How democratic government works in the UK. Parliament — House of Commons, House of Lords, the role of the monarch as constitutional head of state. The four nations and devolution — Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, Northern Ireland Assembly. Local government — councils, mayors, councillors, parish/town councils. Political parties and the spectrum they cover. Voting — registering at 16 (electoral roll), voting at 18 (general elections; some local and devolved at 16), the different voting systems used (FPTP, AMS, STV). Beyond voting — petitioning, lobbying, protesting, campaigning, joining a party, standing as a candidate.
Critically, what democracy looks like in practice — not as a textbook system but as something messy, contested, and worth participating in.
Tested by
- ASDAN Lifeskills Challenge (citizenship modules)
- ASDAN Personal and Social Development
Cross-curriculum
- KS3 English — Spoken English (formal debate, structured discussion — these are democratic skills as much as English skills)
- KS4 English — Critical evaluation (reading political claims and rhetoric critically)
- Life and Work — Reading adult-life texts (political messaging, party manifestos, news as media)
- Relating Intelligently — Module 5 (power, consent — the ethical pillars apply to democratic participation)
Suggested evidence types
- Mock voting / election exercise
- Researched comparison of three political parties’ positions on a single issue (e.g. climate, education, housing)
- Letter to an MP, councillor, or candidate on a real issue the learner cares about
- Analysis of a news story showing how the same event is reported across different outlets