Overview
Students examine ways in which a fictional town council could spend its budget. They consider the concerns of different residents and analyse how the budget could be spent most effectively. Finally students present and justify their budgets, defending their decision making in front of ‘local residents’.
Aimed at KS4 or Post-16, by the end of the lesson students will:
- Describe the role of local government;
- Consider some of the competing demands on local council budgets;
- Present their ideas on how a local council budget should be spent, reflecting on the different needs of the community.
Acknowledgements:
More Lessons resources
What is a Vote?
In this lesson pupils will learn what it means to vote by looking at relatable examples in the lives of the Go-Givers. They will consider why and how votes are…
What is a Digital Citizen?
In the delivery of this resource your students will explore what is meant by the term ‘digital citizen’. They...
Create a Local Council Budget
Students critically consider the needs of a fictitious town and how to spend it’s £250 million budget wisely. Working...
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
Money – Wants and Needs
Pupils will consider the difference between wants and needs and discuss how our wants and needs can influence how we spend money. To access this content, register for our School…
The Government and the Economy
By the end of the lesson students will: Understand key economic terms including taxation, welfare benefits, public spending and...
What is Debt?
Students will explore issues around money, personal and sovereign debt and consider the impact government borrowing has on future...
More Politics and Democracy resources
Controversial issues: guidance for schools
Children are alert to information and images they see in the media. These may graphically influence their view of the world, and not always positively. Graphic images on TV and…
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Mock G7 Pack
The UK hosted the G7 Summit in June 2021. Young Citizens wants to engage young people across the UK...
The Big Legal Lesson 2026 (ages 11-18+)
Join the UK's biggest legal education campaign during February 2025.
Local and Central Government
This resource pack is the third of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
What is Democracy?
This resource pack is the first of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Who’s to Blame? (SmartLaw Subscription)
This activity is based on the case of R v. Dudley and Stephens (1884) – two sailors accused of murdering cabin boy Richard Parker, after being cast adrift on the…
Employment Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
During this lesson students explore the law that applies to young workers and what they can do if they believe their legal rights at work are not being upheld. To…