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
Why Do We Pay Taxes? (Part 2)
Pupils will learn that councils are responsible for local spending decisions and can raise additional funds for public services through council taxes. To access this content, register for our School…
The Two Brothers
In this lesson pupils will read a tale adapted from Egyptian legend which tells of the love and care which two brothers showed for each other. In discussion, pupils will…
Ethics, Innovation and the Law
Aimed at KS4 and Post-16, your students will: Explore the way technology is developing and the impacts this has...
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
How Does the Budget Impact Me and Others?
The resource consists of two activities. The first is a notation task based on the information provided about the...
COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore...
Climate Action: Circular Economies
During this lesson students explore how the economy can be used to support climate action and create a more...
More Politics and Democracy resources
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...
Democracy (Part 3): Why Do We Have Laws?
This lesson forms the final part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about democracy and the rule of law. They discover the different roles of parliament, government and…
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…
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Fake News: The Evolution of Media
In this lesson, students explore how media has changed since the 1900s and the impact this has had on...
What is Democracy?
This resource pack is the first of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Learning About the Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson gives students an introduction to the legal system in the UK. During the lesson students will examine the roles of the various professionals involved in the law and…
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Economic Cycles
This free classroom resource explores what economic cycles are and how they impact our lives. Aimed at KS4 and...
Voting and the General Election
This resource pack is the second of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Mock G7 Pack
The UK hosted the G7 Summit in June 2021. Young Citizens wants to engage young people across the UK...