Hi there.

I'm Mr. Roberts and thanks for joining me for today's history lesson where my job will be to guide you through our history resources.

I'll be making sure that by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to securely meet our lesson objective.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to describe the experiences of those who migrated to Britain after World War II.

There are four key terms that we need to make sure we're comfortable with before embarking upon our lesson today.

The Commonwealth is an international group of countries which once belonged to the British Empire.

Brexit was a term coined after the UK voted to leave the EU, referring to British exit from the European Union.

A referendum is a vote held in which citizens vote directly on a closed or yes, no question.

The eurosceptic is someone who is generally against close ties with the European Union.

Our lesson on the experience of post World War II migrants in Britain is separated into two learning phases, and the first one revolves around the end of Empire and migration to Britain.

After World War II, Britain was in dire need of labour to rebuild its war-torn economy and infrastructure.

The government looked towards its former colonies and Commonwealth countries, where it had longstanding political and economic ties to fill these labour shortages.

The British Nationality Act of 1948 gave citizens of the Commonwealth the right to settle in the UK, which facilitated this movement.

Economic opportunities were a significant pull factor.

For example, jobs in the National Health Service, transport such as the London Underground, and construction industries were readily available.

These roles often offered much higher wages compared to those in the migrants' home countries, making Britain an attractive destination.

The arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 bringing workers from the Caribbean, symbolised the beginning of a new wave of migration driven by the promise of economic stability and growth.

Before we move on, let's try out this true or false question to ensure we're securing the information we need to retain in order to be successful as we move forward with this lesson.

Is it true or false? The end of Empire and independence caused migration to Britain, often for economic reasons.

Pause the video while you come to a decision on the answer, and then press play when you are ready to continue.

Welcome back and well done if you identified the correct answer as true.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video and consider why this statement is true, and press play to resume with our lesson when you are ready.

Hello again and well done if you knew that the British government looked towards the Commonwealth where it had longstanding political and economic ties to fill labour gaps and shortages as a result of World War II.

The historical relationship between Britain and its former colonies created a sense of affinity and connection among potential migrants.

This connection was rooted in various shared aspects such as language, education systems, and governance structures.

Many migrants have been educated under the evolving British curriculum, were familiar with British laws and customs, and viewed Britain as a land of opportunity and progress due to its portrayal in their home countries.

This arguably made their integration into British society somewhat smoother.

Additionally, cultural exchanges and the presence of British missionaries and administrators and educators in these regions had left a lasting impression that made Britain scene like a familiar and promising destination.

Now let's have a go at the following question.

"Which of the following arguably enabled a smoother transition for some migrants from former colonies to Britain? A, shared language? B, shared traditions? Or C, a shared education system?" Pause the video while you decide on the two correct answers, and then press play when you are ready to resume.

Welcome back and well done if you said A, shared language, and C, shared education system.

Next, for our first written task, I'd like you to answer the following questions in full sentences.

"Number 1, what is the Commonwealth? Number 2, how did the Commonwealth contribute to migration to Britain?" As ever, pause this video while you complete this task, and then press play when you're done and are ready for some feedback in the form of model answers.

Welcome back.

First, I asked you what the Commonwealth was, and well done if your answer sounded anything like this.

"The Commonwealth is an international organisation consisting of states which once belonged to the British Empire.

These countries have a close relationship with Britain as a result of their former colonial ties, historic relationship, and continued economic relationship." Secondly, I asked you how the Commonwealth contributed to migration to Britain, and well done if your answer sounded anything like this.

"After World War II, Britain needed workers to rebuild its economy and infrastructure.

The British government facilitated people from former colonies and Commonwealth countries in moving to the UK by passing the British Nationality Act of 1948, which allowed them to settle in Britain.

Many migrants were attracted by job opportunities in the NHS, transport, and construction industries, which offered higher wages than those in their home countries.

The arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, bringing workers from the Caribbean marked the beginning of this migration wave.

Shared language, education systems, and governance structures also made Britain an attractive and familiar destination for many migrants from former colonies.

Really well done in your efforts there.

With that task complete, we can move onto the second and final learning phase in our lesson today where we'll be learning all about migrants' experience and British opposition.

Upon arrival in Britain, many immigrants faced harsh realities that contrasted sharply with the promise of a better life.

Racism and discrimination were pervasive affecting various aspects of daily life.

Immigrants often encountered hostility from local populations who viewed them as competition for jobs and housing.

This led to social exclusion and economic marginalisation.

Discriminatory practises were evident in housing with signs such as "No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish," being commonplace in rental advertisements, forcing many immigrants into substandard living conditions.

In the workplace, despite having skills and qualifications, immigrants often found themselves in low paying jobs with little opportunity for advancement.

These experiences of racism and discrimination were compounded by an indifference or even hostile policy environment where immigrant communities had to navigate significant barriers to integration and acceptance.

Let's try another true or false question now, true or false? Despite many migrants being invited to Britain, they experienced racism and discrimination.

As ever, pause the video while you decide on the correct answer, and then press play when you're ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back.

Well done if you identified the correct answer as true.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video again, and consider why this statement is true.

Press play to resume our lesson when you're ready.

Hello again and well done if you identified that immigrants often encountered hostility from local populations who viewed them as competition for jobs and housing.

Despite having skills and qualifications, immigrants often found themselves in low paying jobs with little opportunity for advancement.

Over the decades, public sentiment towards immigration became increasingly polarised.

Economic anxieties, cultural differences, and pressure on public services fueled opposition to immigration.

The 2004 expansion of the EU, which allowed free movement of workers from Eastern and Central European countries like Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic led to a substantial increase in migration to Britain.

This influx intensified public debate with concerns over job competition, strain on housing and healthcare, and cultural integration dominating the discourse.

Political narratives began to emphasise the need for stricter immigration controls, which resonated with a significant portion of the electorate.

This backdrop of rising anti-immigration sentiment played a pivotal role in the 2016 Brexit Referendum.

Eurosceptics capitalised on these fears, arguing that leaving the EU would enable Britain to take back control of its borders and immigration policies.

In contrast, pro-Europeans argued that Britain was economically, politically, and militarily more secure as part of the EU, and pointed to the benefits of immigration.

Ultimately, the referendum resulted in a 52% vote to leave the EU and a 48% vote to remain.

Next, I'd like you to complete the sentence on the screen.

Pause the video while you do this, and then press play when you're ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back.

Well done if your sentence looks like this.

Eurosceptics argued that leaving the EU would enable Britain to take back control of its borders.

And for our second and final written task today, I'd now like you to use your learning so far to write an account of the experiences of post-World War II migrants who immigrated to Britain.

Try to write two paragraphs at least if you can.

Pause the video while you complete this task, and then press play for another model answer with which you can compare yours.

Welcome back.

I asked you to write an account of the experiences of post-World War II migrants who immigrated to Britain.

Well done if your answer looked anything like this.

"Many migrants who moved to Britain in search of a better life encountered widespread racism and discrimination.

They often faced hostility from local populations who saw them as competition for jobs and housing, leading to social exclusion and economic marginalisation.

Housing discrimination was rampant with signs like "No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish," making it difficult for immigrants to find decent living conditions.

Despite having the necessary skills and qualifications, many migrants were stuck in low paying jobs with limited support, with limited opportunities for advancement.

These challenges were made worse by an indifferent or hostile political environment.

Over time, public opinion on immigration became more divided.

Economic concerns, cultural differences and pressure on public services fueled opposition to immigration.

The 2004 expansion of the EU, which allowed workers from Eastern and Central European countries to move freely to Britain led to a significant increase in migration.

This intensified public debate with many worried about job competition, housing, healthcare, and cultural integration.

Some political narratives stress the need for stricter immigration controls resonating with many voters.

This anti-immigration sentiment played a role in the 2016 Brexit Referendum where eurosceptics argued that leaving the EU would allow Britain to take back control of its borders." Well done once again.

With that learning phase complete, we've arrived at the end of our lesson today.

All that's left for us to do now is to summarise the key learning points, and it would be great if you could remember these going forward.

"Firstly, the end of the British Empire and independence for former colonies meant an increase in migration to Britain, often for economic reasons, and because migrants often felt a connection to Britain as a result of colonisation.

Secondly, the experience in Britain of many migrants from former colonies and Commonwealth nations was often one of discrimination and racism.

And finally, the referendum in 2016 on the UK's continued membership of the EU resulted in Brexit.

Being able to control immigration was a key issue in the referendum itself.

Thank you so much for joining me for our lesson today.

It's been a real pleasure to guide you through our history learning resources, and I very much look forward to seeing you again in the future for more history lessons.