What does the Civil Service do?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the Civil Service is governed and describe its roles and responsibilities in government.
Key learning points
- The UK Government has three main branches: legislative, executive and judiciary.
- The Cabinet is chosen by the PM. It leads government departments and makes key decisions on government policies.
- The Civil Service advises ministers, implements government policies and provides services to the public.
- Ministers and civil servants both work within government departments, but their job roles and responsibilities differ.
- Civil servants are employed after a hiring process, whereas ministers are elected, then chosen for particular roles.
Keywords
Government - the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
Civil Service - individuals who are employed by the Government to carry out the work of government departments; a politically neutral body
Common misconception
The Civil Service is a political body.
The Civil Service is designed to be impartial, serving the Government of the day. Civil servants are expected to provide objective advice and implement policy without political bias. This allows for continuity even when political leadership changes.
Teacher tip
Explore the Civil Service jobs website with pupils to discover employment roles beyond politics, from environmental officers to cybersecurity specialists. Ask which roles interest them and why, sparking discussion on skills, responsibilities and real-world impact.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the branch of the Government with its purpose.
enforcing laws
passing laws
serving justice
Q2.Who leads the UK Government?
Q3.The has the authority to govern the UK.
Q4.Which is not a requirement to vote in a general election?
Q5.The Cabinet makes decisions but is accountable to and the law.
Q6.Which is not a part of the dissolution of Parliament?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who chooses the Cabinet in the UK?
Q2.Match the word to the correct definition.
group with the authority to govern a country
Members of Parliament who lead major government departments
employees who carry out the work of government departments
Q3.Which branch of the UK Government leads government departments and makes key decisions on government policies?
Q4.The primary responsibility of ministers within the Government is to make key decisions and lead their ...
Q5.Which is not a role of the Civil Service?
Q6.Civil servants are expected to provide objective advice and implement policy without political...
To help you plan your 9 citizenship lesson on: What does the Civil Service do?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 citizenship lesson on: What does the Civil Service do?, 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 3 citizenship lessons from the How is the UK governed? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.