Citizenship, Achievement and Participation
Citizenship, Achievement and Participation
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The MEA Central Citizenship, Acheivement and Particpation (CAP) Curriculum ensures that every child can ‘meet every citizen as an equal'. It offers broad and deep opportunities to secure fantastic futures, extending beyond traditional academic and vocational education, and contributing to our pupils becoming life-long safe, healthy, respectful and responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to their community.
Through our curriculum design and opportunities, our pupils acquire the skills of safeguarding, incisiveness, independence, conviction, empathy, collaboration and advocacy. Our CAP Curriculum is a preparation for life and work that encourages ambition, social participation and serves our pupils and future communities not only in line with national and local requirements for PSHE, RSE, Citizenship, Religious Studies and Careers Education but also by complementing localised aims outlined in Manchester Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Locality Plans, and up-to-the-minute trends and concerns identified through Manchester Healthy Schools and Wellbeing networks, parental and community-based suggestions, staff observations and school trends, and pupil voice.
Our CAP Curriculum encompasses the following areas of study:
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Character Education: Taught explicitly in Year 7 Autumn 1 and Year 8 Autumn 1, Character Education is re-visited holistically through all elements of the CAP Curriculum.
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Careers Education: Complementing whole-school opportunities, the Careers Education provision follows the school-based themes of aspiration (Year 7), acquisition (Year 8), affirmation (Year 9), application (Year 10). To round up the Year 11 careers theme of accomplishment, pupils will create a Personal Statement in preparation for the next steps on their future pathway. Careers Education lessons comply with the Gatsby Benchmarks and the Baker Clause.
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British Values: The themes of democracy, rule of law, mutual respect, tolerance of belief and lifestyle, and individual liberty run throughout various elements of the CAP Curriculum, for example through RE Crossover opportunities, RSHE, Citizenship Studies and Ignite Speeches and Character Education. The Five British Values are taught explicitly to Year 9 during Autumn 1 and 2.
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Citizenship Studies: Expanding on British Values our pupils implement Citizenship Education Skills of Advocacy and Representation, investigate the strengths and weaknesses of democracy in the UK, explore laws, crime, and the justice system, Human Rights, and social justice.
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Religious Studies: In line with recommendations within the Manchester, Oldham, Tameside and Trafford Locally Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, Year 8 pupils will investigate 21st Century religious issues in our Multicultural Britain unit. In Key Stage 4, those pupils who have opted out of GCSE RE will engage with carefully selected units of work covering environmental ethics and issues of Human Rights. These areas of Religious Education offer breadth and relevance; for example, environmental ethics complements advocacy within Citizenship and the Green Economy as a growth sector within Careers.
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PSHE, RSE and Wellbeing: Updated to meet statutory requirements for delivery from September 2026, these areas also have a focus on our local priorities of mental health, domestic violence, youth crime, avoidable injury, and online safety.