Street Child

Street Child by Berlie Doherty

“Street Child” by Berlie Doherty is a historical fiction novel set in Victorian England. The story follows a young boy named Jim Jarvis who lives in poverty-stricken conditions in London. After his mother dies of cholera, Jim is left orphaned and struggles to survive on the streets.

Jim’s life takes a turn when he encounters Dr. Barnardo, a philanthropist who runs a home for destitute children. Dr. Barnardo takes Jim in and provides him with shelter, food, and an education. However, life at the home is not without its challenges, as Jim faces discrimination from some of the other boys and struggles to adjust to his new surroundings.

Despite the difficulties, Jim perseveres and forms friendships with fellow residents of the home. Over time, he gains confidence and begins to excel in his studies. However, Jim’s happiness is short-lived when he learns that Dr. Barnardo’s funding is running out, and the home may be forced to close.

Determined to help his friends and the other children at the home, Jim embarks on a journey to plead for support from Queen Victoria herself. Through courage and determination, Jim manages to gain an audience with the Queen, who is moved by his story and agrees to provide the necessary funds to keep the home open.

In the end, Jim’s journey from a homeless street child to a courageous advocate for the less fortunate is a testament to the power of resilience, compassion, and the human spirit. “Street Child” is a poignant tale that highlights the struggles of Victorian-era poverty while also celebrating the triumph of the human heart.

Chapter 1

In chapter 1, your Year 5 / Year 6 class will learn about and answer questions about Jim Jarvis, the setting of the story -little shops and dark streets, ways of life, horses and carts and other retrieval based questions.

They will explore punctuation and vocabulary based questions, make inferences about Jim’s mother based on their understanding, Identify the classes of words and identify incorrect spellings in passages.

Chapter 2

In this chapter your class will be introduced to Mr Spink and answer questions about him.

They will then answer four punctuation and grammar related questions: finding contractions, identifying synonyms, locating words when given a definition and more.

In the final four questions, your KS2 class will reflect on Mr Spink as a character, explore Jim’s feelings, examine author intentions and finally sequencing the events of the chapter.

Chapter 3

In this chapter we find out that Mrs. Jarvis, frail and exhausted, takes her children to a wealthy area, hoping for help from her former colleague Rosie. Upon arrival, Rosie, shocked by their plight, offers temporary refuge in her kitchen for Emily while trying to find a position for Lizzie. Despite Rosie’s efforts, the strict housekeeper Judd warns that any hint of the Jarvis family’s presence could endanger their jobs. As Mrs. Jarvis says a heart breaking goodbye, she leaves her children with Rosie, facing an uncertain future with Jim.

Browse through the picture reel to see what questions we have created linked to chapter 3 of Street Child.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 we learn that Tim and his mother trudged through the day, taking frequent rests until Mrs. Jarvis collapsed from exhaustion. As night fell, bystanders debated whether to send them to the workhouse or prison. A boy with a cart arrived to take Mrs. Jarvis to the workhouse, while Jim followed, anxious and worried. At the workhouse, Mrs. Jarvis was taken to the infirmary, and Jim was subjected to harsh procedures: stripped, washed with cold water, and given a severe haircut.

Jim was placed in a large dormitory with other boys, receiving minimal food and a small, uncomfortable bed. During the night, he lay awake, distressed about his mother and siblings. The next morning, he learned from a staff member that his mother had died, shattering his hope of reuniting with her.

Chapter 5

After reading this chapter with your KS2 pupils you will find out that Jim, overwhelmed by grief and despair, tries to adapt to the harsh life in the workhouse. Joseph informs him that his mother has died and was taken away quickly. The workhouse routine is harsh: cold washings, meagre food, and relentless tasks. The cries from the asylum across the yard haunt Jim, and Mr. Sisson’s cruel punishments create a fearful atmosphere.

Despite this, Jim secretly dreams of escaping. He fantasizes about fleeing the workhouse, finding safety, and making a new life for himself far from his current misery.

Chapter 6

We discover in chapter 6 that in the workhouse schoolroom, Jim finds it hard to tell the boys apart due to their identical appearance. He eventually befriends Tip, who helps him with writing despite the harsh environment. The schoolroom is grim, with Mr. Barrack harshly disciplining the boys using a knotted rope and the washerwomen mocking their misfortunes.

During a chaotic drum session led by Tip, Jim expresses his frustration and longing for home. The noise provides a brief escape from the oppressive routine, and Jim finds temporary relief in the ensuing silence as he cries out for his family and dreams of escape.

Chapter 7

We learn that in chapter 7, Jim, feeling trapped in the workhouse, talks to Joseph, who has resigned himself to the place, having never seen the outside world. Jim is determined not to end up like Joseph and decides to escape that very day. He shares his plan with Tip, who is scared and tries to dissuade him.

During a lesson, Mr. Barrack overhears Jim’s escape plan and harshly punishes him. Despite Tip’s warnings about the brutal consequences of trying to escape, Jim remains resolute, driven by the need to reclaim his freedom and avoid becoming resigned to the workhouse.

Chapters Overview

In Street Child we have created 27 question sets.

Each set consists of:
– 4 retrieval questions
– 4 SPAG questions
– 4 Deeper questions (authorial technique, inference, sequencing, summarising, similes, metaphors etc.)

How does our website work?

1. You will assign each child in your class the questions of a particular chapter.
2. They will login and complete the questions online.
3. You will view the ‘Results’ section and see how each child did.

Results
Green means that the child got the question right first time.

Orange means that the child got it right but it took a few attempts – a number will be displayed inside to show how many attempts.

Red means that the child didn’t get the question correct – a number will be inside the red box to show how many failed attempts.

Interpreting the Results
Select a range of chapter question sets in the results section and choose a child. Next you will be able to see all completed activities and look for patterns, areas of strength and areas for improvement.