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On March 27th 2011 the great census was taken and schools connected to the National Education Network are invited to join a project where they can compare the present with the census of 1911, undertaking their own research with online support and guidance. This is a great opportunity for schools to take advantage of broadband provision and join in this census based research project, that encourages schools to look not just at the census for 1911 but at their own communities in 2011. Free access for schools to the 1911 census online database is kindly provided by findmypast.co.uk until the 31st July, 2011.
The census 2011 project is a History / Literacy project where access to census data will enable pupils to explore changes linked to a range of topics including employment, transport, families and the role of women. It is an exciting opportunity for pupils to investigate and discover how their local area has changed over the past 100 years. It is also an opportunity for pupils to develop their literacy skills with a nationally recognized team of tutors and authors. Pupils taking part in the project are invited to use their local area to explore the characteristic features of Edwardian times. The children will be challenged to write effectively and make links between past and recent events. To support their written presentation, pupils will also have the opportunity to take part in “themed” web conferences and work with the famous author Stewart Ross.
Schools will be able to put together an online project researching not just the census for their locality, but also the broader history of the Edwardian years. Our other partners include, English Heritage, the British Film Institute (BFI) and The National Archives. The National Monuments Record at English Heritage is providing a collection of over 8,000 images for Edwardian England and also has made available photographs for the South East Region through Pastscape.org.uk. The British Film Institute is providing 80 selected films from the period around 1911 and this is complemented by resources from The National Archives too numerous to mention, such as, 'What was life like in Edwardian Britain?'
Download the census 2011 Training Guide for an introduction to the 1911 census and lots of ideas how to use the project within and outside the classroom.
The census 2011 website provides guidance, links and ideas about how to investigate this wealth of online historical material. Schools cannot only research, but also record, share and discuss their findings with others, using a selection of online tools including:

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