The Great Fire of London Quiz: A Year 4 Assessment

Hello colleagues! This quiz is designed for Year 4 pupils studying the Great Fire of London as part of their Key Stage 2 history curriculum. It aims to check their factual recall, comprehension, and ability to explain historical events. The questions are differentiated into Foundation, Core, and Challenge sections to cater for a range of abilities. Please encourage pupils to read each question carefully and do their best. An answer key with marking guidance is provided to help with assessment.

Foundation Questions (Q1-3)

1. Multiple Choice: In which year did the Great Fire of London happen? a) 1066 b) 1666 c) 1966 d) 2006

2. Short Answer: What was the name of the baker whose shop the fire started in?

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3. True or False: The Great Fire of London started in a royal palace. True / False

Core Questions (Q4-7)

4. Multiple Choice: Which of these was a main reason the fire spread so quickly? a) It was raining heavily. b) The houses were made of stone. c) The houses were built close together and made of wood. d) There were no people in London.

5. Short Answer: Name one important building that was destroyed by the fire.

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6. True or False: People used modern fire engines to put out the fire. True / False

7. Short Answer: What did people use to try and put out the fire at the beginning?

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Challenge Questions (Q8-10)

8. Short Answer: Explain two ways the Great Fire of London changed the city for the better.

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9. Multiple Choice: Who was the King of England during the Great Fire of London? a) King Henry VIII b) King Charles II c) Queen Elizabeth I d) King George III

10. Short Answer: Describe how the fire was eventually stopped.

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Foundation Questions

1. b) 1666 (1 mark)
2. Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) (1 mark - allow close spellings)
3. False (1 mark - it started in a baker's shop)

Core Questions

4. c) The houses were built close together and made of wood. (1 mark)
5. St Paul's Cathedral (or many churches, Guildhall, London Bridge houses, etc.) (1 mark)
6. False (1 mark - they used leather buckets, water squirts, fire hooks etc.)
7. Leather buckets of water, water squirts, axes, fire hooks. (1 mark - any one of these or similar)

Challenge Questions

8. Explain two ways the Great Fire of London changed the city for the better. (2 marks - 1 mark for each valid point)

   • New building regulations were introduced (e.g., houses had to be built of brick/stone, not wood).
   • Streets were made wider.
   • Better drainage/sewers were installed.
   • The plague, which had been a problem, was largely stopped as the fire killed rats and fleas.
   • Sir Christopher Wren designed and rebuilt many important buildings like St Paul's Cathedral.

9. b) King Charles II (1 mark)

10. Describe how the fire was eventually stopped. (2 marks)

    • The wind changed direction, helping to slow the spread.
    • King Charles II ordered houses to be pulled down (fire breaks) to stop the fire from jumping.
    • The fire eventually ran out of things to burn. (Award 1 mark for mentioning 'fire breaks' or 'pulling down houses' and 1 mark for mentioning 'wind change' or 'ran out of fuel'.)