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The Great Fire of London: chronology and source enquiry

The Great Fire of London can support early historical thinking when children work with a clear sequence and carefully chosen evidence. This guide focuses on what happened, how people responded and what changed afterwards. It offers practical alternatives to dramatic simulations while helping pupils distinguish contemporary evidence from later illustrations.

Schools Direct editorialUpdated 2 min read

Establish time and place

Locate London and place the Great Fire in September 1666 on a simple timeline. Compare that point with the present without requiring children to grasp every intervening date. Use a small map showing the area discussed, then introduce a few key events from a reliable museum account.

Sequence with reasons

Give pairs event cards and ask them to justify their order using time words and cause-and-effect language. Keep the sequence short initially. Add a card that describes rebuilding so pupils see that the consequences continued after the flames were out. London Museum’s learning material provides both chronology and rebuilding contexts for this enquiry.

Investigate a source

Show a dated image or museum object related to the fire and ask what it can tell us. Explain whether an illustration was made at the time or later. Children can compare a tool’s visible features with a modern equivalent without assuming that the two were used in exactly the same way. Separate a source’s information from imaginative details added during storytelling.

Make change the outcome

Invite pupils to create a before-and-after explanation using a map, labelled drawing or short spoken account. Avoid burning model houses or staging frightening emergencies; the historical question does not require recreating danger. Offer a small vocabulary bank and supported card ordering for younger learners. More experienced pupils can identify a question that the chosen sources leave unanswered. Assess whether children can connect an event to a consequence and identify the evidence behind one of their claims.

Action checklist

  • Place the event in September 1666
  • Keep the first sequence short
  • Date illustrations and identify later ones
  • Include rebuilding in the enquiry

Common questions

Is a model-house burning activity necessary?

No. Maps, sequencing cards and museum evidence can explain the fire and its consequences without recreating a hazardous event.

Sources and scope

Source titles are provided for reference. Check the current original guidance and your school's circumstances before making a policy or compliance decision.

  • Schools Direct editorial — Original teaching activity and resource planning notes. Checked 1 November 2026.
  • London Museum — The Great Fire of London: school resources. Checked 1 November 2026.

See how we prepare and maintain our guidance.

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