Year 2 pupils brought history to life as they completed their learning on The Great Fire of London, 1666 with an exciting and memorable re-enactment. As part of their topic, the children designed and created their very own Tudor houses before transforming the school playground into Pudding Lane.
With the help of Mr Strange, the children safely observed as the houses were set alight, allowing them to see first-hand the dramatic impact of the fire and understand how quickly it spread through the tightly packed wooden buildings of Tudor London. This hands-on experience helped deepen their understanding of why the fire was so devastating.
The children thoroughly enjoyed being creative, learning about the features of Tudor houses and watching their models burn. Some pupils even reflected thoughtfully on the experience, commenting, “Our hard work has all gone, how sad!” — helping them to empathise with the people who lived through the fire.
Fire safety was also an important part of the learning, with discussions about how to stay safe around fire both in the past and today.
Back in the classroom, the children stepped into the role of Samuel Pepys and wrote diary entries recounting the events of the Great Fire. This allowed them to combine their historical knowledge with their writing skills, producing some fantastic work.
