Year 6 – History – World War 2

This half term, year 6 enjoyed learning about World War 2 and the impact it had on ordinary people. They learned about: how the war began; evacuation of children to the countryside; all about air raid shelters, rationing, gas masks and the home guard; and the Battle of Britain.  We got the opportunity to dress up as evacuees on our World War 2 afternoon and took part in some activities to take us back to how life was back then. We listened to the music by Vera Lynne and learned the Waltz, completed ‘Blitz’ artwork with bright backgrounds and silhouettes, dug for victory in our school allotments and became a Bletchley expert by breaking secret codes.

What The Student Says

'I loved learning about how the war started in 1939. I didn't realise that children our age had to move away from their families and live in the countryside without their parents.' 6NH child.

'Seeing all the pictures from the bombings helped me realise how scary it would have been to live though the Blitz.' 6LB child.

'I don't think I would have coped very well when everyone was rationed with not only food, but clothes as well! I would have had to learn to sew and make my own designs!' 6NH child.

What knowledge and skills have been developed?

Historical skills:
Chronological Understanding
Historical Enquiry
Knowledge and understanding of events, people, and changes in the past
Historical interpretation
Organisation and Communication

Key knowledge:
Chamberlain declared war on Germany following Hitler’s threats in order to defend the balance of power in Europe and protect Britain’s position in the world.
Children had to be evacuated to the countryside to protect them from bombing, which typically took place in more populated areas (cities).
The government put many things in place to protect Britain from the Blitz, including gas masks, rationing, evacuation and air raid shelters.
The Battle of Britain was a major air campaign fought largely over southern England in the summer of 1940. It was a British victory against the Germans.
On the home front, everyone worked together to help Britain win the war. For example, women did typically ‘male’ jobs in factories and people used blackout curtains to block bombers from seeing the light.
The Battle of Britain, codebreakers and D-Day (as well as other factors) all contributed to Britain’s victory in the war.

What the Teacher says

The children showed great interest and enthusiasm learning about WW2. Some even bought in artefacts from home to show the class, others asked questions at home about family who was alive during the war and shared their stories in lessons. Every week a new topic sparked discussions and questions as well as eagerness to learn. The children have a great understanding of the beginnings of World War 2, the turning points and how Britain was able to stand firm against Germany, this knowledge will be applied later in the year when we look at our local area during WW2.

School Address:

Clapgate Primary School
10 Cranmore Drive
Belle Isle
Leeds
LS10 4AW

School Contacts:

Headteacher: Mrs Singleton
Deputy Headteacher: Miss Taylor
SENDCO: Mrs Lawton
Office: Mrs Austin, Miss Johnson, Mrs Belt and Miss Stamp
Chair of Governors: Mr Bache

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Tel: 0113 271 6700
Email: clapgate@clapgateprimaryschool.org

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