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Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation

Zwingli, Calvin and the Swiss Reformation

Henry VIII and the King's Great Matter

Thomas Cromwell and the Reformation Parliament

The beliefs of the Church of England 1534-1558

The English Reformation in its European context

In this unit, pupils identified key differences between Protestants and Catholics. In 'Elizabeth I: why has Elizabeth been represented so differently?', pupils will need to apply their understandings of doctrinal differences to understand some of the political challenges which Elizabeth I faced during her reign.

In 'The Christian Church: how completely did the Great Schism transform Christendom?', pupils studied the split between the Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity. In this unit, pupils will focus on the split between Protestantism and Catholicism in Western European Christianity and analyse some of the political implications of this split.

In this unit, pupils learn about the European Reformation and its influence on Henry VIII's break with Rome. In doing so, pupils compare the English Reformation to the ones experienced on the continent.

Henry VIII and the Reformation: how unusual was the English Reformation?

Elizabeth I and the succession: The Virgin Queen

Elizabeth I and the Church of England

Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots

Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada

Elizabeth I's later years

Popular depictions of Elizabeth I

In this unit, pupils saw that England suffered from tensions between Catholics, Puritans and other Protestants after the Reformation. In 'The English Civil War: what can pamphlets tell us about 17th century politics?', students will explain how these various religious divisions contributed to the political and social turbulence experienced in England during the Civil War and Interregnum.

In 'Henry VIII and the Reformation: how unusual was the English Reformation?', pupils studied how Protestantism was able to grow in England during the Reformation. In this unit, students will analyse how the growth of Protestantism generated tensions in England and isolated the country from Europe's great powers.

In this unit, pupils learn about Elizabeth I's reign before examining some popular depictions of her. They build knowledge about her religious, domestic, and foreign policies before considering why she has been represented so differently.

Elizabeth I: why has Elizabeth been represented so differently?

The problem of poverty in Tudor England

Growing population in Elizabethan England

Social life for the poor in Tudor England

Tudor attitudes to poverty and the Elizabethan Poor Law (1601)

The impact of the Elizabethan Poor Law

Was there a ‘Golden Age’ for the poor in Elizabethan England?

In this unit, pupils studied the problem of poverty in the 16th century alongside attitudes and responses to this. In 'Post-war Britain: for whom did the United Kingdom become a ‘New Jerusalem'?', pupils will see how the idea of governmental responsibility for people's welfare became a critical aspect of attitudes towards poverty in the 20th century and led to very different types of responses.

In 'Local history: how similar were medieval lives in Norwich?', pupils studied inequalities in medieval society and the lives of the poor. In this unit, pupils will extend their understanding of the lives of the poor by considering different aspects of their lives, including the ways in which they were treated by others, in the early modern period.

In this unit, pupils assess the extent to which Elizabethan England represented a 'Golden Age' for the poor. They examine the causes of poverty in this period and learn about contemporary responses to this growing problem before evaluating whether things improved for this group.

Life in Tudor England: was there a 'Golden Age' for the poor?

The Americas before the arrival of Europeans

European arrivals in the Americas

Impact of European settlement in the Americas

English settlement at Roanoke

England's first successful American colonies

Impact of Europeans on Native Americans

In this unit, pupils began to explore European imperialism, the relationships established with Native Americans and the impact of imperialism on indigenous societies. In 'Transatlantic Slavery: how were West African societies impacted?', students will deepen their analysis of these concepts by considering the conflict, cooperation and motives which underpinned the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

In 'Medieval West Africa: why was medieval Mali so successful?', pupils saw that successful and growing societies existed outside of Europe. In this unit, pupils will extend their knowledge of developed non-European societies and understand that European imperialism caused physical and cultural destruction for many indigenous societies in the Americas.

In this unit, pupils learn about the Americas before the arrival of Europeans before examining the impact of their early settlement and colonisation, with a particular focus on England's first successful American colonies.

European conquest of the Americas: why was its impact so devastating?

The causes of the English Civil War

Royalists and Parliamentarians

The execution of Charles I

Oliver Cromwell: The Interregnum and Protectorate

Charles II and the restoration of the monarchy

Popular political pamphlets in seventeenth-century England

In this unit, pupils considered how varying views about the appropriate powers of Parliament and the monarchy had developed in England by the mid-17th century. In 'The Glorious Revolution: how do historians' views of it differ?', pupils will analyse continued divisions in English politics and explain how a more permanent shift in power from the monarch to Parliament was able to occur.

In 'The Norman Conquest: how do we know about the impact of the Conquest on England?', students considered how primary sources constitute a fundamental part of historical enquiry. In this unit, pupils will interrogate sources further, considering how content and provenance may impact the utility of a source.

In this unit, pupils briefly learn about the causes and conduct of the English Civil War. They then learn about Oliver Cromwell's rule and the restoration of the monarchy. Pupils finish the unit by examining how these events were represented in popular political pamphlets of the day.

The English Civil War: what can pamphlets tell us about 17th century politics? 

James II's troubled early reign

The Bill of Rights and constitutional monarchy

The Glorious Revolution in Scotland and Ireland

The Whig interpretation of the Glorious Revolution

Revisionist interpretations of the Glorious Revolution

How historians' views differ regarding the Glorious Revolution

In this unit, pupils considered how monarchial power was challenged and limited in Britain. In 'How did Europe respond to the French Revolution?', pupils will extend their understanding of challenges to monarchy by studying the events of the French Revolution and European reactions to this event.

In 'The English Civil War: what can pamphlets tell us about 17th century politics?', pupils studied the tensions between Parliament and the monarch in the mid-17th century. In this unit, pupils will see how the Restoration failed to completely settle these tensions and explain the impact of the Glorious Revolution on the balance of power between the monarchy and Parliament. 

In this unit, pupils learn about the Glorious Revolution and the way in which different historians have viewed it. They learn about the causes of this important event before examining Whig and revisionist arguments about its nature.

The Glorious Revolution: how do historians' views of it differ?

The kingdoms of the Sahel

The arrival of European traders in West Africa

The structure of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

The expansion of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

British involvement in Transatlantic Slave Trade

The impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on West African society

In this unit, pupils analysed the effects of transatlantic slavery on West African societies. In ‘The Haitian Revolution: what was its role in the abolition of the slave trade?’, pupils will investigate how the Haitian Revolution challenged and contributed to the fight against slavery.

In ‘Medieval West Africa: why was medieval Mali so successful?’, pupils explored the economic and social structures that contributed to Mali’s prosperity. In this unit, pupils examine how West African societies like Mali were devastated by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

In this unit, pupils learn about the kingdoms of the Sahel and how the arrival of European traders in the region began to destabilise West Africa. Pupils build a deep knowledge of Transatlantic Slavery whilst retaining a focus on the impacts it had in West Africa.

Transatlantic Slavery: how were West African societies impacted?

The foundation of the Mughal Empire

Early Mughal rule

Akbar the Great

Governance and religious policy under Akbar

The Mughal empire in the 17th century

Mughal rule in India

In this unit, pupils explored how violence shaped the Mughal Empire’s expansion. They will build on this understanding in ‘The East India Company: when did Mughal authority collapse?’ by investigating the eventual decline of Mughal authority and the impact of British colonial ambitions.

In ‘Medieval West Africa: why was medieval Mali so successful?’, pupils explored how Mali’s wealth from gold and salt trade, its strong leadership under rulers like Mansa Musa, and its Islamic scholarship contributed to its prosperity. This unit considers other strong leaders, focusing on the extent to which violence and military power were key to the expansion of the Mughal Empire in India.

In this unit, pupils learn about the foundation of the Mughal Empire, early Mughal rule and the way in which this had developed by the late 17th century. They end the unit by reflecting on the role played by violence during the expansion of Mughal rule in India.

The Mughal Empire: how important was violence to the Mughal conquests in India?

England's Empire at the beginning of the 'long eighteenth century'

Britain's Empire at the end of the 'long eighteenth century'

The growth of Britain's economy and empire

In this unit pupils learnt about the reasons for Britain's imperial expansion. In 'The East India Company: when did Mughal authority collapse?' pupils return their focus to India to look at how the themes they examined in overview played out in one particular part of the growing British Empire.

In 'The Mughal Empire: how important was violence to the Mughal conquests in India?' pupils were prepared for later study of how the East India Company rose to prominence in the region. In this unit pupils scale switch to learn about the rise of the British Empire so that their return to looking at affairs in India is placed in context.

In this unit pupils develop overview knowledge of why the British Empire grew in the 17th and 18th centuries. They learn about the state of Britain's empire at the beginning and end of the 'long eighteenth century' before analysing differing historians' arguments about why it grew.

The British Empire: why did it grow in the 17th and 18th centuries?

The arrival of the East India Company

Religious tensions in the Mughal Empire

Challenges to Mughal rule

The growth of the East India Company as a private army

The Plassey Revolution

Mughal authority and the East India Company

In this unit, pupils investigated how the East India Company contributed to the decline of Mughal rule. This leads to ‘The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century?’, where pupils will examine the broader transformations within the British Empire during a key period of its development.

In ‘The Mughal Empire: how important was violence to the Mughal conquests in India?’, pupils examined the role of military force in establishing and expanding Mughal rule. This unit builds on that by investigating the factors that led to the decline of Mughal authority with the rise of the East India Company.

In this unit, pupils learn about the arrival of the East India Company on the fringes of the Mughal Empire. They examine how the East India Company's power and influence grew, and how they, along with various Indian rulers, destabilised Mughal power over India.

The East India Company: when did Mughal authority collapse?

The Hanoverian Succession

Robert Walpole and 'Cabinet' government

In this unit, pupils explored the emergence of cabinet government and the rise of Robert Walpole as Prime Minister. In ‘Women's suffrage: why did it take so long for women to get the vote in Britain?’ pupils will investigate the evolving nature of British democracy, including the long struggle for women's suffrage.

In ‘The Glorious Revolution: how do historians' views of it differ?’, pupils examined varying interpretations of the Glorious Revolution and its impact on British governance. This unit builds on that by exploring how these changes paved the way for the emergence of cabinet government and the rise of Robert Walpole as Prime Minister.

In this short unit, pupils learn about the Hanoverian Succession and the emergence of Robert Walpole as Britain's first Prime Minister. They also develop an appreciation of how cabinet government was formed during this period.

The emergence of cabinet government: why did Walpole become Prime Minister?

The background to the Enlightenment

Enlightenment ideas: science and politics

The American Revolution and Enlightenment ideas

Enlightenment ideas and the causes of the French Revolution

The impact of the French Revolution in the Atlantic world

The Enlightenment and the Age of Revolution

In this unit, pupils learnt about the Enlightenment and its emphasis on reason, science and progress. This foundation will be crucial in ‘The Industrial Revolution: did industrialisation revolutionise people's lives?’, where pupils will examine how the intellectual shifts of the Enlightenment contributed to the dramatic changes brought about by industrialisation.

In ‘The Renaissance: what do the artefacts of the Renaissance tell us about it?’, pupils explored how Renaissance art and culture reflected new ways of thinking. Building on this, this unit introduces the Enlightenment, where pupils will examine how ideas of reason and progress further shaped European thought.

In this unit, pupils learn about the Enlightenment and its impact on America, France, and the Atlantic World. They develop knowledge of the Enlightenment's background and ideas and consider its links to the 'Age of Revolution'.

The Enlightenment: what was the Enlightenment?

British responses to the French Revolution

The spread of radical revolutionary ideas from France to Ireland

The rise of Napoleon and his fight for the new French Republic

The reign of Napoleon: war and legal reforms

Britain and the Napoleonic Wars

Understanding the Napoleonic era through political cartoons

In this unit, pupils analyse how European nations reacted to the French Revolution and its challenges to monarchy and social order. In the unit, ‘Women's suffrage: why did it take so long for women to get the vote in Britain?’, pupils will trace the long fight for democratic rights in Britain, building on the revolutionary ideas of equality and representation.

In ‘The Enlightenment: what was the Enlightenment?’, pupils explored the rise of new ideas about reason, liberty, and individual rights that challenged traditional authority. Building on this, the current unit examines how these Enlightenment ideas influenced Europe’s reactions to the French Revolution and its radical transformation of society and politics.

In this unit, pupils learn about British responses to the French Revolution and Napoleon's rise. They examine how revolutionary ideas spread to Ireland and end the unit by learning about the Napoleonic Wars and how this period was represented in political cartoons of the day.

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