www.learnanywhere.co.uk

History at Key Stage 2

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

Who were the Victorians? When did they live?

The Victorian Era is the name given to theperiod in history when Queen Victoria was on the throne.

She was Queen from 1837 to 1901.

That’s more than 63 years, which is longer than any other British monarch so far.

Victoria had 9 children, of which 4 would later become monarchs: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI.

As well as English, Queen Victoria could speak German, French, Italian and Latin.

Unit 6b: Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? An Anglo Saxon Case Study

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

2000

1950

1900

1850

1800

1750

1700

1650

1600

1550

1450

1666: The Great Fire of London

1850s: Florence

Nightingale

1500

1939-1945:

Second World War

Who were the Victorians? When did they live?

1837-1901:The Victorian

Era

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

What was life like for a poor child in the 1840s?

working in textile mills

working in factories

working on farms

selling thingson the street

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

Mills and factories employ children because they are small and can get in between machinery to fix things while the machines are still running.

This is very dangerous work and many children get injured or sometimes killed.

Children are also employed because they are cheap. They don’t get paid as much as adult

workersOther dangerous jobs include working in coal mines, climbing up chimneys to clean them, working outside on farms or on the streets in

freezing weatherThe working hours are long, sometimes 12 hours a

day.This means that children don’t have time to go to

school or play with their friends.

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

Who helped to improve the lives of Victorian children?

This is Lord Shaftesbury.

He was a politician who was interested in helping factory workers, including children.

He was involved in passing the Factory Acts of 1847 and 1850.

These were laws which reduced the amountof hours which children were allowed to work.

He also helped to set up ‘Ragged Schools’ which were schools for very poor children who would otherwise be unable to get an education.

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

Who helped to improve the lives of Victorian children?

This is Dr. Thomas Barnardo.

While he was working in East London during thecholera outbreak of the 1860s, he realised howmany homeless children there were living on the streets.

In 1870 he opened a home for homeless boys, and in 1873 opened a similar home for girls.

By the time of his death in 1905, he had opened 66 homes, and rescued an estimated 60,000 homeless children.

There is a children’s charity called Barnardo’s which carries on this work today.

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

What was it like going to school at the end of the nineteenth century?

Schools were often crowded, with as many as 40 or 50 pupils in a

class.

The school buildings were usually draughty

and got very cold in the winter.

There were no school dinners. Children had to walk home at lunchtime

to get something to eat.

Lessons usually involved chanting or

learning facts by heart.

The teachers were very strict and

used caning as a

punishment for bad

behaviour.

Until 1891, parents had to pay for

their children to

go to school!

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

What was it like going to school at the end of the nineteenth century?

cane

dunce’scap

school bell

inkwell& pen

slate

If children misbehaved they could be caned. They might also have to stand in the corner and wear the dunce’s cap. A dunce was a word for

a stupid person.

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

How did different Victorian children use their spare time?

hoop and stick dolls’ house

jack in the box building blocks

marbles

spinning top

Are any of these toys still used today?

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

How did different Victorian children use their spare time?

Toys which used optical illusions were popular among rich families in the Victorian era.

This toy is called a thaumatrope. It is a cardboard disc with a picture on the front and another picture on the back.

front back

If you spin the disc the pictures seem to combine.

Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

HistoryUnit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

How did life change for children living in Victorian Britain?

1833: Children could work no more than 10 hours a day

1842: It becomes illegal for children to work underground

1874: It becomes illegal to employ children under 10, and children under 14 can only work part-time.

1881: It becomes compulsory for 5-10 year-olds to go to school

1891: Primary schools become free of charge

For more e-learning materials in the range, visit:

www.learnanywhere.co.uk