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Oldham Sixth Form College

Post-16 Citizenship activity at Oldham Sixth Form College

Oldham Sixth Form College has been involved in the Post-16 Citizenship programme since 2001 and has developed and been involved in a wide range of citizenship activities, exploring socail and political issues including:

  • AS level Citizenship – this is now an established part of the college curriculum and students regularly achieve a 100% pass rate with 59% gaining A/B grades. In 2005/6 43 students were enrolled on the course.
  • Student Association –  eight executive members are elected annually in the spring term by the student body to represent and promote the interests of students at college. Tutor group representatives are elected in September. The officers meet weekly and chair meetings with the tutor group represetatives termly. The officers also meet regularly with the Principal.
  • The Ritchie Report – the Student Association prepared and presented a young people’s response to the Ritchie report to the local council
  • Fundraising and awareness raising events - to raise money for the local hospice, breast cancer care and the Pakistan earthquake appeal have been organised by the Student Association
  • Ant-Bullying policy – the Student Association have this year consulted with students to develop an anti-bullying policy for college students.
  • Barriers to Success – the Student Association researched the barriers faced by students planning to enter higher education or employment. The findings have been presented in a video that now forms a tutorial activity.
  • The Enrichment programme - many courses have a citizenship element, such as the Salaam Society, Community Sports Leaders Award, Sign language, and Debating
  • The Tutorial programme – Citizenship sessions are included that address contemporary issues and promote tolerance of diversity
  • One World Week - organised annually, the One World week addresses issues such as Active Citizenship, health, poverty, globalisation, and fair trade through talks, workshops and stalls
  • Pre-election Question Time – local parliamentary candidates were invited in to debate issues in the run up to the General Election in May 2005
  • Mock Election – students cast their votes electronically ahead of the General Election in May 2005
  • Blood (and organ) donation days – two days a year are organised for staff and students to donate blood
  • Shared Future project –  a group of students were selected to develop community leadership and peace-building skills with the Enniskillen Trust
  • The Festival of Tolerance – drama students worked with students from local schools to produce a performance promoting tolerance of diversity
  • Millennium Volunteers – students have become involved with the local volunteer programme
  • We are currently planning to be involved in the pilot for the AS level in Active Citizenship from September 2006.
  • We have also been invited to nominate students to participate in the Leadership programme run by the Greater Manchester Police for BME students.

Citizenship coordinator's top tips for setting up post-16 citizenship activity:

  • Persuade the Senior Management Team of value of citizenship as a way to develop the 'learner voice'. Cultivate a Citizenship Champion in your organisation. Ideally this person should be a member of the SMT or the wider management group.
  • Develop activities that complement the provision and culture of the organisation. Choose to develop activities that you may have developed anyway that fit with your purpose and practice.
  • Use the resources provided by the Post-16 Citizenship development team. Don't reinvent the wheel.
  • Find money to give staff either time or money (and preferably both) to develop citizenship activities. Seek external funding if at all possible.
  • Develop a team of staff interested in and committed to citizenship. Listen to their ideas, and through them consult with students to find activities that interest them. Provide staff development and leadership development for students.

How this organisation could help you:

We are more than happy to explain our approach to citizenship and offer advice to any organisation wanting to develop citizenship activities. Visits to the college can be arranged to meet staff and students involved in citizenship.

Contact information

Name of citizenship coordinator: Alison Fairclough
Citizenship coordinator’s telephone: 0161 287 8000
Citizenship coordinator’s email: afh@osfc.ac.uk
Organisation website: www.osfc.ac.uk

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