Black History Month resources for UK schools
A calm, source-led guide to planning Black History Month across KS2, KS3, KS4 and KS5. Curated classroom activities, lesson ideas and free resources — designed for UK teachers.
Last updated for the 2026–27 academic year. All linked sources on the platform record their licence and attribution.
Why this guide exists
Black History Month works best when it is source-led, calm in tone and connected to the wider curriculum. This guide brings together activities and lesson ideas we use on Unveiling Black History, so UK teachers can plan October — and the year around it — without relying on unverified images or unclear content.
Every activity below points to material with clear reuse rights and teacher notes. Nothing here is a slogan; everything is designed to help pupils read a source and think for themselves.
Classroom activities by key stage
KS2 · KS3
Ancient African civilisations source enquiry
Use maps and artefact images from Kush, Aksum and Mali to answer a single enquiry question: what can objects and places tell us about a civilisation?
Open the sample lesson →KS2 · KS3
Trans-Saharan trade routes mapping
Pupils annotate a blank map of Africa with trade routes, goods and cities such as Timbuktu, using a rights-cleared reference map.
View the maps preview →KS2 · KS3
Windrush generation: reading a photograph
Slow-looking activity using a Windrush arrival photograph. Pupils record what they notice, what they wonder and what they would ask.
KS3 · KS4
Bristol Bus Boycott: cause, event, consequence
Short source pack tracing the 1963 boycott and the road to the 1965 Race Relations Act, with structured discussion questions.
KS3 · KS4
Decolonisation timeline card sort
Independence dates for Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Jamaica and Zimbabwe, sorted alongside key UK events for context.
KS4 · KS5
Lancaster House Agreement enquiry
Higher-level enquiry using the 1979 Lancaster House talks: negotiation, compromise and the transition to Zimbabwe.
Open Lancaster House →Six Black History Month ideas for schools
- Open the month with a whole-school assembly built around one primary source, not a slogan.
- Set a weekly enquiry question rather than a single Black History Month display.
- Pair a Britain-based topic (Windrush, Bristol Bus Boycott) with a global one (Mali, decolonisation).
- Ask pupils to record what a source shows, and what it does not, before drawing conclusions.
- Plan an end-of-month pupil-led exhibition using the sources studied in lessons.
- Keep the work going after October — mark it as term-long enquiry, not a one-off.
Planning a month-long enquiry
1. Pick one enquiry question per key stage
A single question keeps activities focused. Example for KS2: 'What can objects tell us about ancient African civilisations?' Example for KS3: 'Why did people from the Caribbean travel to Britain after 1948?'
2. Choose two or three rights-cleared sources
Use Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress, the National Archives and other open-licence collections. Record source, date and licence on every image.
3. Plan the enquiry across two or three lessons
Introduce the source, work with it, then respond. A short weekly slot across October usually works better than a single collapsed day.
4. Build in speaking, writing and creative response
Discussion, structured writing and a creative outcome (map, exhibition, short film script) give every pupil a way in.
5. Share the work with the wider school community
A corridor display, an assembly or a short parent evening slot helps embed the learning beyond the classroom.
Where to find rights-cleared sources
To keep Black History Month resources safe to share, teachers should rely on collections with clear reuse rights:
- Wikimedia Commons (public domain and Creative Commons)
- Library of Congress free-to-use collections
- The National Archives (UK) education resources
- British Library open collections
- Bristol Museums & Archives open images
- legislation.gov.uk for primary UK legislation
Record the source, date and licence for every image or document you use in lessons or displays.
Take it further
Browse the full library of source-led topics, or explore a sample lesson to see how these Black History Month activities fit into the wider curriculum.