Citizenship · Year 9

Active learning ideas

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.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: Citizenship - Parliamentary Democracy

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

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.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

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.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Students write a short paragraph outlining one proposed reform for the House of Lords. They then exchange paragraphs 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?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• 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.

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.

What to look for

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.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Philosophical Chairs