This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow History scheme of work. It explores what life was like for children during the Tudor period, showing how family background and wealth made a big difference to their daily experiences. Many Tudor children worked instead of going to school, helping their families with farming, cleaning, or learning a trade as an apprentice. Girls often worked as maidservants in wealthier households, while boys might learn skills like blacksmithing, carpentry, or chimney sweeping. The video follows fictional children like Tom, Mary, and John to bring these roles to life.

Wealthier children had very different lives. They were usually educated at home or sent to school, where they studied reading, writing, and languages like Latin and French. The video compares the lives of rich and poor children and highlights how work, learning, and opportunities varied greatly. It helps pupils understand the challenges faced by many Tudor children, and how their lives were shaped by class, gender, and where they lived.

The video is designed to be shown to pupils as part of History, Lower key stage 2, Year 4, How have children’s lives changed? Lesson 2: Why did Tudor children work and what was it like?