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Using the census
In this History video, teachers are supported in teaching about the use of census records as a rich source of information about real people from the past.
The video demonstrates how children can explore local history by comparing family sizes and ages, investigating occupations and tracing buildings or families across time. Practical approaches are shared for introducing key census features such as names, relationships, ages, occupations and places of birth, with advice on overcoming challenges like difficult handwriting and unfamiliar terms. Teachers observe how linking findings to broader contexts and comparing evidence with other sources helps children understand what census data can and cannot reveal, enabling them to make thoughtful and informed inferences about the past.
This teacher video is part of Kapow Primary’s History skills videos, designed to build teachers’ confidence in developing the children’s historical enquiry skills.
See more of our Year 6 History scheme of work.
