K S2 History U nit 11
Sect ion 6
T eacher’s Guide
Unit 11:
What was it like for children living in Victorian
Britain?
Section 6: How did life change for children living in Victorian
Britain?
Teacher’s Guide
The QCA objectives for this unit are for children to learn to:
recall information about the life of children in Victorian times
select appropriate material and present it in a way that shows their
understanding of the Victorian period.
There are two activities to complete:
1. A timeline that charts how life changed for children in Victorian
Britain.
2. A creative writing activity based on some of these changes.
Some children may need support with the writing activity.
Activity 1
Timeline
This activity is similar to the timeline activity in Section 1, however, instead
of merely placing Victoria’s reign on a timeline, it charts the changes to
children’s lives during this era. To provide some historical context, the
timeline actually starts before the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign,
though this information is not essential if you prefer to stick to the exact
dates of her reign.
Ability Levels
This activity can be adapted to a variety of ability levels according to the
amount of support given. Children may also work in groups or pairs.
K S2 History U nit 11
Sect ion 6
T eacher’s Guide
In the format for less able students more information is supplied, and in its
simplest form, all necessary information (dates, pictures, information) can
be provided.
More able students must write their own information on the milestones
such as dates, captions, and draw an illustration or source one from the
internet .
Some relevant dates, facts, and pictures are provided in the document
Timeline Information. There are four milestones with all the information
already provided, for use with less able students.
The information provided includes significant developments points, but is
not comprehensive, so there is room for any additional milestones should
you wish to add them.
Creating a Display
As this is the conclusion to the unit, it is an ideal opportunity to create a
display.
Fix the completed milestones to the timeline, in chronological order,
getting the class to discuss the significance of each event .
You may like to ask some of the more able students to write a brief
summary of how life changed for children in Victorian Britain that can also
be attached to the display. You could divide this task amongst several
children by giving each a different heading, such as:
Life for a working child in 1837
The home life of a poor child in 1837
The Reformers
Factory Inspectors
Education and Victorian Schools
Life for a child at the end of Queen Victoria’s reign
K S2 History U nit 11
Sect ion 6
T eacher’s Guide
It might read something like:
Life for a working child in 1837
At the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, life was really hard for most children.
Poor children had to start work at about the age of 5 because their
parents needed the money. Children worked very long hours in places
like mines, factories, cotton mills or as chimney sweeps. Children’s jobs
were often very dangerous and they were cruelly treated by their
employers, and very badly paid. Most children had very little free time,
and could not afford any toys to play with.
Home life for a poor child in 1837
Poor families lived in poor homes that were very overcrowded, with many
people sharing a single room. Several families had to share the same
toilet and the only source of water was a pump in the courtyard. Living in
such bad conditions, diseases like cholera and typhoid spread very
quickly and claimed many lives.
The Reformers
Reformers such as Michael Sadler and the Earl of Shaftesbury thought that
children should be treated better. They asked the government to change
the law to protect working children. Gradually, laws were introduced that
reduced the hours children could work, and raised the age when they
could start work.
Factory Inspectors
Factory inspectors were sent out to check that the factory owners were
treating their child workers fairly. Unfortunately, there were very few
inspectors and factory owners found ways of getting around the new
laws.
K S2 History U nit 11
Sect ion 6
T eacher’s Guide
Victorian Schools
People like Dr Barnado and the Earl of Shaftesbury began setting up
“Ragged Schools” for poor children. Later, the Education Acts set up
Board Schools so that every child could attend. At first, families had to
pay for their children to go to school, but by 1890 almost all Board Schools
were free.
Victorian Schools were much stricter than today. If a child misbehaved or
did not work hard the teacher could hit them with a cane. The lessons
were mostly reading, writing and reckoning (arithmetic).
Life for a child at the end of Queen Victoria’s reign
By the end of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1901, life was much better for
children, but still much tougher than today. Every child could go to school
until the age of 13, after which they had to go to work, and they still had
to help out around the house. Children had a bit more spare time and
would play with simple toys such as spinning tops and rag dolls.
Activity 2:
Creative writing
The previous sections make an ideal plat form from which to launch
creative writing projects. The QCA scheme of work suggests using a
range of sources as a basis for creative writing. Completing previous
sections, particularly Sections 2, 3, and 4 should provide plenty of sources
upon which to draw.
K S2 History U nit 11
Sect ion 6
Act ivit y 1
How did life change for children living in Victorian Britain?
1750
onwards
Britain industrializes. Many families move from the
countryside to towns and cities in order to find work. The
cities become overcrowded and housing conditions are
very bad for most working families.
Poor children have to work long hours in dangerous
conditions for low pay.
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Act ivit y 1
1832
"Sadler, Michael Thomas." Online Photogr aph. Encyc lopæ dia Britannica Online. 1 3 June 200 8
MP Michael Sadler asks parliament to pass a bill to protect
working children. He argues that children should not work
more than 10 hours each day.
Parliament rejects the idea, but agrees to hold an inquiry
into the lives of working children.
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Act ivit y 1
1833
Michael Sadler publishes his report into child labour. He
interviews many child workers and doctors who have
treated them. The British public is shocked by the findings.
The Government decides to introduce laws to protect
working children. The 1833 Factory Act states that children
under the age of 13 should not work more than 9 hours
each day.
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Act ivit y 1
1837
Victoria becomes Queen, aged 18.
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Act ivit y 1
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Act ivit y 1
Use the following information to complete the timeline.
Date
Event
1837
At the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, only children from wealthy families
receive an education. Children from poorer families start work around
age 5, and have to work very long hours.
1839
Charles Dickens writes Oliver Twist. The book is very popular but
the public is shocked by the story and it’s images of crime and poverty.
1840s
As the working day for children is cut, Churches start to provide some
schooling for poorer children.
1844
The 1844 Factory Act states that children under the age of 13 can not
work more than 10 hours each day. It also t ells factory owners to make
their factories safer places to work.
1844
The Earl of Shaftesbury helps set up the Ragged Schools Union. Over the
next 30 years it creates 350 schools for poor children.
1847
This act states that young people (aged 13 – 18) and women in the textile
industry should not work more than 10 hours each day.
1850
1850 Factories Act stated that children should only do their work between
6am and 6pm (summer) and 7am and 7pm (winter), and that children
should not work on a Saturday afternoon.
1867
1867 Factory Acts cut the hours children can work even further.
1867
Dr Barnardo sets up a “Ragged School” in the east end of London. He
goes on to open many homes for poor children.
1870
Forster’s Education Act establishes the first Board Schools. These schools
are run by a board of volunteers. Children do not have to go to these
schools, and parents often have to pay for their children to attend.
1874
1874 Factory Act reduced the working day for textile workers by a further
30 minutes.
1880
The 1880 Education Act stated that all children must go to school until the
age of 10.
1891
Most Board Schools no longer charged a fee.
1893
The school leaving age is raised to 11.
1899
The school leaving age is raised to 13.
1901
Queen Vi ctoria dies aged 81.
K S2 History U nit 11
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Act ivit y 2
Activ ity 2 Creativ e writing Projects
Unlike the highly factual timeline, this is an opportunity for the children to
write about their impressions of the lives of Victorian children, and to
imagine some of the hardships they had to endure.
Two possibilities are:
Ask the children to imagine that they are a 10 year old child living
in 1901. They find their Grandmother’s diary in the attic. It tells of
her childhood. She was born in 1837 and started working when she
was aged just 5. Ask the children to imagine what kind of things
they might read? The 1901 child decides to start a diary of her own
and write about how her life is different from her Grandmother’s.
A time traveler is passing through Victorian England. He/she stops in
1840 to visit a cotton mill, brick works or mine (there may be a local
industrial heritage site that you can use) and decides to follow a
child around for a day. What sort of things does our time traveler
see? The time traveler then goes forward to 1901 to see if things
have improved for children. What is the life of an ordinary child like
in 1901, and have things improved since 1837?