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
Sentencing Myths (SmartLaw Subscription)
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial…
Getting to Know You
In this lesson pupils will share their likes and dislikes as well as what makes them special. Activities provide lots of opportunities for pupils to learn about their classmates and…
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
Economic Cycles
This free classroom resource explores what economic cycles are and how they impact our lives. Aimed at KS4 and...
How Should We Farm?
In this lesson pupils will learn about different farming methods. They will consider the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and learn how to identify labels that indicate how food…
COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore...
More Politics and Democracy resources
All at Sea: a story about fairness and the rule of law
During this lesson pupils use the story ‘All at Sea’ to explore how a group of citizens should organise a new society under a challenging set of circumstances. Each chapter…
What is Debt?
Students will explore issues around money, personal and sovereign debt and consider the impact government borrowing has on future...
The Government and the Economy
By the end of the lesson students will: Understand key economic terms including taxation, welfare benefits, public spending and...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Family Law – Cohabitation and Marriage (SmartLaw Subscription)
During the course of the lesson students will learn the difference between marriage and cohabitation and consider what legal rights come with both. Students will explore the changing attitudes in…
An Introduction to Human Rights
In this lesson students will explore our rights and responsibilities and how they are protected in law. They are...
Housing Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students explore a range of different housing situations someone can find themselves in. They examine some of the common legal issues concerning housing including common landlord and…
More KS5 (ages 16-18) 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...
Sentencing Guidelines (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson asks students to consider the key findings of a harassment trial and conclude what sentence should be given to the guilty party. During the course of the lesson…