Good Learning Co.
SavannahYear 8
← Citizenship
CitizenshipCommunities and local government25 min★★ difficulty

Public institutions and voluntary groups

Councils, the NHS and the police are just part of the picture — charities and volunteers fill gaps that public bodies cannot always reach.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Democracy and government: Understand the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities

Key learning points

  • • Public institutions
  • • Voluntary and charitable groups
  • • Working together

This lesson at a glance

  • 25 minutes
  • 14 parts to scroll through
  • 3 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

playedpublicinstitutionsvoluntarygroups

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 14 · Discover7%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 14

Watch first

Public institutions and voluntary groups

An English teaching video on this topic from Bitesize Education. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Understand the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 14

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Public institutions

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 14

Learn

Public institutions

Public institutions such as the NHS, schools, the police and local councils are funded by taxpayers to provide essential services. They are accountable to the public through elected representatives and regulators, and their decisions affect everyone in a community.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 14

Learn

Voluntary and charitable groups

Voluntary organisations, from food banks to sports clubs, are run by people giving their time and skills for free or for causes they care about. They often respond faster than large institutions and know local needs well.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 14

Quick check

Which of these is a public institution funded by taxpayers?

6

Reset break

Part 6 of 14

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
7

Quick check

Part 7 of 14

Quick check

What is a key strength of voluntary groups?

8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 14

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Working together

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 14

Learn

Working together

Public bodies and voluntary groups frequently partner: a council might fund a charity to run a youth club, or a hospital might rely on volunteer drivers. Citizens who volunteer, donate or campaign help both sectors succeed.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 14

Quick check

Give an example of public and voluntary sectors working together.

11

Challenge round

Part 11 of 14

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

12

Challenge round

Part 12 of 14

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

____ institutions such as the NHS, schools, the police and local councils are funded by taxpayers to provide essential services.

____ organisations, from food banks to sports clubs, are run by people giving their time and skills for free or for causes they care about.

They often respond faster than large ____ and know local needs well.

13

Mastery quiz

Part 13 of 14

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Public institutions and voluntary groups

3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Which of these is a public institution funded by taxpayers?

  2. 2. What is a key strength of voluntary groups?

  3. 3. Give an example of public and voluntary sectors working together.

14

Lesson round-up

Part 14 of 14

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Case study

Should the town centre have a curfew for under-16s?

After a rise in reported vandalism, Harbrook council proposed that under-16s should not be in the town centre after 9 pm without an adult. Police recorded 62 incidents last year, most between 9 pm and midnight. Shopkeepers signed a petition supporting the plan.

A youth council objected. They pointed out that most young people in town at night were going home from sports clubs or work, that the plan punishes a whole group for the acts of a few, and that the library and the bus interchange are in the town centre. They asked instead for a late bus and a youth space.

The council voted to trial the curfew for six months and to publish the crime figures at the end.

Written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. Give the strongest point on each side of the argument, using a fact from the case.
  2. Whose rights and whose responsibilities are involved here? Explain both.
  3. Write your own view on the curfew with reasons and one example.

  • Reading and response

    Reading

    Read the case in the lesson again and write what you think should happen, and why it is fair. Use one fact from the case as evidence.

    2 paragraphs (PEE)

  • Extended writing

    Writing

    Write your answer to the lesson's big question in full: the strongest point on each side, then your own view with reasons and an example.

    250–350 words

  • Reading log

    Reading

    Find one news story this week that links to this lesson. Note the headline, where you read it, and how it connects.

    1 story, 4–5 sentences

  • Two sides of the argument

    Writing

    Write the strongest point for, the strongest point against, and then your own view with a reason.

    3 paragraphs

  • Poster or leaflet plan

    Diagram

    Plan a leaflet that explains this right or responsibility to someone your age, then photograph it.

    1 planned page

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Part 1 of 14 · Watch & discover

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    Understand the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities

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