Delivering the understand strand | FE Colleges

Key topics 

• The history and development of democracy.
• Local, regional, devolved and UK government.
• Electoral systems and democratic processes.
• How laws and policies are made.

Why the Understand strand matters in post-16 settings

Post-16 learners should be beginning to feel prepared for democratic life, including voting for the first time. It is therefore important that all learners understand the structure, systems and how parliament works. Students are more likely to engage with democracy if they have an understanding of government structures and institutions. Post-16 learners’ daily lives are impacted by the activities of government institutions - from the transport they take to the curriculum they encounter.

Much of government structure can be seen as complex, this includes the various levels of government, devolution, and understanding the unwritten constitution. Thus, it is important for learners to gain an understanding without being overwhelmed. Aim to use current examples of issues or bills that help to illustrate the real workings of government, rather than teaching about structures in an abstract way or focusing heavily on processes. When possible, connect the issues that learners care about to the structures and institutions who are responsible for those issues.

My approach

How I would teach this strand:

• Young people are most likely to engage when they feel the content is localised and connected to the issues that matter to them. Where possible in discussions, I try to use local examples of what the government has done for the area and who the local MPs and/or Councillors are.
• You can use the UK Government’s Find Your MP search tool or mySociety’s WriteToThem search tool to support this. You can also include examples from local councils or institutions to provide young people with concrete examples of democratic structures at work.

Advice to teachers:

• It is key not to overcomplicate the structure of parliament at this stage, as this can lead to disengagement.
• Learners should have a basic foundation of which institutions and structures are most important, both nationally and locally.
• Then, consider what learners need to know and provide mini-lessons that accompany relevant issues or policies.
• By weaving in content you are able to meet students where they are, instead of trying to teach everything all at one time.

Engaging young people:

• This work lends itself to group research. Learners can research which institutions most impact their own lives. For example, learners could spend time researching their local councils, including what issues their councils are prioritising and how decisions are made at a local level.
• By having learners research they are able to more actively participate in their learning, as opposed to just being asked to recall or recite how power is divided and shared.

If you can only do one thing…

Focus on local issues and local government. Learners should feel connected to government, and local government has a large impact on the lives that people live from day to day. Ensure learners know how local government works and how to participate.

Where this fits into the curriculum

• Tutorial time: This can be connected to the promotion of British Values and helping to prepare learners for democratic life.
• T Levels: Connecting professional licensing, accreditation, and safety requirements to the institutions that oversee them. Helping learners to better understand how government connects to the workplace.
• A Level Politics: This is a fundamental component of the politics curriculum.

Key resources

If you have 30 minutes or less…

• What is the House of Commons: A guide for secondary school students and
• What is the House of Lords: A guide for secondary school students from UK Parliament - Introduction to Parliament video, UK Parliament - Introduce the structure of parliament using these videos, pausing where appropriate for discussion.
• The Houses of Parliament virtual tour, UK Parliament – If you have time, use this interactive virtual tour to explore the different structures, areas and purposes of UK Parliament, using the information provided throughout to generate a discussion with the class.

If you have 1 hour…

• What are the differences between local, regional and national government? Oak National Academy - Use this lesson and allow time for discussion of content and activities.
• You can then use the virtual tour as a plenary activity to help learners to visualise the learned content and to generate a further discussion with the class.

1-3 hours… 

• Use the House of Commons and House of Lords videos to introduce the structure of parliament.
• How is the country run? Oak National Academy - Then, use this lesson, followed by What are the differences between local, regional and national government? Oak National Academy, allowing time for discussions of content and activities.
• You can then use the virtual tour as a plenary activity to help learners to visualise the learned content and to generate a further discussion with the class.

If you have 4-6 hours…  

• Use the House of Commons and House of Lords videos to introduce the structure of parliament.
• Follow with the How is the country run? Oak National Academy and What are the differences between local, regional and national government? Oak National Academy lessons.
• Following this, learners can research further into local politics:
• WriteToThem, mySociety - In groups, learners can use this search tool as a starting point to research their local councillor and discover what their Councillor’s priorities are and what they have achieved for their local area.
• How to research a politician guide, The Politics Project - Learners can use this guidance with the task.
• Learners can then present their findings, highlighting achievements, goals and any improvements they feel their Councillor should focus on in the future.
• Misinformation toolkit, Full Fact - It is important to be aware of misinformation, particularly online, when researching. This toolkit can help learners identify misinformation.

6 hours plus…

• Start with  What are the differences between local, regional and national government? and What are local councils and what do they do? From Oak National Academy, allowing time for discussions of content and activities.
• In groups, learners can then research into their local representatives and present their findings:
• WriteToThem, mySociety
• How to research a politician guide, The Politics Project
• Misinformation toolkit, Full Fact
• As a plenary activity, the teacher can lead a discussion/debate regarding which role-holder has benefited the local community more; their local MP or Councillor?

Considerations for learners with additional needs

• Some learners may struggle with research tasks and become overwhelmed with the amount of internet information available. Therefore, additional prompts and pre prepared/printed research may be needed as a starting point to guide learners.
• Use clear language throughout. It can be easy when talking about institutions and structures to use acronyms or political jargon. Consistently say the full names of institutions. For common abbreviations you may want to have a location in the classroom where you can post the acronym and the full name as a visual reminder.
• Make learning visual. Use diagrams, visual maps and graphic organisers to show who is responsible for what and how local, regional and national institutions interact.
• Use issues and examples that learners are familiar with and care about. Connect the lived experiences of learners with the institutions and structures that are impacting them.
• Provide opportunities to revisit and apply knowledge. Learners may benefit from returning to the same institution or process in different contexts, rather than being expected to remember all the information after one engagement.