The NHS and the welfare state
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how the post-war Labour government created the modern welfare state, including National Insurance and the NHS.
Key learning points
- The government increased general taxation to pay for child allowances to alleviate child poverty.
- The government introduced National Insurance, to which all workers contributed from their salary.
- The National Insurance scheme would give people state support if they became ill or lost their job.
- In 1948, the National Health Service (NHS) was created which was universal and free at the point of use.
- Reforms introduced by the government formed the basis of the modern welfare state.
Keywords
Welfare state - a system in which the government protects the health and well-being of its citizens by providing grants, pensions and other benefits
Taxation - the system of routinely paying money to the government
Common misconception
Every element of the NHS was free for a considerable time after its creation.
Every element of the NHS was only free for a short time, as the overwhelming demand resulted in the need to introduce prescription fees.
Teacher tip
When discussing the creation of the NHS teachers might want to make comparisons between NHS coverage in 1948 and that of today, and discuss reasons why things like prescriptions, dental treatment and glasses are only provided free at the point of access for certain groups, rather than all.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why did an increasing amount of people need state support after World War Two (WW2)?
Q2.What percentage of children evacuated from Liverpool in 1939 were found to have lice?
Q3.Which politician became Prime Minister in 1945?
Q4.What is the term for taking privately controlled companies and industries and putting them under government control?
Q5.A term in politics for the overwhelming majority of votes for one party in an election is a victory.
Q6.What was Labour's manifesto for the 1945 General Election?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many children were receiving free school meals by 1945?
Q2.What is the name for the system of routinely paying money to the government?
Q3.What was the aim of introducing National Insurance?
Q4.What services could people claim through the NHS?
Q5.Who was the Labour minister for health after WW2?
Q6.Put the following events in chronological order.
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: The NHS and the welfare state, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: The NHS and the welfare state, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Post-war Britain: for whom did the United Kingdom become a 'New Jerusalem'? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.