e x c e l l e n c e i n e d u c a t i o n
19
ARD E N
Citizenship
Learning and understanding activities in Citizenship classes
contributes to the achievement of the curriculum aims for all young
people to become successful learners, who enjoy learning, make
progress and achieve. That understanding also fosters confidence,
creating individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling
lives and become responsible citizens who make a positive
contribution to society.
There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of
Citizenship; concepts that pupils need to master in order to deepen
and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding:
Democracy and Justice:
Understanding and appreciating democracy
and justice enables people to value active participation in different
kinds of decision-making and voting in order to influence public life.
We aim to help pupils understand and explore the roles of citizens
and Parliament in holding government and those in power to account.
Personal Rights and Responsibilities:
This module explores the
different kinds of personal rights and obligations and how these
affect both individuals and communities. This enables students to
understand that individuals, organisations and governments have
responsibilities to ensure that rights are balanced, supported and
protected. Finally the rights and responsibilities module investigates
ways in which rights can compete and conflict; recognising that
hard decisions sometimes have to be made to try to balance these.
Identity and Diversity; living together in the UK:
As citizens we
all need to appreciate the complex nature of identity, how it
changes over time and the way in which identity is informed by
different understandings of what it means to be a ‘citizen’ in the UK;
exploring community cohesion and the different forces that bring
about change in communities over time.
Business and Economics
The Business and Economics Department offers excellent teaching
and mentoring for courses from Year 10 up to Year 13. Arden’s
Business Studies GCSE is one of the most popular subjects at Key
Stage Four. On progressing to A Level, pupils may choose to study
either Economics or Business Studies.
We are proud of the strong record of academic success of the
Department; each year a significant number of Arden’s Year 13
students go on to University to study Business Management ,
Finance or Economics.
Offering both traditional and vocational courses that meet every
learner’s needs, Arden’s Business Studies and Economics team
engage pupils’ interest in exploring the world beyond the
classroom. This includes welcoming speakers into the classroom
as well as visiting local businesses.
Students are encouraged to foster an entrepreneurial spirit through
participation in mini-enterprise activities, helping them to develop
an all-important understanding of how real businesses are
operated. Learning is reinforced through use of real life case
studies and business articles from the press.
Business Studies and Economics courses play a key role in building
a clearer understanding of the wider world of commerce;
providing an opportunity to debate current issues, encouraging
students to become problem solvers and challenging students to
develop independence by asking them to research a specific topic
and then to share their findings through a Powerpoint presentation
or an extended written report.