In the summer of 2005 we were asked by a local European Youth Ambassador (a sixth-former elected by local schoolchildren) to take part in this programme which is run by the adult coordinator for West Sussex, Pandora Ellis. Since then we have taken part in a number of events designed to increase children’s understanding of Europe in the general sense. Six members of the Branch have helped run workshops for children. We have helped train Europeers, children who undertake to increase awareness and understanding of Europe in their own schools. For three years running we have provided a judge for the West Sussex Do you speak European competition.

As a result of participation in one of the events for the Youth Cabinet in December 2006 we were asked by the Citizenship/PSHE Adviser from the Healthy Schools Team, Anita Haigh, to help with the training of secondary citizenship/PSHE teachers in West Sussex. We undertook to help organise a conference for teachers in March 2008 at which four members of the Branch participated. At this conference we recruited teachers for a project to develop teaching tools on the European institutions which would involve a familiarisation trip to Brussels. Sarah Leigh organised a trip to Brussels for 21 teachers and members of the Healthy Schools advisory team, funded mostly by the European Movement Education Fund. She and Chris Jones led the group and teachers visited and heard speakers in all the three major EU institutions, the UK Permanent Representative and a lobbying group. This was very successful. At a further session with the teachers on 22 October we heard about the lesson plans and tools the teachers were developing to teach the EU institutions in West Sussex schools as a direct result of our trip. The evaluations for the trip were very complimentary and teachers who rated themselves as knowing little about the EU and being unable to teach it before the trip now rated themselves as feeling relatively confident to teach the subject.

This project is run by three members of the Branch, Stephen Quigley, Chris Jones and Margaret Tuccori and is developing web based resources for the teaching of KS3 Citizenship with a European dimension. The purpose is to increase awareness of how British membership of the European Union affects our understanding of citizenship. The resources would complement existing curriculum materials and consist of sample lesson plans, fact sheets, exercises and games that would help reinforce the teaching and learning of key concepts such as democracy and justice, and identities and diversity. They would also provide opportunities for the teaching and learning of key processes such as critical thinking and enquiry, advocacy and presentation. The project is at an initial stage. A sample website was demonstrated to the West Sussex Brussels group of teachers and citizenship advisers on October 22 which produced valuable feedback. The intention is to develop a pilot site for trial in schools in the early part of 2009. If the pilot is successful an operational system will be developed.

The EM Education Fund Committee asked if the West Sussex teachers’ group could help develop a publication for children in partnership with the EM. Anita Haigh had agreed to put this to the teachers at the follow-up meeting after the Brussels trip but we decided that the development of the Europe in School resource was now going to take up most of this meeting which is any case primarily designed for the teachers to discuss their plans for teaching tools so we could not pursue it and Anna Arki is now developing plans to do so (on behalf of the Education Fund Committee).

Our very successful summer seminar this year, at which we launched our joint bursary fund in memory of François Duchêne, was run in partnership with the SEI and following that Eileen Daffern, a member of the Branch who worked with François Duchêne in the European studies schools unit which flourished at Sussex in 1973-84, suggested that we should revive the idea of a university schools unit. We have now decided that the website resource is where we should be putting our energies and won’t be pursuing this.

After several years of work with West Sussex we decided to try to extend educational work to East Sussex. In July Sarah Leigh, Rosemary Baker and Grace Blaker met Liz Gregory, Chairman of Eastbourne Branch, to discuss this and agreed to make an approach to the East Sussex PSHE and Healthy Schools consultant, Philippa Hoyle in the hope that their network covering 27 secondary and 10 special schools can help us organise this. Rosemary and Sarah met Philippa on 29 September and agreed to work together. We are invited to attend the networking session with East Sussex citizenship coordinators on 25 February 2009 and provide a literature stall and perhaps a film about the EP. The East Sussex team works closely with the Brighton & Hove team and Sarah Leigh met Sam Beal of the Brighton & Hove Healthy Schools team on 27 October; she will consult her team and report back. We will hope to organise some similar meeting with the Brighton & Hove teachers. Following that we hope to organise a conference jointly with the East Sussex and the Brighton & Hove team which will look at a topical issue of use to the teachers but in the context of the EU, and following that a trip to Brussels for teachers from East Sussex and Brighton and Hove in summer 2010.