Overview
Students critically consider the needs of a fictitious town and how to spend it’s £250 million budget wisely. Working in teams, students evaluate the local needs and priorities of the town and then pitch their budget proposal to local residents. Afterwards, the local councillors cast votes for which budget allocation best supports the needs of the local community.
By the end of these activities’ students will be able to:
- Consider some of the competing demands on local council budgets;
- Present their ideas on how a council budget should be spent, reflecting on the different needs of the community.
More Lessons resources
My Community
During this lesson pupils consider what we mean by the word community and are challenged to think about all the different community groups they belong to and how it feels…
The Big Legal Lesson 2026 (ages 11-18+)
Join the UK's biggest legal education campaign during February 2025.
What Happens When Laws are Broken?
During this lesson pupils explore what happens when laws are broken, learn about the different types of sentences that are given and the main purposes of sentencing. Before taking part…
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources 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…
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…
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
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…
How to share learning with your peers
Originally designed to be a companion pack for the Democracy Ambassadors programme, this handy toolkit will support students who...
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 KS3 (ages 11-14) resources
Filter Bubbles: Tell Me What I Want To Hear
A “filter bubble” describes how algorithms limit and skew the information users see on the internet. In this lesson,...
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...
What is Tax?
During this lesson, students will look at the purpose and collection of taxes. They will explore how public services...