The House of Lords: Role and Reform

Active learning helps Year 9 students grasp the complexities of the House of Lords by making abstract roles and reforms tangible. When students step into roles or debate real proposals, they see how power balances work in practice rather than just reading about them.

• Year 9
• Citizenship
• 4 activities
• 35 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the specific functions of the House of Lords within the UK legislative process, distinguishing its role from the House of Commons.
2. Compare and contrast at least two distinct proposals for reforming the House of Lords, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Formulate and justify a personal policy recommendation for the reform of the House of Lords, considering principles of democratic accountability and expertise.
4. Evaluate the impact of the unelected nature of the House of Lords on its legitimacy and effectiveness.
5. Synthesize information from various sources to explain the historical context of the House of Lords' composition and powers.

Philosophical Chairs

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Role-Play: Lords Scrutiny Session

Divide class into Lords' groups assigned roles (life peer, bishop, hereditary). Provide a sample bill excerpt; groups propose amendments and debate changes for 20 minutes. Conclude with a vote and reflection on scrutiny's value.

Prepare & details

Analyze the unique role of the House of Lords in the UK's legislative process.

Facilitation Tip: For the Role-Play: Lords Scrutiny Session, assign clear roles (MPs, Lords members, bishops, experts) and provide a real bill excerpt to focus arguments.

Setup: Room divided into two sides with clear center line

Materials: Provocative statement card, Evidence cards (optional), Movement tracking sheet

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Philosophical Chairs

⏱ 40 min·Pairs

Debate Carousel: Reform Proposals

Post four reform options around the room (e.g., full election, abolition). Pairs visit each station for 5 minutes, noting pros/cons on sticky notes. Regroup to prioritise one proposal and present justifications.

Prepare & details

Compare different proposals for reforming the House of Lords, considering their potential impacts.

Facilitation Tip: During the Debate Carousel: Reform Proposals, set a 3-minute timer per station to keep discussions concise and ensure all students contribute.

Setup: Room divided into two sides with clear center line

Materials: Provocative statement card, Evidence cards (optional), Movement tracking sheet

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Philosophical Chairs

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Committee Simulation: Bill Inquiry

Form select committees to investigate a fictional bill on climate policy. Research evidence, question 'witnesses' (peers acting roles), and draft a report with recommendations. Share findings class-wide.

Prepare & details

Justify what a just policy for reforming the House of Lords would look like.

Facilitation Tip: For the Committee Simulation: Bill Inquiry, give students a specific policy topic (e.g., climate change) and require them to draft three key questions for witnesses.

Setup: Room divided into two sides with clear center line

Materials: Provocative statement card, Evidence cards (optional), Movement tracking sheet

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Philosophical Chairs

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Policy Justification: Lords Reform Pitch

Individuals or pairs select a reform stance, prepare a 2-minute pitch with evidence on impacts. Class votes via anonymous ballot, then discusses influences on democratic legitimacy.

Prepare & details

Analyze the unique role of the House of Lords in the UK's legislative process.

Facilitation Tip: In the Policy Justification: Lords Reform Pitch, provide a template with sections for reform type, selection method, and justification to scaffold critical thinking.

Setup: Room divided into two sides with clear center line

Materials: Provocative statement card, Evidence cards (optional), Movement tracking sheet

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing information delivery with interactive tasks that force students to apply knowledge immediately. Avoid lecturing on reform options without context; instead, let students experience the tensions firsthand. Research shows that simulations and debates deepen understanding of democratic systems more than passive reading or lectures.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining the Lords’ functions and critically evaluating reform ideas through structured discussion and simulation. They should connect the Lords’ expertise and delays to real-world policy outcomes.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Role-Play: Lords Scrutiny Session, watch for students assuming the Lords can veto bills outright.

What to Teach Instead

Use the role-play script to highlight the Parliament Acts. Have the Commons team cite the act when overriding a Lords delay, ensuring students see the Lords’ limited power in action.

Common Misconception

During the Debate Carousel: Reform Proposals, watch for students dismissing the Lords as irrelevant because of hereditary peers.

What to Teach Instead

Provide data on the Lords’ committee inquiries and expert appointees at each station. Students must reference these examples when debating the chamber’s ongoing relevance.

Common Misconception

During the Policy Justification: Lords Reform Pitch, watch for students claiming reform is unnecessary because the Lords ‘works fine’.

What to Teach Instead

Require students to include a counterargument in their pitch, such as addressing size or legitimacy concerns, and challenge peers to question weak justifications in a follow-up discussion.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Role-Play: Lords Scrutiny Session, pose the question: 'If you were designing a new upper chamber for the UK Parliament today, what would be its primary purpose and how would its members be selected?' Facilitate a class debate, encouraging students to justify their choices based on principles discussed during the simulation.

Quick Check

During the Committee Simulation: Bill Inquiry, provide students with a short case study describing a hypothetical bill being debated in Parliament. Ask them to write two sentences explaining how the House of Lords might scrutinize or amend this bill, and one sentence on how its unelected status might affect public perception of the bill.

Peer Assessment

After the Policy Justification: Lords Reform Pitch, students exchange their written pitches with a partner and provide feedback using two specific criteria: 'Does the proposal clearly state how members would be chosen?' and 'Does it explain one potential benefit or drawback of this selection method?'

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research a current House of Lords reform bill and compare it to their own proposals.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for the Lords Reform Pitch, such as 'One problem with the current system is...' or 'A better method would be...'.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to explore how the Lords’ committee system compares to the Commons’ Public Bill Committees through a Venn diagram.

Key Vocabulary

Life Peer	An individual appointed to the House of Lords for the duration of their life, typically based on significant achievement or expertise in a particular field.
Hereditary Peer	A member of the House of Lords who inherits their title and right to sit in the chamber from their family.
Parliament Acts	Legislation passed in 1911 and 1949 that significantly limited the powers of the House of Lords, particularly regarding financial legislation and the ability to veto bills.
Scrutiny	The detailed examination and investigation of proposed legislation and government actions by members of Parliament to ensure accuracy, fairness, and effectiveness.
Select Committee	A small group of members from either the House of Lords or House of Commons appointed to investigate a specific issue or area of policy.