Victorian childhood
I can describe some of the jobs Victorian children had to do and what this was like for them
Victorian childhood
I can describe some of the jobs Victorian children had to do and what this was like for them
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Victorian childhood was very different to childhood today.
- Many Victorian children needed to work, both in towns and in the countryside.
- In a Victorian illustration, a child can be seen fainting in the fields due to the hard work.
- Children worked in factories and mines, and as chimney sweeps; these jobs were often very dangerous.
- Historical sources show many children died or were injured doing these dangerous jobs.
Keywords
Mines - mines are deep holes dug in the ground to find precious materials like coal or metal
Chimney sweep - someone who sweeps the soot out of chimneys is called a chimney sweep
Sources - sources are things from the past that historians look at to try and find out what life was like at that time
Common misconception
Pupils may believe that all Victorian children worked, or that no Victorian children had an education.
Children from wealthy families were educated at home or sent to schools that were paid for. Some children went to small local schools on some days of the week and worked on other days. Some of the least fortunate children did not go to school at all.
To help you plan your year 2 history lesson on: Victorian childhood, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 2 history lesson on: Victorian childhood, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the Queen Victoria: how did Britain change during her lifetime? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
deep holes dug in the ground to find precious materials like coal
someone who sweeps the soot out of chimneys