Identity and cultural diversity

Learning about identity and cultural diversity can help young people to live and work together in diverse communities, both in this country and the wider world. It can also help them develop their identity and sense of belonging which are fundamental to personal well-being and the achievements of a flourishing and cohesive society.

The UK already consists of a huge range of ethnicities, cultures, languages, beliefs and religions. These are not static but constantly changing and fusing, so that people identify with different aspects of their heritage in different situations. Diversity also encompasses age, social class, regional differences, gender, sexual orientation, religious and non-religious beliefs and values.

Young people need to develop the ability to see themselves as part of this diversity, and to critically reflect on who they are. Schools can give them the opportunity to explore their identities in a safe and positive environment, and to discuss what is important to them and their families. This develops a sense of belonging to a community that values them and improves their understanding of what binds people in communities together. When individuals recognise and value their own culture, beliefs and traditions, they can better understand how others develop their identities.

The identity and cultural diversity curriculum dimension helps learners to gain a broad understanding of the country they are growing up in: its past, its present and its future. They learn about its range of cultures and traditions, its political system, values and human rights, how it has evolved to be as it is, and in particular, how they are able to contribute through democratic participation to its future development.

Pupils will engage critically with the following questions:

• Who do we think we are?
• What connects us with and distinguishes us from others in the UK and the rest of the world?
• What are our roles in shaping a cohesive society?

Healthy Lifestyles

Young people with healthy lifestyles have a good balance of work and play, a healthy diet and an appropriate amount of physical activity and rest. A healthy lifestyle is about both physical and mental wellbeing.

Education for health is concerned with the social and emotional aspects of learning, and relates to issues that are real and relevant to many young people, including sex and relationships, body image, drug, alcohol and tobacco use.

Education for health should seek to encourage young people to eat sensibly, stay physically active and maintain good levels of personal wellbeing. Young people should be able to look after themselves, and stay safe from violence, exploitation and injury.

Good health and effective learning go hand-in-hand. Schools educating young people on, for example, the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise can bring about both immediate and long-term improvement to their quality of life.

In order to live healthy and fulfilling lives, young people need to understand the consequences of the choices they make. They need opportunities to develop self-respect and build the confidence to make responsible, informed and healthy choices about their lives. Schools can provide the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils need to lead healthy lives, not just through what is taught, but also through the school’s routines, organisation and environment.

Developing a curriculum that supports healthy lifestyles

In order to help learners understand the characteristics of a healthy lifestyle and make informed decisions about living healthily, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:

• meet, talk and work with a range of people, including professionals from the health and emergency services
• develop positive relationships with a wide range of people
• consider social and moral dilemmas, including the varied attitudes and values underpinning some of the healthy lifestyle issues they encounter in their communities
• find information and advice, for example through helplines and websites, and learn how to provide information to others
• prepare for change, for example by anticipating the challenges of new and widening social groups as they get older, and by considering the choices they may have to make
• feel positive about themselves, for example by giving and receiving positive feedback, and keeping a record of their progress and achievements.

The DCSF has identified five key objectives to help schools create a healthier environment for pupils.

• To promote a school ethos and environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle.
• To use the full capacity and flexibility of the curriculum to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
• To ensure that the food and drink available during the school day reinforces the healthy lifestyle message.
• To provide high-quality physical education and school sport, and promote physical activity as part of a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
• To promote an understanding of the full range of issues and behaviours that impact upon lifelong health.

Community Participation

Active participation in the life of the school and the wider community helps young people to develop a sense of purpose and belonging, so that they feel able to make a difference in their own lives and to the communities in which they live.

Young people are already citizens so it is important to provide opportunities for them to become involved in the life of the school and the wider community, for the benefit of others or to bring about change. By giving young people a voice in their school, it is possible to develop a sense of responsibility and increase their motivation and engagement with learning.

Working on community projects that involve real audiences, purpose and decision-making, can help young people to see themselves as responsible citizens and as agents for positive change. By working beyond the school and with different groups, young people have the opportunity to contribute to community cohesion.

Through community participation, young people will learn to consider the impact of what they are doing for others, and their potential to influence decision makers and change things for the better. By working with a wide range of people, they will develop the confidence to explore issues and ideas critically, and a willingness to try new things and take managed risks.

As a result, society will gain young people who:

• act as responsible citizens
• are willing to volunteer to make a difference
• confidently work with others to influence those in power
• are motivated to change society for the better.

Developing a curriculum that supports community participation

In order to help learners to understand about community participation and develop the skills to get involved, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:

• work with a range of people from the community, including individuals, groups and organisations
• identify issues, problems and areas where improvements could be made in their community
• explore what they need to know in order to be able to make a difference, and find out who can help or provide advice and guidance
• take action while working collaboratively with others
• reflect on what they have learned, evaluating the success of their action and deciding what to do next.

Enterprise

Enterprise is about initiative and the drive to make things happen. Enterprising people create and implement new ideas and ways of doing things, handle uncertainty and respond positively to change. They have a positive 'can-do' attitude.

The importance of having an enterprising attitude has never been greater. In today's rapidly changing society and economy, it has become increasingly important for individuals to be able to spot opportunities, show initiative and adapt to changing circumstances.

Enterprise education encourages young people to be innovative, to take and manage risks, and to develop determination and drive. Enterprise education is not about a body of knowledge - it is about developing young people's ability to embrace change positively, show initiative, take responsibility and manage themselves. Developing enterprising and entrepreneurial qualities will benefit young people in their personal and working lives, and the communities in which they live.

Social enterprise is an important part of community development and business. It strongly supports the acquisition of enterprise attributes as an important factor in developing a skilled workforce and a dynamic economy.

Developing a curriculum that supports enterprise

In order to help learners understand enterprise and develop entrepreneurial characteristics, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to take personal responsibility for their own actions through an enterprise process that involves four stages:

• Stage 1 – tackling a problem or need. Students generate ideas through discussion to reach a common understanding of what is required to resolve the problem or meet the need
• Stage 2 – planning the project or activity. Breaking down tasks, organising resources, deploying team members and allocating responsibilities
• Stage 3 – implementing the plan. Solving problems, monitoring progress.
• Stage 4 – evaluating the processes. Reviewing activities and final outcomes, reflecting on lessons learned and assessing the skills, attitudes, qualities and understanding acquired.

Learners should also have opportunities across the curriculum to:

• draw on their previous enterprise learning in applying their skills, knowledge and understanding to develop and demonstrate their enterprise capability
• reflect on, recognise and articulate what they have learnt
• get involved in a range of entrepreneurial activities, including business and community projects, mini-enterprises, simulations, work and community placements, and enterprise days and events
• work with partners, for example other schools and training providers, education-business link organisations, agencies that network voluntary bodies, business, social and community enterprises, governors and parents
• learn in an environment where they are given autonomy to tackle relevant problems or issues that involve an element of risk and uncertainty about final outcomes, as well as regard for their successful resolution
• experience a range of teaching approaches that encourage active learning, including problem-based approaches, collaborative and cooperative activities, coaching and mentoring
• establish some permanent, student-run companies that offer real opportunities to provide goods and services to the community, in addition to shorter-term mini-enterprises
• enhance their enterprise capability in subjects across the curriculum, beyond the business context as well as through specific enterprise activity
• create 'virtuous circles' of enterprise activities so that commercial enterprises are used to fund social enterprises, for example on sustainable development
• articulate how they have developed and demonstrated enterprise capability, and why these skills for life are important for the future.

Global dimension & sustainable development

Issues of global significance are brought into our lives in a way that they never were for previous generations. Global media and communications, travel and immigration mean that we now have much more exposure to people and cultures from many different parts of the world. This provides a tremendous range of positive opportunities to broaden young people’s experience and knowledge. At the same time, issues of poverty, inequality, conflict, and economic and environmental damage present major challenges for society. Education for the global dimension and sustainable development helps young people to appreciate these challenges and opportunities and to recognise their responsibilities as members of a global community.

A curriculum for the 21st century should encourage learners to be aware of global issues. Learners should evaluate information and events from a global perspective. By exploring the connections between the local and the global, they can also realise that it is possible to play a part in working towards solutions to challenges, such as climate change and global poverty. The global dimension incorporates global citizenship, conflict resolution, diversity, human rights, interdependence, social justice, sustainable development and values and perceptions.

Sustainable development has been described as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without transferring problems to people in other parts of the world or compromising the quality of life of future generations.

Global learning and education for sustainability address environmental, social and economic issues that are of importance to young people. This can make learning more relevant to their lives and have a positive impact on engagement and achievement. Working towards sustainable development goals can also increase the sense of purpose felt by young people as they develop into responsible citizens.

Exploring the challenges faced by society provides practical dilemmas for young people to consider. This can lead to an understanding that both action and inaction have consequences, and that everyone has a role to play in building global understanding and a sustainable future. This can help develop positive attitudes towards themselves, each other and the environment, and equip young people to make informed judgments and act with integrity.

Technology and the media

The media plays a significant role in shaping and defining our culture and our view of the world. New technologies continue to transform the way we work and learn. Download the technology and the media overview.

Informed and responsible citizenship requires that young people become critical consumers of media, able to reflect on the relationship between reality and the world portrayed by the media. They should be aware of the ability of the media to inform, entertain and influence public opinion, and its important role in society. Young people need opportunities to become discerning and critically literate in relation to the media and the internet, learning to question the authenticity, accuracy and reliability of the information they encounter.

Similarly, to participate fully in a technology-driven society, young people must develop the practical skills to use technology confidently and productively. They need to develop the competencies to use technology safely and effectively to find things out, try things out, develop and present their ideas, and communicate and collaborate with others across the world.

Developments in technology continue to change the relationship between consumers and producers. Technology gives unprecedented access to events, experiences, opinions and sources of knowledge from around the world. It allows young people to communicate and collaborate with others locally and internationally, and extends the range of opportunities they have to develop as successful learners and global citizens.

Developing a curriculum that supports the technology and media dimension

In order to help learners appreciate the role of technology and the media in their lives and make informed decisions about how to use it, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:

• access and use a rich range of technologies, including broadcast media, film, printed communications, games, web, podcasts and animation
• consider media as both consumers and authors of content
• develop the skills to adapt to the changing nature of both technologies and media
• ask and answer questions such as: ‘Can I believe what I read?’, ‘How can I use technology safely?’ and ‘How can the media be used to benefit society?’
• use technology to create products for real situations, and increase their awareness of its role in the creative industries and media
• access a culturally and historically diverse range of technologies and media products
• access the information that contextualises the way in which technologies are used and media products aremade
• use technology to personalise learning, so they can work at different times, in different places and with a wider audience.

Creativity and critical thinking

Creativity involves the use of imagination and intellect to generate ideas, insights and solutions to problems and challenges. Coupled with critical thinking, which involves evaluative reasoning, creative activity can produce outcomes that can be original, expressive and have value.

Creativity and critical thinking develop young people’s capacity for original ideas and purposeful action. Experiencing the wonder and inspiration of human ingenuity and achievement, whether artistic, scientific or technological, can spark individual enthusiasms that contribute to personal fulfilment.

Creativity can be an individual or collaborative activity. By engaging in creative activities, young people can develop the capacity to influence and shape their own lives and wider society. Everyone has the potential for creative activity and it can have a positive impact on self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and overall achievement.

Creative activity is essential for the future wellbeing of society and the economy. It can unlock the potential of individuals and communities to solve personal, local and global problems. Creativity is possible in every area of human activity – from the cutting edge of human endeavour to ordinary aspects of our daily life.

Creativity and critical thinking are not curriculum subjects, but they are crucial aspects of learning that should permeate the curriculum and the life of the school.

Developing a curriculum that supports creativity and critical thinking

In order to develop young people’s creativity and critical thinking, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:

• use their imagination to explore possibilities
• generate ideas, take risks and to learn from their mistakes
• refine, modify and iteratively develop ideas and products
• make connections between ideas
• engage in creative activities in all subjects, exploring links between subjects and wider aspects of learning
• work in relevant contexts, with real audience and purpose
• work with a range of creative individuals, both in and out of the classroom
• encounter the work of others, including theories, literature, art, design, inventions and discoveries, as sources of inspiration
• discover and pursue particular interests and talents