Year 7 Citizenship: What to Teach (England)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Year 7 Citizenship: every national curriculum statement, the tests and dates that matter, and trusted links. Tick what you're teaching and send it straight into the lesson plan maker.
- Country
- England
- Key stage
- KS3
- Ages
- 11–12
- Status
- Compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3
- Source
- National curriculum in England – Published 2013-09-11
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Roughly the same age as US Grades 6–8 (approximate: the systems don't line up exactly).
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.
Current. The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (Nov 2025) says a revised national curriculum will be published by spring 2027 for first teaching from September 2028.
What to teach
Below is the official programme of study for Year 7 Citizenship: the statutory statements first, then any non-statutory notes and guidance, which schools don't have to follow.
Key stage 3 6 statutory statements
Introduction to Key stage 3 (official text)
Teaching should develop pupils’ understanding of democracy, government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Pupils should use and apply their knowledge and understanding while developing skills to research and interrogate evidence, debate and evaluate viewpoints, present reasoned arguments and take informed action.
Pupils should be taught about:
Key stage 3 Statutory
Pupils should be taught about:
- the development of the political system of democratic government in the United Kingdom, including the roles of citizens, Parliament and the monarch
- the operation of Parliament, including voting and elections, and the role of political parties
- the precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom
- the nature of rules and laws and the justice system, including the role of the police and the operation of courts and tribunals
- the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities, including opportunities to participate in school-based activities
- the functions and uses of money, the importance and practice of budgeting, and managing risk
Assessments and key dates
There are no national tests or checks in Year 7. Your school will use its own assessments.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Oak National Academy – Free, full lesson sequences for KS3 (government-funded).
- BBC Bitesize – Short videos and quizzes by key stage and subject.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
Other subjects in Year 7: English, Maths, Science, Art and Design, Computing, Design and Technology, Geography, History, Languages, Music, PE.
Find another TIP · National curriculum overview
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: citizenship programmes of study for key stages 3 and 4 (GOV.UK), © Crown copyright.
Statements in the curriculum lists are copied word for word from GOV.UK; everything else on this page (headings, notes, summaries) is written by us. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education or the Standards and Testing Agency. Always check the official documents linked on this page.
Questions teachers ask
Is citizenship compulsory in Year 7?
Yes. Citizenship is a compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3 in England (national curriculum framework, figure 1).
Is the Year 7 content set out year by year?
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.