This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow Primary History scheme of work. It introduces the 1921 Census as a fascinating historical snapshot of life in Britain just over 100 years ago.

The video explores how the 1921 Census was different from earlier ones, reflecting a country still recovering from war, pandemic, and political unrest. It explains why this census is the most recent available to study, what it reveals about people’s lives and opinions at the time, and how its unusual features – like postponed dates and new questions – offer clues to life in 1920s Britain. Pupils discover how historians use census returns to investigate the past and why censuses are important records of everyday people.

The video is designed to be shown to pupils as part of History, Upper key stage 2, Year 6, *New* What can the census tell us about local areas? Lesson 5: What changed in the 1921 Census?