Our Impact
We've been making a unique contribution to the development of the Citizenship education community and education policy for over 20 years.
The Voice for Citizenship
For more than 20 years, the Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) has been the leading voice championing Citizenship education. We stand alongside teachers as their first source of expert support, providing training, resources, and a professional community that enables them to thrive in a subject where specialist guidance is often scarce.
At the same time, we work nationally with government, policymakers, and education partners to protect and strengthen Citizenship’s place in the curriculum. Our aim is simple but vital: to ensure every young person has access to high-quality Citizenship education, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to play an active role in our democracy.
The ACT team are truly passionate about Citizenship. They work hard to advocate for the subject and its teachers, and work tirelessly to work with people to increase young people’s democratic participation.
Ryan Mason
Curriculum Leader for Humanities
Strengthening Citizenship Education Through Policy, Practice and Research
Since the Crick Report in 1998, ACT Chief Executive, Liz Moorse, has played a pivotal role in maintaining and strengthening the position of Citizenship in education. She has worked closely with government ministers, given oral evidence to parliamentary select committees, and ensured the voice of teachers is heard in national policy debates.
ACT continues to influence education policy and practice by:
- Shaping policy and accountability – pressing for Citizenship to be recognised as a statutory curriculum entitlement for learners from primary to post-16, influencing Department for Education guidance, and providing expert evidence to policymakers.
- Driving practice and innovation – developing research-informed curriculum models, resources, and pedagogies that support teachers to tackle complex areas of study such as identities and communities, the justice system, climate change, and democracy.
- Building the evidence base – publishing impactful research, including the National Citizenship Education Study and Young People and Citizenship Education (2025), to demonstrate how high-quality Citizenship teaching transforms outcomes for learners, schools, and society.
Through this work, ACT ensures that Citizenship remains at the heart of a broad and balanced education, empowering teachers, inspiring young people, and strengthening democracy for the future.
The ACT community instantly gives teachers, both specialists and non-specialists, really fantastic, good-looking resources that they can use straight away. It takes away a huge amount of workload. Citizenship is a subject that some might find quite daunting to teach... so knowing that you've got trusted resources that have been created by such a forward-thinking, knowledgeable organisation like ACT is fantastic.
Kelly Alchin
Consultant Advisory Teacher
Specialist Support for Citizenship Educators
ACT is the leading source of specialist support for Citizenship teachers. Our goal is to help teachers thrive so every young person benefits from high-quality Citizenship education.
We provide a wealth of teaching resources, curriculum guides and classroom materials, alongside our annual CPD programme and flagship events. These give teachers practical tools, up-to-date expertise, and opportunities to share and learn from one another. Our partner events with organisations such as UK Parliament Education and the Electoral Commission, connect teachers directly with policymakers and democratic institutions.
This work delivers on our strategy to empower teachers, raise standards, and build a strong professional community, ensuring Citizenship continues to flourish in schools nationwide.
It is so inspiring to be part of a community making such a difference in the lives of our pupils - you never feel alone.
Bryden Joy
Lead Practitioner for Citizenship and PSHE at Ormiston Academies Trust
Building International Partnerships
ACT’s work extends beyond the UK, building international partnerships that strengthen Citizenship education and connect teachers, academics and policymakers worldwide. Over the last decade, we have established new relationships that bring continuity and global perspective to our mission. This includes collaboration with the Council of Europe, participation in the Salzburg Global Seminar Fellowship, and exchange visits with colleagues in Japan and the Republic of Korea.
We also continue to work with established partners, including the United States Embassy in London, which has supported study visits to the US, and the Gordon Cook Foundation, through which we lead the Five Nations Network. These initiatives create opportunities for teachers and educators across England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to share practice, develop policy, and strengthen democratic education.
Through this global network, ACT promotes the highest standards of Citizenship teaching, ensuring that young people are inspired, motivated, and equipped to become confident, active and empowered citizens – not just in the UK, but as part of a wider global community.
