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Focus: Last year I was privileged to be asked to write an Education Pack for Northamptonshire Black History Association (NBHA) about Walter Tull, one of the first Black professional footballers in Britain, and the first Black Infantry Officer in the British Army

Key Learning Questions:

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Who was Walter Tull? What do the primary sources about Walter Tull tell us about Britain in the early 20^th Century?

Range and content acquisition, skills, processes and areas of focus: The lesson started with a striking image - a photograph of Walter Tull (in his Officer's uniform), his brother Edward and his sister Cecilia. They are standing next to Edward's adoptive mother, Mrs Warnock in a garden. This mixed heritage family (although this is not their birth mother, she was also a white woman, Alice Palmer from Folkestone) raises a series of interesting questions about Britain at the turn of the century, namely how common was this experience? As the lesson developed, pupils were encouraged to interrogate a number of primary sources including Walter's Birth Certificate, his mother's Death Certificate and the Tull family tree. The revelation that Tull became the first Black Infantry Officer in the British Army to command White soldiers was framed around a short investigation into historical significance, and most of the pupils were able to explain why Tull would fit in to this category, even with the limited amount of information made available to them at this stage of the enquiry.

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What were Tull's experiences as a professional footballer?

Range and content acquisition, skills, processes and areas of focus:
During this lesson the pupils were able to reflect on Tull's career as a footballer in England, at that time the only Black professional out of more than 600 footballers in the English leagues. In order to make the lesson immediately accessible and relevant the students were asked to compare two images (the Tottenham Hotspurs teams from 2006 and 1909) and look at the difference in diversity in them. The difference was surprisingly not immediately noticeable for some students, was this a reflection of their own ‘colour blindness' as members of a multicultural inner city school? Once this difference was identified pupils moved through a series of activities to construct an entry for Tull into a Football Year book, where they had to use evidence from contemporary journalists describing Tull's debut for Tottenham in 1909. Pupils were able to comment on Tull's unique position and continue to reflect on his significance.

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What happened when Walter Tull played against Bristol City in 1909? What does the Bristol Scandal tell us about race relations in Edwardian Britain?

Range and content acquisition, skills, processes and areas of focus:
The Bristol Scandal, where Tull was racially abused by supporters of Bristol City provided an excellent opportunity to bring in issues of racism in sport today, with the starter activities looking at recent events in Spain which have highlighted the continued presence of racist attitudes (the ‘family' of Lewis Hamilton photographs and a clip of England playing Spain in 2004 in Madrid). Some students were unaware of the racist implications of the Spanish Grand Prix ‘fans', when they completed a short activity trying to identify what was happening in the image, however they were all aware of the racist abuse in the football match. Students were then asked to make a connection between the present and the past by hypothesizing what may have happened to Tull. After being presented with the material about Tull's experiences at Bristol, the students were asked to create a end of match report, commenting on the abuse that Tull received, which were recorded on the computer using a piece of software called Audacity. The pupil response to this activity was insightful and impressive, with a large number keen to have their work recorded. The writing reflected the seriousness of the incident, with pupils keen to acknowledge how painful this must have been for Tull.

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What is the significance of Tull's experiences in the British Army?

Range and content acquisition, skills, processes and areas of focus:
This lesson started with a quote about Tull which highlighted his ‘gallantry and coolness', with the hope that some of the pupils would think that his football career was being described when in fact it was a reference to his experiences leading a raid during the First World War. The students then studied a variety of sources about Tull the soldier, mainly from local Northampton newspapers, culminating in a look at the significance of Tull's promotion to 2^nd Lieutenant, becoming the first Black officer to take ‘actual command' of white soldiers. This pioneering element was the focus of the written activity, where the students had to write a postcard from Walter to his brother Edward explaining his promotion and explaining its significance. A number of students commented on the importance of Tull as a role model, breaking the colour bar and allowing others to follow in his footsteps.   

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How should the death of Walter Tull be remembered?

Range and content acquisition, skills, processes and areas of focus:
Having studied a wide range of sources reflecting on the death and significance of Walter Tull, the students completed a synoptic assessment in which they produced a film about Walter Tull using Windows Moviemaker. This was preceded by a storyboarding activity to allow them to plan and sequence their film, using the most appropriate images, movie files and audio clips. This was the activity that students enjoyed the most as it was a very creative way of allowing them to reflect on why Tull was (or was not) a significant figure for them, as well as in wider historical terms. The quality and depth of the films ranged widely, reflecting the ability and motivation of the students, however all students were able to produce something that at the very least told the story of Walter Tull. The best films showed a deep understanding of Tull's significance and were very impressive in both the historical and ICT skills used. One example can be seen here: http://www.blackhistory4schools.co.uk/20century/tullmovie.wmv