Something I learnt in today’s session: “That children have rights.” This is feedback from a Year 7 pupil during a trial Legal Education Session on The Environment and Pollution.
How can we expect young people to grow into informed, responsible citizens if they don’t know about or understand the laws that shape their lives?
At the Children’s Legal Centre Wales, we believe that legal education should be a core part of every child’s learning journey. Laws impact everything from school and housing to health, social care, and personal safety – yet far too many young people in Wales are navigating this complex world without the knowledge they need.
What the Research Shows
This need for better legal education isn’t new. In a report called The Desert (2018), by the Children’s Legal Centre’s Professor Jane Williams and Hannah Bussicott, described Wales as a “PLE desert” — a term used to highlight the severe lack of public legal education (PLE) resources for children tailored to Welsh law. Some key findings from the report:
- Young people are at risk. Many rely on social media, peers, or hearsay for legal advice, which leads to misinformation and confusion.
- Wales has its own laws. Devolution has created major differences between Welsh and English law in areas like housing, education, and health—but these changes aren’t widely understood.
- Efforts are fragmented. While some schools and organisations are doing great work, there’s no consistent, coordinated approach to legal education across Wales.
That’s where the Children’s Legal Centre comes in. Thanks to support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, CLCW created a role of Education and Engagement Lead—to turn research into action. Rhian Howells took up this post in June 2023, with the aim to build and deliver meaningful legal education sessions for children and young people across Wales.
After consulting with 70 Year 6 pupils and conducting a scoping exercise to identify existing resources—using diamond ranking activities—we selected nine topic areas.
- Knife Crime
- Sexting/ Sexploitation
- Vaping and Addictive Substances
- Mental Health
- Cost of Living (Benefits, Free School Meals, Universal Uniform Grant)
- Relationships (Family)
- Identity
- Environment and Pollution
- Contact with the police
We created a resource pack for each area, which includes a lesson plan for professionals, linked to the Curriculum for Wales, a lesson PowerPoint and an infographic aimed at summarising the information for children. We have piloted all of the sessions with year 7 pupils in two secondary schools in Swansea.
Additionally, we worked with the Street Law Students at Swansea University to generate additional session and resource in the areas of knife crime and sexting.
What We’ve Learned So Far
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. After trialling the resources with over 200 Year 7 students, feedback showed that students were engaged, curious, and often surprised by what they learned. Many 
had no idea that the age of criminal responsibility in Wales is just 10 years old. Others were shocked to discover that, under certain circumstances, they could be legally strip-searched at a police station.
Following the ‘Contact with the Police’ session, when asked to write something they had learned, one Year 7 student wrote: “You can have naked body checks/pat downs.”
These sessions frequently sparked thought-provoking discussions and debates, giving students the chance to ask questions and share experiences they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to express. Feedback clearly shows that students value these opportunities for open dialogue. One student commented, “The video clips were very useful, especially when we discussed them in groups.” This sentiment was echoed throughout the feedback, highlighting the importance of interactive and collaborative learning.
For example, sessions on the consequences of knife crime encouraged students to reflect on how they might react in various situations and to consider different perspectives. Misconceptions – such as the belief that carrying a knife for ‘self-defence’ is legal – were directly challenged, as were myths around how often people are harmed by their own weapons.
Many pupils had heard about knife crime through social media or the news, where stories are often sensationalised or inaccurate. They wanted the facts. They wanted to understand their rights and the real-life consequences of legal decisions.
This supports calls—such as those made by Dr Rhian Croke—for an evidence-based approach to tackling knife crime in Wales. Knowledge, in this context, is a powerful preventative tool.
The Bigger Picture
For years, many Welsh schools have relied on police-led (School Beat) sessions that focus on drugs, anti-social behaviour, and criminal justice. While valuable, this programme was narrow in its focus, and has also seen cuts in funding and inconsistent delivery across different regions in Wales.
Our goal is to create resources that provide education professionals with consistent tools to be able to deliver Legal Education sessions that fill the needs of children in Wales today.
What’s Happening now
From March to June 2025, we trialed these sessions and collected feedback. The results are clear – young people want this education, and they need it.
At the Children’s Legal Centre Wales, we’re committed to making legal education a regular part of school life – not just a one-off event. Because when young people understand their legal rights, and the systems that affect them, they’re not just better prepared for the future – they’re safer, stronger, and more informed citizens today.
Importantly, our Legal Education sessions do not only focus on criminal law but other areas such as, Civil Law and Health and Social Care Law. For example, a session on The Cost of Living covers the support that Governments should provide to families that are struggling, and how the Welsh Government needs to take into consideration the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making decisions that affect children and young people.
Watch this Space!
It is clear from feedback from children and the staff and other stakeholders that have reached out to the CLC Wales, that there is an appetite for these resources. In an ever-changing world, children and young people want clear, up-to-date and accurate information about issues that are most relevant to them. We look forward to publishing the finalised resources later in the year.