Why is diversity

so important?
How can we approach it?
Alison Gove-Humphries, Paul Bracey and Darius Jackson

Imagine what the following scenarios tell you about and topics such as Benin and Islamic Civilisation at
the past – a Tudor role-play of Queen Elizabeth visiting Key Stage 2. Although they reflect Black or non-
Kenilworth Castle; a photograph of London during the anglocentric perceptions of the past, they only go
Blitz; a picture of Viking warriors attacking Lindisfarne so far in helping children to understand the diverse
monastery. The first of the images can perhaps draw experiences of people in the past. There is a need to
on a family visit to an event or a school trip, provide plan for learning about diverse experiences of people
a sense of fun and relate to ways in which the past is within and between societies as a matter of course, in
typically presented to people. Each image provides a order to provide a holistic understanding of the past.
vivid picture of a time in the past and is a great lead-in
to a topic. If you refer to the Historical Association website, the
section relating to diversity has an article by Ilona
Having said that, if they are the only images which Aronovsky which provides a rich range of examples
children have of different times in the past they would and approaches to developing diversity. This article sets
clearly present a stereotypical view of the periods out to complement this section, by providing some
in which each event happened. Teaching diversity strategies for implementing an organic approach to
provides an essential means of ensuring that children diversity in your history teaching.
and adults can critically evaluate how well such images
relate to different times, by providing insights into the From big picture history to
lives of a diverse range of people. diversity
How can diversity be developed to provide a more
What does the National holistic understanding of the past and in so doing
Curriculum say? enable us to teach primary history as effectively
The National Curriculum makes a broad reference to as possible? In order to appreciate that there was
diversity. When defining purposes of studying history, more to life than living in Elizabeth’s court or being
it states that pupils should understand: a marauding Viking, it is necessary to find out what
different people were doing and what was happening
...the diversity of societies and relationships in different places at that time. By looking at the rich,
between different groups, as well as their own the poor and a range of jobs, homes and people’s lives
identity and the challenges of their time. in different localities we can get a more broadly-based
(DfE,2013). understanding of the time. Given that you cannot
teach everything, however, it is necessary to have
The aims of the curriculum include the following: some criteria for selecting what we teach. Overall, we
reference to ‘these islands’; ‘how Britain has agree with Claire (1996):
influenced and been influenced by the wider world’;
‘characteristics of past non-European societies’; In the real world everyone belongs to all three
‘understanding the connections between local, categories since each of us is male/female, and
regional, national and international history [and] middle, upper and working class, and from an
between cultural, economic, military, political, religious ethnic minority or the white English group in British
and social history’ (DfE,2013). Non-statutory examples society. In an inclusive curriculum there are good
that illustrate diversity include Rosa Parks and Mary reasons for not treating race, gender and class
Seacole as significant individuals at Key Stage 1 separately, not just to match the real world but

8 Primary History 75 Spring 2017 The Historical Association

Rosa Parks Mary Seacole

also to avoid the danger of creating hierarchies or photo of Ita Ekpenyon – an African air raid warden in
forgetting links. Marylebone. Viking warriors could be contrasted with
(Claire, 1996, p.10) accounts of Vikings engaged in domestic chores.

You need to relate this to big picture history – which

requires providing children with a chronologically-
How can we plan for this?
In planning we need to consider the following:
secure knowledge of the past, together with teaching
British, local and world history as a structure for
• ensuring that children have the opportunity to
understanding the past. At the same time, it requires
study a range of people’s experiences within
us to consider people in ‘these islands, together with
topics – men, women, people from different
those from different localities and the nations of
ethnicities, regions and localities. At Key Stage 1
England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland’ and in other
select individuals such as Rosa Parks, Grace O’
parts of the world. Diversity requires us to consider
Malley, Mary Seacole and Nelson Mandela as well
strands such as gender, the rich and poor and the
as Florence Nightingale. Some topics such as the
experiences of people from different ethnicities
Romans, Saxons and Vikings could also be linked to
within societies. By acknowledging links, similarities
broader themes such as people who have come to
and differences between all of these dimensions it is
Britain up to the present day.
possible to provide a more meaningful appreciation of
the past than one which does not go beyond narrowly • ensuring that children are involved in developing
focusing on the exploits of Elizabeth I, London during their understanding of diversity through the process
the Blitz or Viking warriors. by which we teach it. We need to allow them to
ask open questions of pictures and sources and
It is also possible for this to provide a basis for pupils not be too worried if we can’t always provide
to identify different aspects of the past and use it as the answers. This is a learning point in itself. For
a background to understanding the world in which example, children can start by exploring the life
they live. You could contrast our stated scenarios of Elizabeth I and deciding what this tells them
with the following – Queen Elizabeth I at court could about the time. This could be followed by exercises
be contrasted with her meeting with the ‘pirate’ which look at the experiences of rich and poor
Grace O’Malley, alias Gaelic chieftain Granuaille, or people, together with Black migrants in Tudor
pictures of a variety of women in Elizabethan times. times. This could provide an opportunity to reflect
While teaching the London Blitz, you could produce a on their perceptions of the time in which we live.

Primary History 75 Spring 2017 The Historical Association 9

 This will enable them to have a more profound What more do these tell you about the lives
understanding of diversity in the past and challenge of Elizabethan women? How typical was
their own and other’s misconceptions. Queen Elizabeth I?
• ensuring that children treat diversity historically. For Stage 3: Create a grid with the following titles:
example, a study of the First World War could start Rich, Poor, Jobs, Punishments, Power,
by focusing on the life of Walter Tull, a footballer Other. The children sort cards relating to
who became the first black officer. He was different characteristics of women’s lives in
exceptional; it would be inappropriate to assume Tudor England. These cards are one of the
that his experience reflected the experiences of all resources you can download on the HA
black soldiers. A local study at Key Stage 2 could website with the Primary History Scheme
have the question – How well would soldiers from of Work/The Elizabethans/All banquets and
our locality have recognised Walter’s story? This fun?
could be followed by exploring the lives of other
Stage 4: Children review a textbook and/or a school
soldiers from the locality, other parts of Britain and
website (e.g. BBC Bitesize www.bbc.co.uk/
the rest of the world.
guides/ztqbr82) to assess how accurately it
• ensuring that children are aware that there are reflects the diverse nature of women’s lives
gaps and omissions in a variety of sources (e.g. in Tudor times.
textbooks, pictures) and that women and people
Review: How well does our study of Elizabeth I tell us
from ethnic minorities are often either under-
about women’s lives in Tudor times?
represented or not acknowledged. For example,
making children aware that Roman soldiers were
likely to have come from different parts of the
Empire and of the variety of roles that women have Case study 2: What does the Lant
played at different times in the past. Street teenager tell us about Roman
Britain?
In conclusion, consider diversity when deciding both
what to teach and how this relates to children’s In 2015 2,000
learning of the past. skeletons were
found in London
dating back to
Case study 1: Does learning about prehistoric and
Elizabeth I tell Roman times. Using
DNA, archaeologists
us all we need to have made some
know about Tudor very interesting
Women? discoveries, including
the skeleton of a
Queen Elizabeth was 14-year-old girl,
exceptional in her power since named the
and authority as a monarch, Lant Street teenager.
while other women in The website shows
Tudor times were unable a reconstruction of
to do certain jobs such what she may have
as becoming lawyers or looked like, together
holding political power. with a clip of an
However, rich women could archaeologist telling
be significant at court and us about her – that
play important roles in she came from
organising family estates Africa, had lived
and giving medical help to in London at least
the poor. Poor women did a three years and was
wide range of jobs – silk-making, printing, working on blue-eyed. Other
the land and shop-keeping for example. skeletons include Mansell Street man whose ancestry
was north African, a gladiator from Eastern Europe
Stage 1: Select a picture of Queen Elizabeth I. Ask the and Harper Road woman, a native Briton who adopted
question – What does this suggest about the Roman ways soon after the conquest. As this involves
lives of women in Elizabethan times? using skeletons, you may want to look at the website
to reflect on any sensitive issues that may be involved.
Stage 2: Look at four other pictures of other
Elizabethan women. Ask the question –

10 Primary History 75 Spring 2017 The Historical Association

Table 1: Some people who have come to Britain from earliest times to the present day (This relates to Case Study 3)
The Normans 1066 Flemish weavers – Africans – AD 43 Jewish people –
1200-1400 late 19th/mid 20th
We came as invaders Some of us came over
centuries
and our leader became We came to weave as Roman soldiers and
King of England. cloth in the wool trade. settlers. We came as we were
being attacked because
of our religion.
Huguenots 16th /17th Irish people mid-19th Caribbean people
century century – especially 1940s
onwards People from India,
We came because we We have come for work
Bangladesh and
were being attacked for many years but We helped Britain in the
Pakistan – especially
because of our religion. especially when there First and Second World
1940s onwards
was a famine in our Wars and have come
country. here to work. We helped Britain in the
People from Poland First and Second World
and Eastern Europe – Wars and have come
1940s People from Poland People from Australia, here to work.
and eastern Europe – New Zealand and
We came because our
today Canada – especially
countries were invaded
1940s onwards Africans in the 17th
during and after the We have come for
and 18th century
Second World War work. We helped Britain in the
First and Second World Many of us were
Wars and have come brought over as servants
here to work. and slaves.

Stage 1: You could begin with the picture of a typical to the United Kingdom
Roman soldier or a picture in your textbook after the Germany and
of Romans in Britain. The children consider the Soviet Union invaded
the following questions – What does it tell their country. The Polish
you about the Romans? What doesn’t it tell made a significant
you? contribution to Britain
during the war; many
Stage 2: Look at the picture of the skeleton of the
then settled here after it
Lant Street teenager. Children decide in small
ended.
groups what questions they would like to
ask the archaeologists about the skeleton.
This grave is in Astwood
Stage 3: Teacher is hot-seated as an archaeologist Cemetery, Worcester.
using the reconstruction picture from the Jan Przyszlak came to be
website. You could also draw on the other a soldier (zolnier) in the
finds – Mansell Street man, the Gladiator Second World War – as
from Eastern Europe and Harper Road should be spotted from
woman. The children could watch ‘Septimius the dates on his grave
Severus and black Roman soldiers’ (BBC
Bitesize) to see how far this resource answers Stage 1: Look at the picture of the Polish grave. Ask
questions raised during the hot seating. children the following questions: What can
Review: Children consider how far this has changed you learn about the people who have come
their views of the Romans in Britain. to this country? What questions do you
have? How far does information card help
you to answer them?
Case study 3: What has a twentieth-
century Polish grave in Worcester Stage 2: Using a map of Britain, Europe and the
got to do with our lesson on the world, the teacher models where s/he comes
from, his/her parents and grandparents.
Romans? Children are given maps and have five
minutes to talk about their backgrounds to
Polish people have been coming to the UK since each other. Ask a couple of children to say
the early twentieth century. They mainly came for what they’ve learnt about each other.
employment or to set up their own businesses. During
the Second World War the majority of Poles came

Primary History 75 Spring 2017 The Historical Association 11

Stage 3: Get the children to look at an information Resources
card that tells you why the Polish community
came to this country after the war.
BBC (2007) ‘Septimius Severus and black Roman
Stage 4. Children sequence cards (See Table 1) soldiers’, BBC Bitesize. Available at
showing why people have come to Britain www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z4sfb9q
from earliest times to the present day.
Children group the cards into reasons why Ghosh, P. (2015) ‘DNA study finds London
people came to Britain. was ethnically diverse from start’, BBC News.
Available at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-
Stage 5: Children select the cards which have most in
environment-34809804 -
common with why the Romans came.
Stage 6: Children select the cards which have most in The National Holocaust Education
common with the reasons why Polish people Centre, Acre Edge Road, Laxton, Newark,
came in the 1940s and 1950s. Nottinghamshire, NG22 0PA. Website: www.
nationalholocaustcentre.net/ This museum
Review: The class discusses the following question has a Key Stage 2 exhibition called ‘Journeys’
– Has finding Jan’s grave in Worcester got which focuses on the Kindertransport as well as
anything in common with our lesson on the presentations from survivors.
Romans or not? Explain why you think this.
IIS( n.d.) Ireland in Schools. Available at www.
iisresource.org This site includes a range of resources
Paul Bracey is Senior Lecturer in Education, University which bring an Irish dimension to many aspects of
of Northampton, a member of the HA Primary diversity.
Committee and Editorial Board and Secretary, Midlands
History Forum. National Archives (n.d.) Moving Here: 200 years
Alison Gove-Humphries was formerly history adviser of migration in England. Available at http://
for Birmingham, and Senior School Improvement webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ and www.
adviser until she recently retired. She is also a member movinghere.org.uk/
of Midlands History Forum Committee
National Archives (n.d) The Black Presence:Black
Darius A. Jackson, Lecturer in Holocaust and History
settlers in Tudor times. Available at
Education, UCL, Centre for Holocaust
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/
Education.
blackhistory/early_times/settlers.htm

NBHA (n.d.) Northampton Black History

Association. Available at www.northants-black-
history.org.uk/ The education tab in this includes
HA resources several teaching resource such as Key Stage 1 and
2 packs related to Walter Tull.

Westminster City Archives Westminster At War.

Ilona Aronovosky, ‘Diversity and the History Available at www.westendatwar.org.uk/page/
Curriculum’. Available as a PDF on the HA itaekpenyon05?path=0p3p11p - Ita Ekpenyon
website. Published in Primary History, 65
(Autumn 2013). This issue includes a range of Zosia Biegus, ‘Polish Resettlement
articles devoted to diversity and inclusion. Camps in the UK 1946-1969’, www.
polishresettlementcampsintheuk.co.uk/camps2.htm
Paul Bracey (Spring 2015) ‘From Home to the
Bracey, P., Gove-Humphries, A. and Jackson, D.
Front: World War I (1914-18) in the Primary
(2011) ‘Teaching diversity in the history classroom’
Classroom’ in Primary History, 69, pp. 14-19.
in Davies, I. (ed.) Debates in History Teaching.
Bracey tells how the story of Walter Tull, a
London: Routledge, pp. 172-85. This textbook is
footballer and the first British black officer in the
in process of being revised to relate to National
First World War, relates to the theme of diversity.
Curriculum 2014. It includes references to debates
associated with diversity.
Go to Primary Scheme of Work/The Elizabethans/
Beyond Elizabeth’s Court: What was it like to Claire, H. (1996) Reclaiming our Pasts: equality and
live in Elizabeth times? on the HA website and diversity in the primary school, Place of publication:
download the PDF. The section also includes Trentham Books. Although written some time ago
Tudor Women cards as a card-sorting activity. this text provides useful insights and support in
teaching diversity.

12 Primary History 75 Spring 2017 The Historical Association