Key Stage 2 · Upper KS2 (Years 5–6)
Windrush: Journeys to Britain
The story of Caribbean families invited to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.
Suitable for pupils in Years 5–6 (ages 9–11).
Learning objectives
- ✓Explain why people from the Caribbean travelled to Britain after 1948.
- ✓Describe the challenges and contributions of the Windrush generation.
- ✓Understand how their arrival has shaped modern British life.
Background information
In 1948 a ship called the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks. On board were hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean, invited by the British government to help rebuild the country after the Second World War.
Many worked in hospitals, on the buses and trains, and in new factories. They helped to build the National Health Service and were part of daily life in cities like London, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.
Life was not always easy. Some faced unkind treatment because of the colour of their skin. Even so, the Windrush generation created strong communities, music, food, faith groups and businesses that have shaped modern Britain.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the government invited people to come and work in Britain?
- How might a child who arrived on the Windrush have felt on their first day at school?
- What things in our community today came from the Windrush generation?
Classroom activity ideas
- ◆Suitcase task: pupils choose ten items a Windrush passenger might have packed and explain each choice.
- ◆Then and now: match old and modern photographs of British high streets, buses and hospitals and talk about the changes.
- ◆Class map: on a world map, mark the Caribbean islands the passengers travelled from and the British cities they moved to.
Suggested writing task
Imagine you are a child arriving in Britain on the Empire Windrush. Write a short account of your first week — what you noticed, what surprised you, and what you were most proud of.
Quiz questions
In what year did the Empire Windrush arrive in Britain?
- A. 1918
- B. 1938
- C. 1948(answer)
- D. 1968
Where did most passengers come from?
- A. India
- B. The Caribbean(answer)
- C. West Africa
- D. Australia
Which British service did many Windrush workers help build?
- A. The Royal Mail
- B. The National Health Service(answer)
- C. The BBC
- D. The RAF
What was one challenge the Windrush generation faced?
- A. Learning to sail
- B. Unfair treatment because of skin colour(answer)
- C. Being asked to leave Britain in 1948
- D. Building the Empire Windrush
Answers are shown here for teachers. Print the pupil version from Activities and Downloads.