Overview
The law affects every aspect of our lives, but children and young people rarely learn about it in the classroom. We want to empower teachers to start a conversation about the law in schools.
Running throughout February 2026, The Big Legal Lesson provides the tools you need to confidently introduce the law into your classroom.
What’s in the resource packs?
The Big Legal Lesson is a starting point for pupils to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to navigate an increasingly complex world. In the lessons and spark activities, pupils explore questions such as:
- What is the law and how does it affect my daily life?
- Who has the power to make and change the law? How do recent changes to the law affect me
- What new laws would I like to see and how can I make my voice heard by those in power?
Each lesson pack gives you everything you need to teach the session in one place, including a full PowerPoint, a lesson plan, and both printable and non‑print alternatives for every activity.
A Spark activity is a short, ready‑to‑use prompt designed to quickly get pupils thinking, talking, and exploring big ideas in an age‑appropriate way. Each Spark uses a simple picture and a small set of questions to “spark” curiosity, discussion, and reflection without the need for any specialist knowledge.
They work for circle time, lesson starters, assemblies, or quick drop‑in moments, helping pupils connect the law to their own lives through accessible examples and guided conversation.
Share the good news!
Download our media pack to help you celebrate your involvement on your website and social media channels. It contains sample social media posts and graphics,
Send us your photos, ideas and feedback via social media @YoungCitizensUK using the hashtag #TheBigLegalLesson.
“I had positive feedback from every class due to the active nature of the [lessons], and the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about their rights and responsibilities.”
Primary School Teacher, The Big Legal Lesson
Looking for the secondary and further education resources? Access the resource pack for ages 11-18+ here.
Explore more resources about the law in our resource library
More Assemblies resources
Litter: The Picnic (Assembly)
With the help of one of the Go-Givers puppets or a soft toy, this assembly highlights how the rubbish we discard can and spoil the environment and endanger wildlife. The…
Raising Awareness
During this assembly pupils reflect on how social media can be an important platform for raising awareness of issues that are important to pupils through the example of Martha Payne’s school…
Taking Responsibility (assembly)
During this assembly pupils consider what the word responsibility means. You can find the ‘Taking responsibility’ lesson plan on the KS1 lesson page. The PowerPoint for the lesson is the…
More Lessons resources
Cultural Diversity in the UK
In this lesson pupils will be learning about cultural diversity in the UK and some of the historical factors that have contributed to the diversity of the UK population. Pupils…
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…
Let’s Get Active!
In this lesson pupils will think about the physical and mental benefits of exercise for health and wellbeing. They will learn about the importance of keeping active as part a…
More Understanding Rules & The Law 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…
What is a Digital Citizen?
In the delivery of this resource your students will explore what is meant by the term ‘digital citizen’. They...
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…
More KS1 (ages 5-7) resources
Considering Other Points of View (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Consider Other Viewpoints Before Making Up Our Minds. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship…
Exploring Our Community
In this lesson pupils will research what is meant by the word ‘community’. Pupils will think about who lives in their area and what services and facilities there are for…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
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…
We Treat Others with Respect (poster)
We treat others as we would like to be treated. We value listening to and learning from each other. To access this content, register for our School Subscription.
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…