What do local councils do?
I can describe some of the key services a local council provides and how these are funded.
What do local councils do?
I can describe some of the key services a local council provides and how these are funded.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Local councils provide and manage essential community services, including education, health and waste management.
- The local government system is different around the country and works in a tier system.
- Local government is funded by grants from central government, council taxes, business rates and local service fees.
- Councils only have a certain amount of income and so they have to make difficult spending decisions.
Keywords
Tier - layers or levels
Local council - a group of people elected to represent citizens and make decisions on how the local area should be run
Services - ways in which to help, support and / or serve the public
Income - the money a person or government earns
Tax - compulsory charges to citizens and businesses by government to finance some of its spending
Common misconception
Councils only deal with minor issues, like park maintenance.
Local councils play a crucial role in many significant areas, including urban and housing planning, public health, education and community services. They have a say in local regulations, budgets and initiatives that greatly impact quality of life.
To help you plan your year 7 citizenship lesson on: What do local councils do?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 citizenship lesson on: What do local councils do?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the How does local democracy work? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
6 Questions
courses of action or goals that governments plan to carry out
government system, where citizens have a say in how the country is run
transfer of power to regional government, e.g. to Welsh Parliament
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
London borough council
county council, district council
Welsh Parliament