Description: In recent years, there has been an upsurge of interest in citizenship and citizenship education, not only in the United Kingdom, but throughout Europe, and indeed globally (Green, 1997). Citizenship as an educational aim of the state is not a new idea, yet citizenship education has never been formally part of the school curriculum in England (Fogelman, 1997), until its introduction in 2002. In 1998, a policy review of citizenship education was undertaken in England by the Advisory Group on Education for Citizenship andthe Teaching of Democracy in Schools, chaired by Sir Bernard Crick (QCA, 1998). In the domain of immigration and citizenship, also chaired by Sir Bernard Crick, a second Advisory Group was subsequently set up to develop proposals forl anguage and citizenship courses and tests for immigrants applying for British citizenship, with its report published in September 2003 (Home Office, 2003).* In this initiative, citizenship is explicitly linked to nationality, with direct referecnes made to the earlier Crick Report (QCA, 1998), and citizenship education in schools. Drawing predominantly on the politico-philosophical literature (e.g. Kymlicka, 1995, Parekh, 2000, Spinner-Halev, 2003), my research examines conceptions of citizenship and the extent to which these conceptions accommodate ethnic and religious diversity, from the persepctives of those 'key players' involved in the policy and curriculum development process in education and immigration.*It shoud be noted that I was member of this Adivsory Group. Methodology: My methodology entailed conducting semi-structured interviews with thirty participants involved at different stages of the process and in related initiatives, as well as analysing relevant policy and curriculum documentation (Home Office, 2003, QCA, 1998; QCA, 2000; QCA, 2001). I present my findings in relation to three questions. Firstly, what were key players' understandings of how citizenship education developed? Secondly, what conceptions of citizenship were held by those 'key players' involved in the development process? And thirdly, are there differences in formulation in the conceptions of citizenship in educaitonal policy to their formulation in immigration policy? Conclusions: Key findings for the first questions include that those involved in the process emphasise the agency of key individuals relative to societal influences. Regarding the second question, drawing on the politico-philosophical literature, I identify four models of citizenship, and I examine the extent to which these conceptions changed at different stages of the process. Finally, I identify tensions between the different models of citizenship held in educational and immigration policy domains. The findings of these three questions are discussed in broader European perspective, in terms of educational, integration and immigration policy agendas, in the context of national, European and global socio-political and socio-cultural influences and contemporary events.