Year 5 have been exploring their new text ‘Street Child’ within their English lessons. They have used a variety of ways to familiarise themselves with what things were like for the young, and old, during Victorian England. As part of this process, they have completed individual research, watched videos and immersed themselves in a Now Press Play experience. What is ‘Now Press Play’ you ask?

Children had the opportunity to listen to a narrated story. They moved around the room in the role of specific characters, from Victorian England, in order to better empathise with the situations that many people would have been confronted by. The main character was a young child from a coal mining family who had to go out and work as the father had suffered an injury whilst working. Children acted in role, being in the coal mines, observing the poor treatment of others at the hands of leaders and they experienced being able to fight for their rights as part of a protest.

Year 5 demonstrated superb engagement and presented such rich discussions following the experience.