Term 1
Early Tudors
The rule of Henry VII
The rule of Henry VIII until 1529
French Revolution
The causes of the French Revolution from 1774
The events of 1789
The Revolution from October 1789 to the Directory 1795
Knowledge:
Students begin their study of The Early Tudors by examining how Henry VII secured and consolidated his rule following the Battle of Bosworth. They investigate the threats posed by Yorkist challengers, the role of government, finance and foreign policy in strengthening the Tudor monarchy, and the extent to which Henry VII secured the dynasty. Students then compare the rule of Henry VII and Henry VIII, exploring the role of Cardinal Wolsey, the aims and successes of foreign policy, and the political circumstances that led to Wolsey’s fall from power.
In The French Revolution, students explore the causes of revolution in France, including the structure of the Ancien Régime, social inequality, Enlightenment ideas, financial crisis and the weaknesses of Louis XVI. They then examine the events of 1789, including the Estates- General, Tennis Court Oath, Great Fear and October Days, assessing why revolutionary change occurred.
Skills:
Students primarily focus on their ability to construct analytical essays that assess the relative importance of different factors. They learn to evaluate causation, significance and change over time, while developing the precise use of evidence to support historical arguments.
Useful Links
Podcasts
In Our Time: The Wars of the Roses, Melvynn Bragg,
(18 May 2001) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00546sp
History Extra: The Pretenders who threatened Henry VII’s crown, Nathen Amin (23 April 2021)
The pretenders who threatened … – HistoryExtra podcast – Apple Podcasts
Renaissance English History: Episode 067 Henry VII and Foreign Policy (with an emphasis on France), (4
February 2017)
Renaissance English History Podcast Episode 67: Henry VII and Foreign Policy
The Rest is History ‘The French Revolution’- 475 covers Marie Antoinette and 477 the events leading up to 1789
Series – The Rest Is History
Online Articles
Henry VII: The Great Administration, Jasobanta Kar, (1980)
https://www.jstor.org/stable/44141913
Henry VII and the Shaping of the Tudor State, Sean Cunningham (History Review, Issue 51, March 2005)
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/henry-vii-and-shaping-tudor-state
Louis XVI and the French Revolution
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/louis-xvi-and-french-revolution
Assessments:
Standardised assessments are based on examination-style questions and are designed to assess students’ knowledge, understanding and historical skills in line with the demands of the OCR A Level History specification. Additional assessments may be completed throughout the course to meet the needs of individual classes and students; however, those outlined below form the standardised assessment framework used across the department.
As part of the Year 12 November Assessment Week, History students will sit two examination-style assessments, one for each of the topics studied during the first term: The Early Tudors and The French Revolution.
Sixth Form November Assessment Week
- The Early Tudors – 20 marks
- The French Revolution – 20 marks
Early Tudors
Assessed Task 1: Assess the reasons why Henry VII was able to defeat the Yorkist challenge. [20]
Assessed Task 2: How Successful was the foreign policy of Henry VII? [20]
Assessed Task 3: How successful was Henry VIII foreign policy? [20]
French Revolution
Assessed Task 1: How significant was Louis’ personality in the fall of the Ancien Regime? [20]
Assessed Task 2: Which of the following had the greater impact on the authority of the monarchy in 1789? i) The storming of the Bastille ii) The October Days [10]
Assessed Task 3: Assess the reasons why attempts to establish a constitutional monarchy failed in the years 1789-1792 [20]
Term 2
Early Tudors
The rule of Henry VIII after 1529
Stability of the Monarchy 1547-1558
French Revolution
Government by Terror
The Directory and Thermidorians
Napoleon Bonaparte to 1807
Knowledge:
Students continue their study of The Early Tudors by examining the Break with Rome, the English Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries. They assess the extent of religious change under Henry VIII, the causes of opposition to reform and the importance of factional politics during the latter years of his reign. Students then begin the Mid-Tudor period, exploring the theme of the stability of the monarchy through a study of the governments of Somerset and Northumberland, as well as the political and religious challenges facing Edward VI’s regime.
In The French Revolution, students analyse attempts to establish a constitutional monarchy, the reforms of the National Assembly and the growing influence of revolutionary groups. They examine the Flight to Varennes, the overthrow of the monarchy, the creation of the Republic and the development of the Terror under Robespierre. Students assess the impact of political, social, economic and religious change during this period. They finish the term by examining the Thermidorian Reaction and the Directory before exploring the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Skills:
Students refine their essay-writing skills by evaluating competing explanations and constructing balanced judgements. They also begin to develop their source evaluation skills through the study of the Mid-Tudor period, analysing primary sources within their historical context and assessing their value and limitations in relation to historical enquiries.
Useful Links
Podcasts
Not Just the Tudors: Henry VIII’s Reckoning: Pilgrimage of Grace, Suzannah Lipscomb and Andy Wood
(19 January 2026)
Henry VIII’s Reckoning: Pilgri…–Not Just the Tudors – Apple Podcasts
The National Archives Podcast Series: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell, Diarmaid MacCullouch (18 December 2020)
The rise and fall of Thomas Cr…–The National Archives Podcast Series – Apple Podcasts
Online Articles
The Rise and Fall of Thomas Wolsey, Russel Tarr (History Review, Issue 45, March 2003)
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/rise-and-fall-thomas-wolsey
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, G. W. Bernard (History, Vol. 96, No. 4, October 2011)
https://www.jstor.org/stable/24429244
England’s Monasteries: Gone but not Forgotton, Harriet Lyon (History Today, Volume 72, Issue 10, October 2022).
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/englands-monasteries-gone-not-forgotten
The Fall of Robespierre
The Fall of Robespierre | History Today
Robespierre and the Terror
Robespierre and the Terror | History Today
Assessments:
Standardised assessments are based on examination-style questions and are designed to assess students’ knowledge, understanding and historical skills in line with the demands of the OCR A Level History specification. Additional assessments may be completed throughout the course to meet the needs of individual classes and students; however, those outlined below form the standardised assessment framework used across the department.
As part of the Year 12 February Assessment Week, History students will sit two examination-style assessments, one for each of the topics studied during the first term: The Early Tudors and The French Revolution.
Sixth Form February Assessment Week
- The Early Tudors – 20 marks
- The French Revolution – 30 marks
Early Tudors
Assessed Task 1: How far did the religious changes under Henry VIII from 1533 to 1547 make England protestant? [20]
Assessed Task 2: How Successful was Henry VIII’s Foreign Policy in the 1540s? [20]
Assessed Task 3: Using these four sources in their historical context, assess how far they support the view that Somerset was to blame for the political instability during the reign of Edward VI. [30]
French Revolution
Assessed Task 1: Assess the reasons for the emergence of government by Terror in the summer of 1793 [20]
Assessed Task 2: Which of the following was more important in Napoleon’s rise to power by 1799? i) Napoleon’s military success to 1799 ii) The weaknesses of the Thermidorian regime [10].
Assessed Task 3: Napoleon’s rise to power was mainly due to the weaknesses of the Directory. How far do you agree? [20]
Term 3
Early Tudors
Stability of the Monarchy 1547-1558
Religious changes 1547-1558
Rebellion and unrest 1547- 1558
French Revolution
Knowledge:
Students complete their study of The Early Tudors by investigating the reign of Mary I, including the succession crisis, Wyatt’s Rebellion, religious policy and the extent to which the Tudor monarchy remained stable between 1547 and 1558. They assess the significance of political, religious and social challenges across the Mid-Tudor period.
Students complete their study of The French Revolution and the Rule of Napoleon by focusing on Napoleon’s reforms, military successes and the establishment of his authority before considering the reasons for his decline and eventual downfall by 1815. They also evaluate the extent to which the Revolution transformed France politically, socially and economically.
Skills:
Students develop greater independence in historical enquiry, drawing together knowledge from across the year to identify patterns of continuity and change. They strengthen their ability to evaluate the content and provenance of sources using historical context to form substantiated judgements.
Useful Links
Podcasts
Not Just the Tudors: Edward VI & The Prayer Book Rebellion ̧ Suzannah Lipscomb and Mark
Stoyle (24 October 2022)
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/not-just-the-tudors/id1564113869?i=1000583631302
Not Just The Tudors: The 1549 Kett’s Rebellion, Suzannah Lipscomb and Andy Wood (11 October 2021)
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/not-just-the-tudors/id1564113869?i=1000538173626
Not Just the Tudors: Lady Jane Grey, Suzannah Lipscomb and Nicola Tallis (4 October 2021) Lady Jane Grey
plot- gives good overview of the succession crisis and also touches on Mary’s marriage to Philip and the Wyatt’s Rebellion.
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/lady-jane-grey/id1564113869?i=1000537435502
In Our Time: Battle of Trafalgar:
BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time, The Battle of Trafalgar
Online Articles
Princess Mary’s Household and the Succession Crisis, July 1553, Anna Whitelock and Diarmaid MacCulloch, (The History Journal, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2007)
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4140130
Napoleon’s Rise to Power:
Napoleon’s Rise to Power | History Today
Assessments:
Standardised assessments are based on examination-style questions and are designed to assess students’ knowledge, understanding and historical skills in line with the demands of the OCR A Level History specification. Additional assessments may be completed throughout the course to meet the needs of individual classes and students; however, those outlined below form the standardised assessment framework used across the department.
As part of the Year 12 June Preparatory Exams History students will sit two examination-style assessments, one for each of the topics studied during the first term: The Early Tudors and The French Revolution.
LVI June Preparatory Exams
- The Early Tudors – 50 marks
- The French Revolution – 30 marks
Early Tudors
Assessed Task 1: Using these four sources in their historical context, assess how far they support the view that the marriage of Mary to Philip of Spain caused a crisis. [30]
Assessed Task 2: Using these four sources in their historical context, assess how far they support the view that there was resistance and opposition to Mary’s religious policies [30]
French Revolution
Assessed Task 1: Which of the following of Napoleon’s reforms during his consulate had the greatest impact on France? i) Financial reforms ii) Educational Reforms [10]
Assessed Task 2: How successful was Napoleon as a military leader in the period 1799-1807? [20]
Assessed Task 3: Assess the reasons for the downfall of Napoleon in 1814 [20]
