Target age range: Year 9

This enquiry is aimed at Year 9 pupils, based on a single street (Mill Road) in the centre of Cambridge. The 9-lesson enquiry focuses on the changing identity of the street from 1962 to 1988 – the period that saw rapid migration to the city, gentrification and the loss of working-class identity. Students are exposed to a wide range of oral histories and testimonies from the local community and asked to analyse what belonging meant to the inhabitants of Mill Road, through a close reading of the testimonies, combined with students’ own understanding about belonging, interweaved with national and, crucially, local context.

All resources are attached below.

This enquiry was written by Sarah Jackson-Buckley, Head of History and Literacy Co-ordinator: Curriculum Development at Sawston Village College, Cambridgeshire.

Particular thanks to the following organisations for granting permission to use images in this resource: Arjuna Wholefoods, Cambridge Central Library, Cambridge Evening News, Capturing Cambridge.

Every effort has been made to trace all image copyright holders and permissions in these resources, although occasionally it has not been possible to identify these. Please contact Maheema Chanrai at maheema.chanrai@history.org.uk with any queries.

Film clip to accompany Lesson 1: