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
Home Learning Pack
This home-learning pack has been designed to support SMSC, Citizenship and PSHE learning within a home environment. All the activities described have been taken from Go-Givers resources and adapted to…
Conflicting Rights
In this lesson pupils will revisit their knowledge of human rights to consider situations in which people’s rights may appear in conflict with one another. Pupils will debate how they…
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
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…
Climate Action: Circular Economies
During this lesson students explore how the economy can be used to support climate action and create a more...
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 Politics and Democracy 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…
Plastic Pollution (KS2)
Find out more about the impact of plastic on our oceans. Watch this introductory video and use our free...
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...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
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...
Police Powers (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson examines the powers that the police have to stop and search, arrest and detain individuals. Students also have the opportunity to create their own ideal police force considering…
Social Media and the Law (KS4) (SmartLaw Subscription)
Students explore the law in relation to social media posts, the types of offences that people are committing (whether knowingly or not) and the consequences of these offences. Finally, students…
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Biodiversity: Using the Law to Drive Change
During this lesson, students consider what biodiversity is, why it is essential to all life on Earth and what...
What is Media Bias?
During this lesson students explore what bias within the media is and how it differs from fake news. They...
COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore...
More resource packs
Related content
Democracy resources for ages 11-18
Political resources for secondary and post –16 students.