Planning the Action (Edexcel GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

You must clearly identify who your action is aimed at, as this shapes everything else you do

• Your target could be individuals, a group, or decision-makers

• For example, students in your school, parents, local councillors or a school leadership team

A strong action has a specific and realistic target

• Targeting your headteacher about a school issue is more effective than targeting the national government

You should be able to explain why this target was chosen

• For example, because they have the power to make change or influence others

Examiners want to see that you understand how power and influence work in practice

You should set clear goals for what you want your action to achieve

• Goals might include raising awareness, changing attitudes or encouraging action

Good goals are realistic and achievable, not vague

• For example, “Increase awareness of mental health support among Year 9 students”

You must plan how the action will be carried out, step by step

• This could include creating materials, organising an event or contacting key people

Take account of time, resources and responsibilities

• Examiners expect you to show that your plan was practical

Explain how tasks were shared within the team, as this shows organisation and collaboration

Success criteria explain how you will know if your action worked

These should link directly to your goals

• For example, improved survey results, attendance at an event, or feedback received

Good success criteria are measurable, even if the impact is small

• This might include numbers, percentages or clear outcomes

Examiners value students who recognise that partial success is still success

• You are not penalised if your action did not fully meet its aims, as long as you can evaluate it honestly