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Key Stage 3 citizenship · Democracy and government

KS3 how Parliament works and how a bill becomes law

At Key Stage 3, pupils learn how the UK Parliament actually operates: the two Houses, the roles of the government and opposition, and the journey a bill takes before it becomes law. Knowing the process helps teenagers make sense of news stories about votes and debates, and shows them where citizens can have an influence.

How Parliament works, explained

The UK Parliament has two Houses that meet in the Palace of Westminster. The House of Commons has 650 MPs, each elected by voters in one constituency at a general election, and it is the more powerful chamber. The House of Lords is made up of members who are not elected by the public, and its main job is to look closely at proposed laws and suggest changes. The Speaker, an MP chosen by other MPs, keeps order in the Commons and has to stay neutral between parties. Parliament has three main jobs: to make laws, to scrutinise the government and to debate the issues of the day.

A proposed law is called a bill. Most bills are put forward by the government, though individual MPs and peers can bring forward “private members’ bills”. Government plans are sometimes first set out in a draft paper so that people can comment. A bill then goes through set stages. At the first reading it is introduced. The second reading is a debate on the main idea. In the committee stage a smaller group goes through it line by line, the report stage lets the whole House suggest changes, and the third reading is a final debate and vote. Then the bill goes to the other House, where the same stages happen.

If the two Houses disagree, the bill can be sent back and forth until they agree, a process pupils sometimes hear called “ping-pong”. The Commons has the final say on almost all bills, because the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 limit how long the Lords can delay a bill. When both Houses agree the exact wording, the bill receives Royal Assent from the monarch and becomes an Act of Parliament. Votes in the Commons are called divisions: MPs walk through one of two division lobbies, the “Aye” lobby or the “No” lobby, and are counted. Because most MPs belong to a political party and usually vote with it, a government whose party has a majority in the Commons will usually win its votes.

Pupils also look at how Parliament holds the government to account. The Prime Minister and other ministers answer questions from MPs in the Commons, including a weekly session where the leader of the opposition can challenge the Prime Minister directly. Committees of MPs examine government policy and spending, and the opposition parties are expected to criticise and offer alternatives. The largest of them is called the Official Opposition, and its leader is the Leader of the Opposition. Citizens can influence the process by writing to their MP, joining a campaign or signing an official petition: a petition that gets 10,000 signatures receives a government response, and one with 100,000 signatures is considered for debate.

Words your child will hear

Bill
A proposed law while it is still being discussed in Parliament.
Act of Parliament
A bill that has passed through both Houses and received Royal Assent, so it is now law.
Opposition
The parties that are not in government. The largest is the Official Opposition, which questions and challenges what the government does.
Scrutiny
Checking something closely. Parliament scrutinises government decisions and proposed laws.
Division
A formal vote in which MPs or peers walk through different lobbies to be counted.
Speaker
The MP who chairs debates in the Commons and keeps order. They must be neutral.
Peer
A member of the House of Lords.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 3 says:

  • Pupils should be taught about the operation of Parliament, including voting and elections, and the role of political parties
  • Aim: pupils acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of how the United Kingdom is governed, its political system and how citizens participate actively in its democratic systems of government.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: following a bill through Parliament

Imagine a made-up law: the Safe Cycling (Lights) Bill, which would require all bikes sold in the UK to come with working front and rear lights. Describe how it could become law.

  1. The bill is introduced in one House, say the Commons. This is the first reading, a formal announcement. Nobody debates it yet.
  2. At the second reading, MPs debate the main idea. Supporters talk about safety; critics might say it would raise the price of bikes. The Commons votes on whether to let the bill continue.
  3. In the committee stage a small group of MPs examines each clause. They might change the wording so that children’s balance bikes are exempt. At the report stage the whole House can vote on further changes, and the third reading is the final vote in that House.
  4. The bill goes to the House of Lords, which repeats these stages. Peers may suggest changes, such as a delay in starting the rule so that shops can sell existing stock, and send the bill back for MPs to consider.
  5. Once both Houses agree the final wording, the monarch gives Royal Assent. The bill becomes the Safe Cycling (Lights) Act, and a start date is set.

The bill would pass through first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage and third reading in each House, with changes agreed between them, before receiving Royal Assent and becoming an Act. At several points, citizens and groups such as cycling clubs or shops could contact MPs to support or challenge it.

Common mistakes and how to help

Thinking the Prime Minister can simply make laws

News headlines often say “the Prime Minister has announced a new law”, which suggests that one person decides.

What helps: Point out that an announcement is only a plan. It has to pass through the Commons and the Lords, where it can be questioned, changed or defeated.

Believing a bill is the same as a law

The words are used interchangeably in conversation, but a bill has no force until it becomes an Act.

What helps: Compare it to a recipe and a finished cake. A bill is a proposal that can still change or fail, and only an Act is law.

Thinking the House of Lords can block any law it dislikes

Because it checks bills carefully, pupils assume it holds a veto.

What helps: Explain that the Lords can suggest amendments and delay a bill, but the elected Commons usually has the final say. Ask why a system might be designed that way.

Assuming every MP votes however they personally feel

Debates show MPs from the same party often arguing on one side, which can look like the whole chamber agrees.

What helps: Talk about party discipline. MPs in a party are usually expected to follow the party line, and party whips encourage them to do so. On some issues, often matters of conscience, parties allow a free vote.

How to help at home

  • Run a family bill. Propose a household rule, such as phones off the table at dinner, and take it through stages: a proposal, a debate, a change to the wording, then a final vote. Include a “Lords” round where one person asks for a second look.
  • Watch a short extract together. If your child is curious, watch a few minutes of a recorded Commons debate. Ask them to spot the Speaker, the government and the opposition, and note how MPs address each other.
  • Follow one bill. Choose a bill in the news and track which stage it has reached over a few weeks. Even a rough note on a calendar shows how slowly and carefully laws are made.
  • Write to an MP. Help your child draft a short, polite letter or email to the local MP on an issue they care about. Writing a clear request with a reason is exactly the skill the curriculum describes as taking informed action.

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