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
The Big Legal Lesson 2026 (ages 11-18+)
Join the UK's biggest legal education campaign during February 2026.
I Am Unique
This lesson focuses on celebrating diversity and respecting differences. During the lesson pupils will gain an understanding of what it means to be unique through participating in a range of…
Law Makers (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students examine what the rule of law is and why we need it. They consider how and why laws are made in the UK and what the…
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
The Economy Quiz
In this short, 15 minute activity students use all they have learnt from earlier lessons to complete a quiz...
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…
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…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Democracy (Part 2): Local and Central Government
This lesson forms the second part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about the function of central and local government and the difference between MPs and councillors. Pupils explore…
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…
Climate Action: Using the Law to Drive Change
In 2021, COP26 was hosted in Glasgow. It was seen as a pivotal moment in tackling the global climate...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
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…
An Introduction to Discrimination Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson looks at the history of anti-discrimination law, the different types of discrimination (i.e. direct and indirect discrimination) and how the law deals with discrimination. It can be delivered…
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…
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
An Introduction to Human Rights
In this lesson students will explore our rights and responsibilities and how they are protected in law. They are...
What is a Political Party?
This resource pack is the fourth of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...