Attorney General launches free Rule of Law lesson plans for every school in England and Wales

The lesson plans which aim to teach young people about their rights and the legal system, have been developed with expert educators and shaped by feedback from teachers. Resources range from introductory lessons for five-year-olds exploring why rules exist, to more complex material examining contemporary threats to the rule of law. 

Each lesson is accompanied by task worksheets, explainer videos and quizzes. The key stages one to four plans are free for teachers to download from the Oak National Academy's website: www.thenational.academy. 

Oak National Academy is used by around three-quarters of England schools and is backed by the Department for Education. The new resources are a practical exploration of what citizenship teaching could look like in light of wider curriculum review. The rule of law is identified as a Fundamental British Value by the Department for Education.

To mark the launch, the Attorney General, Richard Hermer KC and Advocate General of Scotland Catherine Smith KC visited Ark Blake Academy in Croydon on Thursday 2 July 2026, observing a Year 9 lesson using the new resources and taking questions from students. 

The Attorney General, Richard Hermer KC, said:

Every child deserves to understand the laws and rights that protect them. Until now, too many schools have lacked the high-quality resources to teach that with confidence. These free lesson plans, developed with Oak National Academy and the Association of Citizenship Teachers, change that.

Visiting Ark Blake and seeing students engage so enthusiastically with discussions about the importance of the rule of law  a fundamental British value - is exactly why this work matters.

John Roberts, CEO of Oak National Academy said: 

It's been brilliant to work with the Attorney General's Office to develop these resources, and give teachers the tools to bring important conversations about the rule of law into the classroom.

By helping pupils understand their rights, the protections the law provides, and the role they play in society, these lessons will support young people to become informed, active citizens.