This History video introduces Key stage 2 pupils to the historical background to and purpose of the census, a national survey used to record information about people and places.

Year 5 and 6 pupils explore how civilisations such as ancient Rome, Egypt and China used censuses to count people, property and goods. The video then focuses on how the census developed in Britain, from William the Conqueror’s Domesday Book to the modern census we complete today. Pupils discover how these records help historians learn about the past and how each generation contributes to this ongoing record of life.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History Year 5 and 6 videos, which enable teachers and pupils to explore the past and understand how it has shaped the world today.

See more of our Key stage 2 History scheme of work.

• History, Year 6, What can the census tell us about local areas? Lesson 1: What is the census?
• History, Year 6, What can the census tell us about local areas?
• History, Y5/6 (B), What can the census tell us about local areas? Lesson 1: What is the census?
• History, Y5/6 (B), What can the census tell us about local areas?