News and Views: Democracy assembly
Democracy assembly for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
This democracy assembly gives pupils the opportunity to explore voting, having a say and how decisions are made. It is particularly relevant for International Day of Democracy on 15 September, but can also be used at any point when exploring democracy and pupil voice.
Designed for EYFS, KS1 and KS2, the resource can be used for a whole-school assembly, class assembly, PSHE or SMSC discussion, or a meaningful 15–25 minute classroom discussion. Pupils consider the big question: Should everyone have a say in decisions that affect them?
What does democracy mean?
Pupils look closely at photographs and explore what democracy means and some of the ways people can have a say in decisions that affect them.
They vote on whether everyone should be allowed to vote from the age of 16, consider different viewpoints and discuss other ways people can make their voices heard, including school councils, surveys and talking to representatives.
Pupils then take part in a short debate before voting again and considering whether listening to other people’s views has changed their thinking.
What’s included in the democracy assembly?
The complete News and Views topic pack includes:
- ready-to-use assembly slides
- a detailed teacher guide with background information and delivery guidance
- a photo pack
- differentiated word banks and discussion prompts for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
- phase-appropriate lesson and follow-up activities
- a family discussion prompt
- a pupil voice challenge
✨ How to use the launchable slides
Launch the presentation directly in your browser and use it on your interactive whiteboard.
🧭 Use the lesson menu at the start of the presentation to jump straight to the lesson you are teaching.
📝 Click Notes to see teacher guidance, answers and additional information where included.
⬅️ ➡️ To move through the presentation, click on the slides first, then use the left and right cursor arrow keys on your keyboard.
For technical and copyright reasons, these presentation slides are available to launch online rather than download.
Democracy, British Values and pupil voice
The assembly makes meaningful connections with British Values, SMSC, PSHE and oracy. Pupils explore democracy alongside individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance and the Rule of Law, while considering how people can express their views and participate in decisions.
Voting, discussion and debate give pupils opportunities to express an opinion, explain their reasoning, listen respectfully to different viewpoints and consider whether new information or another person’s argument might change their thinking.
This resource is part of News and Views, our collection of ready-to-use whole-school and class assemblies exploring current affairs, real-world issues and thought-provoking questions. Explore our primary assembly resources.
