May 2024 Citizenship Studies subject update
Welcome to your Pearson Edexcel Citizenship Studies May 2024 subject update!
This academic year seems to have passed over quickly so far and the exam season is now upon us. From everyone within the GCSE Citizenship Studies team, we wish students every success with their upcoming exams!
As always, if you have any queries about anything in this subject update or about our qualification, then please do get in touch with me.
Best wishes,
Susan Currey
Citizenship Studies Subject Advisor
JCQ reminders around malpractice
Did you know that the most common form of candidate malpractice every exam series is the possession of a mobile phone?
According to data published by Ofqual, possession of a mobile phone accounted for 44.5% of all cases of student malpractice - 2,180 cases - in the summer 2023 series. This was an increase on the 1,825 cases seen in the summer 2022 series.
The JCQ awarding bodies have set out the agreed sanctions for the different types of candidate malpractice, including for possession of a mobile phone. These can be found in Appendix 6 of the JCQ Suspected Malpractice Policies and Procedures. You can see that the sanctions for possession of a mobile phone are severe, because we need to maintain the security and integrity of our exams:
- mobile phone in the candidate’s possession but no evidence of being used by the candidate – loss of marks
- mobile phone in the candidate’s possession and evidence of being used by the candidate – disqualification
We really want to see a reduction in this form of malpractice, which has such a significant impact on so many candidates. Please ensure that you’ve taken the following steps to help your learners avoid committing malpractice:
- clear communication to learners and their parents about items prohibited in exams, including mobile phones
- clear publication and display of the JCQ exam room posters
- sharing the JCQ Preparing to sit your exams infographic with learners and their parents
- having a member of your centre’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) deliver a pre-exam series assembly, to clearly explain the expectations of learners and the exam rules
- ensuring you have in place, and learners know about, a process for the safe collection and storage of their mobile phones during exams
Help your students feel as prepared as possible for the upcoming exam season.
In addition to all the support you provide, both Ofqual, JCQ and Pearson have a range of information to help inform and guide your students during this busy time. Please take a look at the information we’ve summarised below and pass it on to your students.
Support from Ofqual
The Ofqual Student Guide 2024 provides students with information about this year’s arrangements for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications, and explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.
Read the Ofqual Student Guide 2024 below:
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Ofqual Student Guide 2024
This guide provides you with information about this year’s arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.
Support from JCQ
The JCQ has a range of information and support for students – from coursework and onscreen exams to written exams, along with a checklist for exam day.
Take a look at all the support JCQ have to offer for students - see link below
Support from Pearson
As the revision season is now fully under way and students begin to turn their focus towards the summer exam series, we’d like to share our Getting ready for exams guide that includes some top tips and advice including:
- preparing for exams
- what happens on exam day
- where to find further support
- what happens once exams are over.
Take a look at the guide below and please pass it on to your students
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Pearson Edexcel Qualifications assessment support page
You can stay up to date with all our support for 2024 on our Qualifications assessment support page
We have compiled a list of top examiner tips to support students at GCSE Citizenship Studies prepare for their GCSE exams. It includes key reminders to help students use what they know to answer each question as best they can.
We hope you find them useful!
Assessment and Marking event resources
In April, we ran an 'Assessment and Marking' online training event. Thank you for all of the fantastic feedback you sent it regarding this event.
For those who were unable to attend, you can access the resources on our website, under 'past training materials' and these are also linked below. You will need your Edexcel Online login to access these materials.
Citizenship action submission
Citizenship action is a planned course of informed action to address a citizenship issue or question of concern and aimed at delivering a benefit or change for a particular community or wider society. This is a required part of the GCSE Citizenship Studies course and students are examined on their action as part of Paper 2.
Each year, centres must certify that candidates have completed their Citizenship Action and submit a form to confirm this.
This must be submitted by 15th May.
The links to the Citizenship Action form and the authentification submission are below:
Citizenship Action Guidance
For further support around Citizenship Action, we have the following guide available to centres:
ACT Citizenship Teaching Awards 2024 - extended deadline
Do you know of someone who’s gone the extra mile to support students and provide effective Citizenship education?
The Association for Citizenship Teaching awards recognise and celebrate schools, teachers and organisations who have shown commitment to Citizenship education, and represent its core values.
It’s a great opportunity to acknowledge the fabulous work of individuals and organisations that go the extra mile to support students and provide effective Citizenship education.
APPLICATION ENTRY DEADLINE: Midnight, Sunday 12 May 2024
You can nominate them at the link below:
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ACT Citizenship Teaching Awards webpage
To find out more about nominations, categories and guidance, read more on the ACT website
UK Parliament T&L session
The UK Parliament are offering a free useful on-demand session focusing on:
Learn Live: How Laws are Made
This session will cover the process of making legislation in UK Parliament in detail. Your students will track the passage of a real bill through both houses, followed by watching a panel of members of both Houses and a legislative clerk. The panel will discuss their experiences working with different types of legislation (public, private, hybrid), Private Members Bills and legislative committees – responding to questions submitted by you.
I hope you found this update useful.
Please get in touch with me if you have any questions!
Subject advisor
Jenna Wyatt
Citizenship
