Using the Census

Census returns provide a fantastic snapshot into the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and make a brilliant starting point for any local history study. You can also use them for a whole range of activities with your class – not only History, but Maths and creative writing.

Census returns are essentially big lists of everyone in the country, recording where they were living, how old they were, what their job was, and where they were born. They have been taken every 10 years since 1841, and the latest available is 1911 (the next one will be in 2021).

These teachers’ notes include:
Background information on the census
Ideas for using the census with your class
How you can find your local census returns
Sample worksheet for a simple statistics activity