About Active Citizens FE (ACFE)
ACFE is a community interest company. Founders, Bernadette Joslin, Helen Murray and Rob Pope have a passionate belief in the value of active citizenship education for all young people, their learning organisations and society as a whole.
We are all qualified teachers and between us have decades of experience of teaching, management and professional development in the FE sector.
We have extensive experience and a strong reputation as a driving force for innovation in post-16 citizenship education – with successful projects for staff and learners carried out for a variety of clients.
Our experience includes the set up and management (on behalf of LSIS) of the highly successful Post-16 Citizenship Support Programme (2001-2011) – meeting the development and support needs of staff in all parts of the post-compulsory sector with widely acclaimed learning resources, regional networks, national conferences and training events, learner competitions, an extensive website and customized training.
In our approach to citizenship provision and support activities for staff and learners we are firmly committed to some key values and principles which will underpin the development of Active Citizens FE:
In addition to citizenship education specifically we are strongly committed to improving social and personal learning more broadly, equipping all young people to meet the challenges of adult life - at work, in society, in continuing education and in their personal relationships. Accordingly, we have particular interests in all of the following:
We have extensive experience and a strong reputation as a driving force for innovation in post-16 citizenship education – with successful projects for staff and learners carried out for a variety of clients.
Our experience includes the set up and management (on behalf of LSIS) of the highly successful Post-16 Citizenship Support Programme (2001-2011) – meeting the development and support needs of staff in all parts of the post-compulsory sector with widely acclaimed learning resources, regional networks, national conferences and training events, learner competitions, an extensive website and customized training.
In our approach to citizenship provision and support activities for staff and learners we are firmly committed to some key values and principles which will underpin the development of Active Citizens FE:
- An open and inclusive approach involving learners and staff in all parts of post-compulsory education and training
- Active learning for effective active citizenship
- A learner led approach wherever possible
- Provision based on real and relevant issues – with a willingness to take on topical, sensitive and controversial matters
- Use of a wide variety of approaches and methods to include different groups of learners in a huge range of circumstances.
In addition to citizenship education specifically we are strongly committed to improving social and personal learning more broadly, equipping all young people to meet the challenges of adult life - at work, in society, in continuing education and in their personal relationships. Accordingly, we have particular interests in all of the following:
- Citizenship education – post and pre-16
- Learner voice
- Social action and volunteering, including the National Citizen Service
- Community cohesion, equality and diversity
- Tutoring and pastoral provision
- Personal and social development
- Public speaking skills
- Health education
- Financial capability
- Learners as researchers
- Inter-faith dialogue
- Sustainable development and global understanding