description : A QCDA publication on curriculum design

Compelling Learning Experiences

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : compelling_learning_experiences.pdf ( 754 K )

Description : QCDA advice on designing challenging learning activities

Planning document for Citizenship teaching and learning

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : curriculum_planning-considering_resourtces.pdf ( 663 K )

Description :

Old Secondary Citizenship curriculum versus the revised curriculum

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : old_vs_new_curriculum.doc ( 85 K )

Description :

Overcoming barriers to progress in Citizenship education in schools

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : overcoming_common_barriers_to_progress.doc ( 54 K )

Description :

Historical, Geographical and Social Area of Learning from revised Primary curriculum

Uploaded : 13 March 2010

Filename : primary_pos_for_historical_geographical_and_social_understanding__aol_dated_09.doc ( 92 K )

Description :

KS3 Citizenship education PoS

Uploaded : 13 March 2010

Filename : citizenship_education_pos_key_stage_3_dated_07.pdf ( 2.52 MB )

Description :

KS4 Citizenship education PoS

Uploaded : 13 March 2010

Filename : citizenship_education_pos_key_stage_4_dated_07.pdf ( 1.81 MB )

Description :

Advice on timetabling Citizenship education in secondary phase

Uploaded : 24 February 2010

Filename : timetabling_citizenship0.doc ( 73 K )

Description : Advice from National Subject Lead Pete Pattisson

The Citizenship rich school

Uploaded : 13 March 2010

Filename : citrichschooldiagram.pdf ( 42 K )

Description :

Primary PSHE and Citizenship SET Word version

Uploaded : 15 March 2010

Filename : pshe_and_citizenship_self_evalutaion_tool_final_copy.rtf ( 220 K )

Description : A Word version of the Primary PSHE and Citizenship SET

Word version of the secondary SET

Uploaded : 15 March 2010

Filename : word_version_of_secondary_set2.doc ( 295 K )

Description : Secondary SET word version

The Big Picture of the Curriculum-Primary version 2010

Uploaded : 19 March 2010

Filename : bigpicture_pri_04_tcm8-15742.pdf ( 443 K )

Description : A Primary curriculum version of the Big Picture

The Big Picture of the Curriculum-Secondary version 2010

Uploaded : 19 March 2010

Filename : bigpicture_sec_05_tcm8-15743.pdf ( 444 K )

Description : A Secondary curriculum version of the Big Picture

Article from the journal Teaching Citizenship on the development of childrens thinking in political literacy

Uploaded : 27 April 2010

Filename : development_of_political_thinking_in_young_people.pdf ( 911 K )

Description : Don Rowe's article on the development of political thinking in children may help with considering the nature of assessment activities for work on politics and democracy and rights.

Citizenship Assessment exemplars

Uploaded : 27 April 2010

Filename : citizenshipassessment_a50.pdf ( 301 K )

Description : Examples from ACT of assessment and success criteria in Citizenship in Key Stage 3

QCA advice regarding Assessng Pupil Performance (APP)

Uploaded : 27 April 2010

Filename : app0.pdf ( 806 K )

Description : Guidance from QCA on APP dated 2008

QCA Booklet on Citizenship Assessment

Uploaded : 27 April 2010

Filename : assessing_citizenship_qca_doc_20061.pdf ( 3.75 MB )

Description : The 2006 Assessment Guidance from QCA with examples that can be used in Key Stage 2/3.