What is sentencing?
I can explain different purposes and types of sentencing and evaluate their effectiveness.
What is sentencing?
I can explain different purposes and types of sentencing and evaluate their effectiveness.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The five purposes of sentencing are to punish, reduce crime, reform, protect the public, and offer reparation.
- There are different types of sentences: discharge, fine, community sentence, and custodial sentence.
- Judges decide sentences based on Sentencing Council guidelines, considering both aggravating and mitigating factors.
- Parliament creates laws that set maximum and minimum sentences for crimes.
Keywords
Sentencing - the punishment that a judge or magistrate decides someone should be given after they have been convicted of a crime
Crime - an illegal act that is punishable by law
Offender - someone who has committed a crime
Common misconception
Judges and magistrates have complete freedom in deciding sentences.
Parliament sets the laws that determine maximum and minimum sentences, and the Sentencing Council provides guidelines that judges and magistrates must follow.
To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: What is sentencing?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: What is sentencing?, 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 4 citizenship lessons from the What are the strengths and weaknesses of the legal system? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
someone who handles cases in lower courts involving minor offences.
a person who has broken a law and is facing legal consequences.
someone who makes decisions and oversees cases in higher courts.
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a person who has broken a law
an illegal act that is punishable by law
the process of deciding an appropriate punishment