English · Year 7 · 3 weeks
Voices from Salts Mill
Driving question
What would a young Saltaire mill worker tell Year 6 pupils about life in nineteenth-century Bradford?
write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:
4 parts
- writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including: well-structured formal expository and narrative essays; stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing; notes and polished scripts for talks and presentations and a range of other narrative and non-narrative texts, including arguments, and personal and formal letters
- summarising and organising material, and supporting ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail
- applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form
- drawing on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing
TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 1; Week 1, activity 3; Week 2, activity 1; Week 2, activity 2; Week 3, activity 4ASSESSED BY Historical Script Writing
plan, draft, edit and proofread through:
3 parts
- considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended
- amending the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness
- paying attention to accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling; applying the spelling patterns and rules set out in English appendix 1 to the key stage 1 and 2 programmes of study for English
TAUGHT IN Week 2, activity 2; Week 2, activity 3; Week 3, activity 1ASSESSED BY Editing and Proofreading
speak confidently and effectively, including through:
4 parts
- using Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion
- giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point
- participating in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said
- improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate languages and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact
TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 2; Week 1, activity 4; Week 3, activity 2; Week 3, activity 3ASSESSED BY Spoken Performance
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Pupils explore historical records, mill regulations, and testimonies from nineteenth-century Saltaire to craft an original dramatic monologue in the voice of a young factory worker. Over three weeks, they examine primary sources, draft scripts using descriptive language and period detail, refine their work through peer critiques, and rehearse performance techniques such as vocal projection, pause, and movement. The unit ends with pupils performing their dramatic monologues live to visiting Year 6 primary pupils during a transition visit.
The teacher places a noisy audio recording of working textile looms into the room and passes around an authentic spool of sheep wool alongside an original list of mill fines. Pupils examine a photograph of Victorian mill children in West Yorkshire and discuss what they notice about their ages, clothing, and expressions.
- What jobs did young people actually do inside Salts Mill?
- How did Titus Salt treat his workers compared to other mill owners?
- What does a monologue script look like on paper?
- How can we perform in character so Year 6 visitors understand us?
Your lessons: 4 a week, 60 minutes.
Week 1
Examine historical mill life and gather details to create a believable Victorian character.
Explore historical source cards containing mill rules, inspector reports, and photographs to list facts about daily working conditions. Rehearse the final performances in Roberts Park across the river from the mill rather than in the drama studio.
· 1 lessonCompare Titus Salt's village rules with accounts of child labour from wider West Yorkshire textile mills in small group discussions. Let pupils choose their character: a child half-timer, an overlooker, a woman from the almshouses, or Salt himself defending his rules.
· 1 lessonBuild a character profile for a young worker at Salts Mill, noting age, job, family life, feelings, and typical dialect words.
· 1 lessonImprovise short paired spoken exchanges between two mill hands during their brief break to experiment with historical voice and tone.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide dual-language glossaries and illustrated source extracts for EAL pupils; provide sentence stems and a pre-printed character profile grid for pupils with SEND; invite pupils ready for more to research the 1833 Factory Act limits on hours to add to their notes.
Deliverable
Completed historical character profile and notes on mill life.
Week 2
Draft, critique, and edit a dramatic monologue script written for a younger audience.
Read a model dramatic monologue script aloud and mark how it uses stage directions, sensory detail, and direct audience address. Trim the poetry comparison week; we only need the monologue form and more rehearsal time.
· 1 lessonDraft the monologue script in full, structuring it with a clear opening, a central event at the mill, and a direct warning or message to modern pupils.
· 2 lessonsConduct a structured peer critique using a checklist to check punctuation, spelling, clarity, and historical detail, then begin redrafting.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide an abridged one-page extract of the 1860s inspector reports with a glossary, read it aloud together first, and offer writing frames with starter clauses for EAL pupils alongside textiles word banks and speech punctuation guides.
Deliverable
Revised second draft of the dramatic monologue script.
Week 3
Rehearse vocal skills and perform the monologue for visiting Year 6 pupils.
Proofread and write the neat performance copy of the monologue script, adding detailed stage directions for posture, volume, and movement.
· 1 lessonRehearse delivery in pairs, testing voice projection, pauses, and gesture against success criteria, and giving each other immediate spoken feedback.
· 1 lessonPerform the dramatic monologues live to Year 6 visitors from local feeder primary schools in a studio space.
· 1 lessonComplete a written reflection evaluating how well the performance conveyed Victorian life and what was learned across the unit.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Allow prompt cards with colour-coded cue words for rehearsal for EAL pupils; provide an option to perform in a smaller quiet group setting for pupils with SEND who experience high anxiety; challenge pupils ready for more to field unscripted questions in character from the Year 6 audience.
Deliverable
Final polished script and live monologue performance.
End of lesson 4 in week 2
Pupils swap scripts in pairs using a structured critique sheet. They identify two historical facts clearly shown, one place where the voice feels authentic, and suggest one improvement to stage directions or vocabulary before editing.
Student reflection
In the final lesson of week 3, pupils write a four-part evaluation answering what went well in their performance, how they adapted their writing for Year 6, and what they now understand about nineteenth-century Saltaire.
What they make
Pupils write a polished dramatic monologue script and perform it in character as a Victorian mill worker, lasting approximately two minutes.
Options
Pupils choose their character's age, specific mill job (such as doffer, piecer, or bobbin collector), attitude towards Titus Salt, and whether to include a simple physical prop such as an apron, cap, or spool.
Who sees it
Visiting Year 6 pupils from local feeder primary schools and their visiting teachers during transition day in week 3.
Teams
Pupils write and perform individual monologues, but work in rehearsal pairs formed by the teacher to provide regular peer feedback.
| Criterion | beginning | developing | proficient | advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Historical Script Writing KS3 English: write accurately, fluently, effectively and… · individual | Includes few details about mill life, and the writing reads like a factual list rather than an in-character monologue. | Uses some historical details and attempts a dramatic voice, but the tone changes frequently or the structure is unclear. | Writes an organised monologue in a believable worker's voice with clear stage directions and accurate historical details. | Crafts a vivid, fluent monologue that sustains an authentic character voice and combines historical detail with strong imagery. |
Editing and Proofreading KS3 English: plan, draft, edit and proofread… · individual | Shows little evidence of changes between the first draft and final version, with frequent spelling and punctuation errors. | Corrects basic spelling and punctuation errors during editing, but keeps most original phrasing without refining it. | Edits the script clearly based on feedback, improving word choices, sentence flow, and punctuation accuracy for performance. | Carefully refines grammar, vocabulary, and stage directions across drafts to maximise clarity and emotional impact for the audience. |
Spoken Performance KS3 English: speak confidently and effectively, including… · individual | Reads the script with quiet volume or little expression, rarely making eye contact with the audience. | Speaks audibly most of the time and attempts basic vocal expression, but relies heavily on looking down at notes. | Performs clearly with good volume, controlled pacing, and appropriate pauses and gestures to maintain character throughout. | Commands audience attention with varied tone, expressive physical actions, purposeful pauses, and total immersion in role. |
Historical Script Writing
KS3 English: write accurately, fluently, effectively and… · individualbeginning
Includes few details about mill life, and the writing reads like a factual list rather than an in-character monologue.
developing
Uses some historical details and attempts a dramatic voice, but the tone changes frequently or the structure is unclear.
proficient
Writes an organised monologue in a believable worker's voice with clear stage directions and accurate historical details.
advanced
Crafts a vivid, fluent monologue that sustains an authentic character voice and combines historical detail with strong imagery.
Editing and Proofreading
KS3 English: plan, draft, edit and proofread… · individualbeginning
Shows little evidence of changes between the first draft and final version, with frequent spelling and punctuation errors.
developing
Corrects basic spelling and punctuation errors during editing, but keeps most original phrasing without refining it.
proficient
Edits the script clearly based on feedback, improving word choices, sentence flow, and punctuation accuracy for performance.
advanced
Carefully refines grammar, vocabulary, and stage directions across drafts to maximise clarity and emotional impact for the audience.
Spoken Performance
KS3 English: speak confidently and effectively, including… · individualbeginning
Reads the script with quiet volume or little expression, rarely making eye contact with the audience.
developing
Speaks audibly most of the time and attempts basic vocal expression, but relies heavily on looking down at notes.
proficient
Performs clearly with good volume, controlled pacing, and appropriate pauses and gestures to maintain character throughout.
advanced
Commands audience attention with varied tone, expressive physical actions, purposeful pauses, and total immersion in role.
- Photocopies of Victorian factory inspectors' reports and child testimony extracts
- Copies of Titus Salt's village and mill regulations list
- Audio recording of nineteenth-century textile machinery sounds
- Wool spools, bobbins, and textile samples for sensory exploration
- Model KS3 dramatic monologue exemplar script