Introduction

The ‘Mill workers and owners’ learning package supports Citizenship and History at Key Stage 3 and 4. The package provides the opportunity for pupils to develop empathy with workers of the past through an enquiry into the rights of the workers employed at the Derwent Valley mills.

Pupils examine living and working conditions, focusing on rules within the mills as well as the provision made for the workforce in mill communities to develop their understanding of the ‘carrot and stick’ approach to managing a workforce.

The package can also support a comparative study of eighteenth/nineteenth century working conditions with contemporary issues related to trade in the UK and the developing country.

Learning objectives:

• Identify changes and trends in the world of work and their consequences
• Examine the provision made in industrial communities for the workforce
• Learn about the development and significance of a local industry
• Pupils use their imagination to consider other people's experiences and be able to understand why rules are needed in the workplace
• Think about, express and explain views that are not their own related to workers’ rights.