Hello, I'm Mrs. Barry, and I'll be your Citizenship teacher today.

We've got a really exciting lesson to look at together on the criminal justice system, and some of this learning might be new, but that's okay because we're here to work together to achieve our outcome by the end.

So let's make a start.

Today's lesson comes from the unit "What is the law and how has it changed?" This lesson is called "What is the age of criminal responsibility?" During today's lesson, we're going to achieve the outcome of explaining how individuals choose right from wrong, explain what the age of criminal responsibility is, and how it applies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

During today's lesson, we need to bear in mind the ground rules, so let's have a look at these.

Laura reminds us to "listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement, not the person." Andeep reminds us to respect privacy.

He says, "We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." Izzy tells us to "choose the level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot." And Jacob reminds us not to judge, so, "No judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." During today's lesson, there's a range of keywords that we have to know to be able to go through the material successfully.

So let's have a look at these together.

Right and wrong means actions or behaviours that are considered morally acceptable or unacceptable based on societal values or personal beliefs.

Law means rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves.

Crime is an illegal act that is punishable by law.

And age of criminal responsibility is the minimum age at which a person can be legally considered responsible for a crime.

So today's lesson has two parts.

How do we choose right from wrong? And when should we be held legally responsible? And we're going to start off with, how do we choose right from wrong? There are many different factors that influence an individual's views on what is right and wrong.

These factors could include following our instincts, social responsibility, or our responsibilities in the community, thinking about how our choices affect the happiness of others, what the kindest course of action is, not wanting to be selfish, showing consideration and cooperation, and making sure our actions do not harm others.

The Oak National Academy pupils are organising a local community cleanup day.

Everyone has a role to play and there are different tasks to be done, like picking up litter, sorting recycling, and planting new trees.

One of their teachers is supervising the event and they notice a lot of different actions taking place.

Some of these actions could be considered as right, whilst others might be seen as wrong.

Consider what you think about each action.

Here's Jun, so Jun was seen picking up litter and placing it in the correct recycling bin.

He was making sure everything was sorted properly so the materials could be reused.

He was also encouraging others to do the same.

And here we have Izzy.

Izzy started picking up litter, but quickly got distracted and left her area to join a group of friends who were sitting nearby.

She left her litter behind, causing others to have to clean up after her.

And here's Sam.

Sam noticed a plastic bottle on the ground near where a group of people were working.

She picked it up and placed it in the recycling bin, even though it wasn't in her area.

And here's Andeep.

Andeep complained about how hot it was and refused to help because he felt it was too much work.

He sat under a tree, watching others do the tasks.

And now here's Jacob.

Jacob asked if he could help someone who looked overwhelmed with sorting recycling.

He offered to take over part of their task so that they could finish more quickly together.

And here's Laura.

Laura insisted that she should be in charge of the entire event, dismissing others' suggestions and trying to do everything herself.

She made the team feel frustrated and unappreciated.

So what examples of right did you see? Let's have a look.

Showing consideration and cooperation.

Jun, for example, picked up litter, sorted it for recycling, and encouraged others to do the same.

Social responsibility, we've got Sam here who took initiative to clean up, even though the bottle wasn't in her area, showing consideration for the environment and the group.

And then thinking about how our choices affect the happiness of others, Jacob offered to help someone overwhelmed with sorting recycling and took over part of their task so they could finish more quickly.

These are all examples of right.

And now we have to consider what examples of wrong that we saw.

So what examples of wrong did you see? We had being selfish.

Izzy started picking up litter, but then left her area to join her friends, leaving the litter behind for others to clean up.

We had not thinking about our choices on happiness of others.

Andeep refused to help because he felt the task was too difficult and complained about the heat.

And then a lack of consideration and cooperation.

Laura took control of the entire event, ignored others' suggestions, and tried to do everything herself, leaving the team frustrated and unappreciated.

So these are all examples of wrong.

Let's see if we've got that right.

So which of the following is an effective way to decide if an action is right or wrong? Is it A, always follow your instincts without thinking about the consequences; B, consider how your action will affect the happiness of others and whether it promotes cooperation; or C, act based on what seems easiest without considering responsibility or kindness.

Okay, so, hopefully you put B, consider how your action will affect the happiness of others and whether it promotes cooperation.

That's an effective way to decide if an action is right or wrong.

So we've got Laura here asking a really good question.

"At what age do you think we can tell right from wrong?" And Sam says, "Does it develop as we get older?" So let's think about our early development.

Young children have a basic sense of right and wrong, like understanding fairness.

Their ideas are often about rules they've been taught.

For example, don't hit, or share with others.

We also have the influence of family and school.

As we grow, the way we understand right and wrong is shaped by our experiences with family, friends and teachers.

We learn about social responsibility and how our actions affect others.

We've got moral thinking as well.

As you mature, you start to think about why something is right or wrong, not just the rules you've been taught.

You begin to consider the impact of your choices on others and your community, like whether an action is fair or if it shows cooperation and kindness.

You also have personal growth.

So over time you also develop your own moral values and understanding of what feels right based on our experiences and reflections.

We become more aware of how our choices can bring happiness or harm to others.

So let's check if we've got that.

Is this true or false? Young children have no sense of right or wrong.

Okay, so, that one's false.

Young children do have a basic sense of right or wrong, like knowing it's wrong to hit or that they should share.

This early understanding helps them build more complex ideas about right and wrong as they get older.

Let's practise what we've learned so far.

So let's read the following scenario carefully together.

Ella is at school and sees a fellow pupil drop their wallet.

Ella picks it up, but instead of returning it, she keeps the money inside for herself.

Do you think Ella's actions were right or wrong? Explain your opinion to a partner, considering responsibility, kindness, and the impact on others.

Give that a go, and when you're done, come back, and we can see what you might have said.

Okay, so you were asked to have a think about whether you think Ella's actions were right or wrong, and you were to explain your opinion to a partner considering responsibility, kindness, and the impact on others.

And you might have said something along the lines of this.

Ella's actions were wrong because she is not being responsible or kind.

When she keeps the money, she's thinking only about herself and not considering how the other person might feel having lost their wallet.

She didn't act with social responsibility or fairness, and keeping the money could cause harm to someone else.

I have a second task for you, and that is to write a short response explaining how our choices can be influenced by factors like our sense of social responsibility, thinking about how our actions affect the community, considering the happiness or harm to others, our personal values, what we believe is the kindest or fairest course of action, and our age.

Once you've written that response down, then we can have a look at what that might have looked like.

Well done for giving that a go.

And just to remind you, your task was to write a short response explaining how our choices can be influenced by a whole range of factors.

And your response might have looked like this.

As we get older, we start thinking more about how our actions affect other people and our community.

When we are younger, we follow rules, but as we grow, we start to think about what's fair and kind based on our own beliefs about what is right and wrong.

We also think about whether what we do will make others happy or hurt them.

With age, we get better at making choices that are good for everyone, not just ourselves.

To start that off, let's consider this question.

Why do societies need laws? Laws help keep us safe, protect our rights, and ensure everyone is treated fairly.

They prevent chaos, stop discrimination, and make sure leaders are held accountable.

If you break the law, you have committed a crime.

Laws are for everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from.

No one of any age is allowed to break the law.

However, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old.

This means children under 10 can't be arrested or charged with a crime.

Children aged 10 to 17 can be arrested and taken to court for committing a crime.

They are treated differently from adults.

For example, they are taken to youth courts, given different sentences, sent to special centres for young people, not adult prisons, and young people aged 18 are treated as an adult would be.

Sofia asks, "Does that mean if you are under 10 there are no consequences?" Children under 10 who break the law can't be charged with a crime, but can face consequences like a curfew or safety order.

If they continue to break the law repeatedly, social services might intervene or their parents or carers could be held accountable for their actions.

Let's check what we've understood so far by filling in the missing words.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the age of criminal responsibility is 10.

Children under this age can't be what or what with a crime.

Children under 10 who break the law can face consequences like a what or safety order.

Fill in those blanks and then we can have a look if you got them right.

So let's have a look.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the age of criminal responsibility is 10.

Children under this age can't be arrested or charged with a crime.

Children under 10 who break the law can face consequences like a curfew or safety order.

Well done if they're the words you used to answer those missing words.

The age of criminal responsibility is different around the world, for example.

In Grenada, it's age 7.

In Guyana, it's age 10.

In Scotland, it's 12.

In Monaco, it's age 13.

In Spain, it's age 14.

And in Norway, it's age 15.

And Cuba is age 16.

Can you match the age of criminal responsibility to the country? So on the left here, we've got England, Scotland, Cuba, and Grenada, and ages 7, 10, 12, and 16.

Once you've matched them up, we can see if you've got it right.

Okay, so let's have a look.

In England, the age of criminal responsibility is age 10.

In Scotland, it's age 12.

In Cuba, it's age 16.

And in Granada, it's age 7.

So well done if you got that right.

The age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland has been 10 years old since 1963.

Before 1998, children aged 10 to 14 were presumed to be doli incapax.

This means they could not be held criminally responsible for their actions unless it was proven that they knew their actions were wrong, not just mischievous.

The law changed in 1998 after the case of James Bulger, when two 10-year-old boys abducted and killed a toddler.

Following this case, the legal protections for children aged 10 to 14 were removed.

This meant the children of that age could be prosecuted without needing to prove they understood the wrongness of their actions.

Some people think that 10 is right for the age of criminal responsibility.

Children understand right and wrong.

They know when they're committing a crime.

By the age of 10, children's families and schools have taught them right and wrong.

Having the age as low as 10 is a useful deterrent.

If you let children get away without a proper punishment, they may just go on to commit worse crimes.

Other people might disagree and think the age of criminal responsibility should be changed.

England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in Europe, and this is not internationally acceptable.

Treating children who do bad things as people who need help instead of criminals is better for them and for society.

A child can't understand the court processes, so can't have a fair trial.

Children under 10 are too young to know what they are doing.

So which of the following is true about the age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland? Is it A, children aged 10 to 14 were always seen as criminally responsible, regardless of whether they knew their actions were wrong.

B, before 1998, children aged 10 to 14 were only considered criminally responsible if proved they understood their actions were wrong.

Or C, the law about criminal responsibility for children aged 10 to 14 has stayed the same since 1963.

Which do you think it is? Well done if you put B and you said that it was true that before 1998 children aged 10 to 14 were only considered criminally responsible if proved they understood their actions were wrong.

So let's practise what we've learned.

Read this scenario.

William is nine years old.

He was caught vandalising a local park by spray-painting graffiti on a wall.

The police have been called.

Answer the following questions.

A, can William be arrested or charged with a crime? Why or why not? B, what other consequences might William face, if any? And C, if William were aged 10 or older, how would things be different? Give that a go, and once you've tried it, we can have a look together at what those answers might look like.

Okay, so your answers to the questions could include something like this.

So A asked you, can William be arrested or charged with a crime? No, William can't be arrested or charged with a crime because he is under the age of 10.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old, so children under 10 can't be charged.

B, the question was, what other consequences might William face, if any? So you might have put something like this.

Although William cannot be charged with a crime, he could face other consequences for his actions.

For example, he could be given a curfew or a child safety order, which means he would have to follow specific rules to help prevent further misbehaviour.

If William continues to engage in unlawful behaviour, there may be consequences, such as an intervention from social services or his parents or carers could be held accountable for his actions.

C asked you, if William were age 10 or older, how would things be different? And you might have written something like this.

If William were 10 years old or older, things would be different because the age of criminal responsibility in the UK is 10.

At that age, William could be arrested and taken to court for his actions.

William would be treated differently from adults.

He would be dealt within the youth courts, given a different sentence, and potentially sent to a special secure centre for young people instead of an adult prison.

Well done if you got those right.

So question two that I'd like you to do.

Think about whether you believe the age of criminal responsibility should be raised in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

I'd like you to write down two arguments for raising the age and two arguments against.

In pairs, one of you will take the for side and the other will take the against side.

Be ready to share your points with the class.

Okay, well done for putting that together.

So I asked you to do a think, pair, share.

Should the age of criminal responsibility be raised in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland? You might have suggested these arguments for raising the age of criminal responsibility.

So you might have said young children don't fully understand their actions.

Children as young as 10 may not grasp the full consequences of their behaviour.

They mainly follow basic rules like don't hit or share, which might not be enough to understand the harm they cause.

You might also have said helping children instead of punishing them.

Instead of treating children as criminals, we should help them learn from their mistakes.

Offering support helps them make better choices, which benefits society in the long run.

You might have suggested these arguments for not raising the age of criminal responsibility.

So you might have said children aged 10 already know right from wrong.

By 10 years old, children have learned basic morals from family and school and understand when their actions are criminal.

You might also have said laws protect society and ensure safety.

Laws exist to maintain fairness and safety.

If children under 10 aren't held responsible, it could lead to more serious crimes later on.

Therefore, holding them accountable could prevent future crime.

Well done for working through today's lesson and here's our summary of what we've learned in response to, what is the age of criminal responsibility? Our understanding of right and wrong develops over time, shaped by things such as our experiences with family, friends and school.

Laws apply to everyone and no one is allowed to break them.

The age of criminal responsibility is the minimum age a person can be legally held accountable for a crime.

It varies by country.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland it is 10.

People have different views on whether 10 is the right age for this.

Some believe children know right from wrong by 10 and need consequences, while others think it's too young, as children may not fully understand the law and should receive help instead of punishment.