Citizenship at key stage 3    (Year 7-9)

• know that voting is one of several ways in which decisions can be made
• understand that votes can be cast in different ways and that the chosen method can have an impact on the outcome
• appreciate the importance of fairness and accuracy

• know that there are elections at different times for various levels (local, national, global) of government
• know that there are several ways of casting and counting votes and allocating representation
• express an opinion about the fairness of different systems

• understand how politicians try to appeal to voters through different ways of campaigning

• know that turnout varies for different types of election in the UK and give some of the possible explanations for low turnout in elections
• understand the individual's motives for voting
• appreciate some of the possible consequences of low turnout, especially in terms of legitimacy and representation
• form a valid opinion on responses regarding turnout

• identify the key characteristics of parliamentary government, know how Parliament works and understand the role of MPs
• know that Parliament is responsible for making government account for its actions
• know about the roles of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and ministers
• identify other forms of parliament and recognise the complex nature of government in the UK
• recognise the relationship between different levels of government
• know how to devise an enquiry, posing appropriate questions and using a range of sources of information including ICT
• analyse their findings and draw conclusions

• identify the key functions of government and the role of government departments
• realise that government departments spend money raised through taxes and other sources of revenue
• recognise the effects that spending decisions can have on society
• communicate research findings appropriately to the audience