Teach this engaging Year 6 writing unit from our Real Writing collection to immerse pupils in a vivid journey story set in Victorian Britain. Jon Mayhew, a published children’s author, wrote the original model text, A Trip to Blackpool. You can access it as a PDF in plain, illustrated and annotated versions, and as annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint slides.
Invite pupils to step into the world of steam travel. They'll read, analyse and imitate high-quality narrative writing before crafting their own story about a journey on a steam train.
This makes the unit ideal for English lessons as well as history topics on Victorian Britain or early locomotives. All units follow a carefully mapped framework and include two to three weeks of detailed lesson planning, teacher notes, slides and activity sheets to support you throughout.
Curriculum links and objectives
You'll teach key Year 6 English objectives through a sequence that blends reading, research and purposeful writing. Pupils will explore:
- vocabulary choices and how to link words with similar meanings or related themes
- the use of adverbial phrases to create cohesion
- how dialogue conveys character and advances action
- how noun phrases and descriptive language build atmosphere
- how semi-colons and commas punctuate clauses
The unit also revisits essential skills such as punctuating speech and organising ideas into paragraphs. Cross-curricular links sit naturally with history: pupils will research Victorian travel, fashion, leisure activities and social attitudes.
Geography links emerge when pupils explore landscapes, seaside locations and railway routes. Science links include learning about early locomotive technology.
Resources
You have access to:
- model text (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- annotated and non-annotated PowerPoints
- vocabulary cards and matching activities
- image cards of Victorian and modern beach scenes
- locomotive imagery
- journey story posters and sequencing cards
- margin planners and research sheets
- full teaching notes and lesson slides
Vocabulary
Tier 2: excursion, locomotive, reassure
Statutory Y5/6: vehicle, privilege, restaurant
Key teaching activities
Begin by showing images of Victorian and modern seaside scenes. Pupils can discuss similarities and differences, exploring societal expectations and leisure activities in Victorian Britain. They'll then practise descriptive writing, either comparing the two eras or writing diary entries in the voice of a Victorian child.
Next, pupils will read the model text together, identifying narrative features and discussing the journey story structure. They'll carry out short research tasks on Victorian travel, clothing, holidays and social norms, using books or approved websites, and feed back their findings to the class.
This research will inform their writing, ensuring historical accuracy. Pupils will explore new vocabulary, inferring meanings from context and completing matching activities to reinforce understanding.
As their understanding grows, pupils will examine how the author describes the locomotive and settings, analysing similes, noun phrases and carefully chosen vocabulary. They'll practise writing paragraphs using dialogue to convey character and develop events, as well as adverbial phrases to improve cohesion.
Pupils will then plan their own Victorian journey story using a margin planner, before drafting and editing their narratives over several sessions.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- write a coherent Victorian journey story with a strong narrative voice
- use rich vocabulary, precise noun phrases and well-chosen adverbial phrases
- apply dialogue to reveal character and move events forward
- organise writing into clear paragraphs with effective cohesion
- punctuate complex sentences accurately, including the use of semi-colons
- demonstrate historical understanding through accurate period detail
This unit equips pupils with the confidence to craft compelling, historically grounded narratives while strengthening core Year 6 writing skills.