Association for Citizenship Teaching

Transcription

1 Association for Citizenship Teaching (A registered charity in England and Wales) Trustees Report For the Year Ended 31 March 2017 Charity Number:

2 Contents Contents Board of Trustees and professional advisers... 3 Report of the Trustees regarding the activities of the Charity Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd

3 Board of Trustees and professional advisers Board of Trustees and professional advisors Honorary President: Trustees: Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett Helen Shreeve Richard Nelmes Gordon Mattocks Scott Harrison Cathy Fallon Rob Pope (Treasurer) (Chairman) Registered office and Principal address: Banker: Accounts Preparation: Independent Examiner: Universal House, Wentworth Street, London E1 7SA Unity Trust Bank 9 Brindley Place Birmingham B1 2HB ExcluServ Limited Delta House Borough High Street SE1 1HR Thomas Ward Moore Stephens LLP 150 Aldersgate Street London EC1A 4AB 3 Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd

4 Report of the Trustees regarding the activities of the Charity Constitutional Information The Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) is a registered charity, charity number ACT is governed by a constitution adopted on 3 November 2001 and amended on 12 October 2002, on 25 June 2003 and on 9 July The governing document is published on the ACT website. The governance of ACT is vested in ACT s Trustees. ACT Trustees The Trustees have overall responsibility for the charity, ensuring compliance with legal and financial requirements and for directing the strategy of the charity to achieve the objectives. Trustees are appointed following an application process which is advertised on the ACT website. Objectives and Activities The Charity s objectives are for the public benefit to support and promote Citizenship education: to promote research into, and the study of, the full and effective participation of citizens, especially young people, in society and to publish the results thereof. ACT is a membership organisation supporting teachers, schools and others in providing Citizenship education. ACT connects teachers to regional and national networks, offering training, CPD, support and advice. ACT provides advocacy for the subject and promotes research into and the study of Citizenship education and the effective participation of citizens. Day to day management of ACT is delegated to three members of staff who work closely with the Chair of Trustees and Treasurer. ACT employs external providers for financial and accountancy support and to produce the journal. Project consultants are employed to work on specific funded projects. ACT Council The Council is separate from the Trustees, and comprises teachers and other practitioners and experts who advise and contribute to the delivery of work to achieve the charity s objectives. The Council comprises a Chair, Vice-Chair, journal editors and other council members. A council member must be a member of the charity or the nominated representative of an organisation that is a member of the charity. In addition to the Council, members of ACT contribute to decision-making and strategy through the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The 2016 Conference and AGM was held at Middlesex University, Hendon, London on June 28 th Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd

5 Achievements and Performance, April 1 st 2016 to March 31 st 2017 Staffing Chris Waller is the Professional Officer on a part-time basis, leading the education work, membership development and membership support programme. Deepa Shah is Projects Manager and her work includes: the administration of the ACT annual conference and CPD events; the development and management of ACT's membership systems; and communication, coordination and management of the Five Nations programme. Liz Moorse is the Senior Manager and Programme Leader. She leads ACT work on strategy and policy, oversees the ACT Quality Mark quality assurance process for Citizenship Teaching Resources and line manages the Projects Manager. She also leads on funded programmes including the Five Nations Network Programme, the DFE Topical Issue Debate Resources project and Robert F. Kennedy Foundation Human Rights Education schools pilot. Liz is employed on a consultancy basis. Financial management During the year ACT employed ExcluServ Ltd to provide professional support to manage the ACT accounts. Reviewing ACT budget During the year ACT Trustees continued to carefully examine the implications of the income forecasts and expenditure for the year. ACT Trustees agreed actions to ensure that the budget for was actively monitored, income generation activities were increased and made a priority for senior staff and further cost savings made. Staff aimed to increase overall reserves in the year. During the year, senior staff worked on new sources of income generation for ACT to ensure its long-term viability. ACT has continued to ensure the scope of its activities concentrate on membership activities and fully funded work. Discussions on the Future of ACT During the year ACT Trustees have continued to discuss different ways of securing ACT s future, including different forms of collaboration with other organisations. Journal Teaching Citizenship In the financial year ACT produced two editions of the journal, Teaching Citizenship. The journal is used in primary and secondary schools to inform and inspire the teaching of Citizenship education. The development and editing of journal content continues to be led by ACT Council. Annual conference and AGM The ACT Annual Conference 2016 was held on Tuesday 28 June 2016 at Middlesex University and attended by 96 educators. The day included focus on localising the curriculum, teaching contested knowledge and addressing controversial issues and the Prevent duty. The conference provides an opportunity for teachers to continue their professional development, update their teaching practice, share information and develop ideas for teaching. Resources and support for members 5 Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd

6 Throughout the year, ACT has been running a membership drive to attract new members of ACT and retain existing members. The website at allows members to view and download teaching resources to support the teaching of Citizenship. ACT published advice and guidance on how to support teachers and pupils following the terrorist attacks, as well as on the migrant crisis in Europe and the UK European Union Referendum. ACT continues to offer Citizenship education CPD together with other partners for teachers and other educators. The focus for this year has been in response to the policies regarding fundamental British Values. ACT provided CPD expertise and leadership for partners, including the UK Office of the European Parliament, ActiveCitizens FE, the Geographical Association and Citizenship Foundation. ACT remains committed to fulfilling its role as the voice for Citizenship. To this end, ACT has met regularly with the DFE and works closely with other Citizenship organisations and the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on democratic participation to ensure the subject remains high on political and educational agenda. ACT s Senior Manager is an Advisory Fellow of the Political Literacy Oversight Group which supports the APPG and also Chairs the Expert Subject Advisory Group on Citizenship which is developing a National Action Plan for Citizenship. ACT Quality Standard The ACT QS continued to attract a number of new schools. Additionally, ACT Council members have been developing a version of the ACT QS for Post 16 institutions. ACT Quality Mark for Citizenship Education Resources The quality assurance process designed to highlight and promote the best citizenship teaching resources has resulted in twelve different teaching resources achieving the Quality Mark since The resources are all available on the ACT website. Funded projects: The Five Nations Network for Citizenship and Values Education ACT was appointed the manager of the Five Nations network and programme in 2012 by the Gordon Cook Foundation (GCF) and has a new contract and funding to continue to manage the Network Programme until March The 2017 annual network conference for 70 participants from across England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales was held in Dublin, Ireland. The MacRobert Trust funding for this programme finished in March Building Resilience Prevent Project In February 2016 ACT won a contract with the Home Office to lead a project with ten schools across England to look at how aspects of the Prevent duty might be realised through high quality Citizenship teaching and learning. The project successfully produced some excellent resources authored by the project schools. These were well received by members and wider users. ACT was asked to submit an extension to this project, to date discussions with the Home Office are still ongoing. 6 Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd

7 London Citizenship Curriculum Association of Citizenship Teaching In partnership with Hackney Learning Trust, ACT has developed units for the London Citizenship Curriculum, funded by the GLA. The materials developed have been piloted with 15 London schools and the work will conclude in the summer of Robert F Kennedy Foundation (RFK) Speak Trust to Power Human Rights Curriculum pilot in schools in England The RFK and ACT are working together to pilot a set of human rights education resources in ten schools in England. This followed a review of the resources against the ACT quality mark principles. The pilot has being running since October 2016 and is due to complete in September ACT attended a European summit in Brussels in September 2016 with partners using the resources in European countries and will be attending a global submit in DfE Topical issue Debate Resources ACT won a DFE tender to produce a series of topical issue debate resources on for teachers to support student understanding of democracy, citizenship and equality. The project is in phases over a two-year period and the first resources are due for publication in the summer of The resources include briefings for teachers, lesson plans and student resources. The work is being undertaken in partnership with the English Speaking Union and Middlesex University. Other funded projects In addition to the above, ACT has provided consultancy for a number of small scale projects to support and promote high quality Citizenship, for example with Manchester University. Reserves Policy The Trustees Reserves Policy was set at 50,000 in Trustees are reviewing the appropriate level of reserves going forward, responding to the changing finances of ACT and the requirement for working capital. Risk Policy During the year the Finance Committee chaired by ACT's Treasurer agreed a new approach to identifying, recording and managing risk. A risk register has been developed to identify the key risks and actions that could be taken to mitigate risks. This is reviewed and discussed regularly by Trustees. Responsibilities of the Trustees The Trustees accept responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity and that it delivers its charitable objects, keeping in mind the following areas of responsibility: preparing the Trustees annual reports and submitting annual return forms and accounts, keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of ACT and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued March 2005 and the charity s constitution. compliance with the rules of the charity as set out in the governing document. 7 Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd

8 The Trustees must also ensure the charity is run carefully, by making sure it: uses its charitable funds and assets wisely to further its charitable aims. does not do anything to put its property, funds, assets or reputation at risk. takes appropriate care and advice when investing or borrowing money. The Trustees are responsible for the preparation of financial statements for each financial period, which give a true and fair view of the charity s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and apply them constantly. make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. Approved by the Trustees on (date) and signed on their behalf by: By Order of the Chairman Scott Harrison On Behalf of the Members (Council Member) 8 Prepared by ExcluServ Ltd