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Mary I and the Counter-Reformation: Restoring Catholic England | AQA A Level History

Mary I and the Counter-Reformation: Restoring Catholic England | AQA A Level History

Subject: History

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

9 June 2026

docx, 13.43 KB
docx, 13.43 KB
pptx, 2.32 MB
pptx, 2.32 MB
PNG, 259.47 KB
PNG, 259.47 KB

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603

The aim of this lesson is to evaluate whether Mary I’s religious reforms helped or hindered the restoration of Catholicism in England.

Students begin by revisiting key individuals connected to Mary’s reign and considering her motivations for returning England to Roman Catholicism. Through discussion and source-based activities, students explore Mary’s personal religious beliefs and debate how far she was prepared to go in restoring Papal authority.

The lesson then develops students’ analytical thinking through a series of decision-making and consequence activities. Pupils assess the potential impact of policies such as the restoration of monastic lands and consider the political, social and religious obstacles Mary and her government faced.

A final evaluative task encourages students to judge whether Mary’s approach relied more on “carrot” or “stick” methods and how successful her Catholic restoration ultimately was. The lesson concludes with exam-style practice, supported by a structured writing frame, a model answer and mark scheme to build confidence and improve exam technique.

An enquiry question runs throughout the lesson, encouraging students to revisit and refine their judgement as their understanding develops, helping to reinforce progress across the wider unit of study.

Included in this lesson:
Fully editable PowerPoint lesson
Clear enquiry-based learning focus
Differentiated tasks and outcomes
Discussion, interpretation and decision-making activities
Exam practice with writing frame, model answer and mark scheme
Suggested teaching strategies throughout

Reviews would be welcomed to aid future planning

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 32%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Bundle

AQA A Level History: The Tudors – Edward VI & Mary I Complete Lesson Bundle

**AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603** This comprehensive bundle has been designed to help A Level History students confidently access the challenging themes, interpretations and concepts of the AQA Tudors course while developing strong analytical and exam skills. Covering the reigns of both Edward VI and Mary I, these lessons move beyond traditional interpretations and encourage students to engage critically with historical debate, historiography and Tudor government. Edward VI is often presented as a passive figure overshadowed by Somerset and Northumberland. This enquiry-based bundle challenges that interpretation and encourages students to reconsider Edward’s role within his own reign. Students will investigate: How far Edward VI was fit to rule Edward’s personality, beliefs and political influence The significance of Somerset and Northumberland The causes of rebellion and instability Religious change and the Edwardian Reformation The impact of leading reformers including Cranmer and Hooper Why both Somerset and Northumberland ultimately fell from power Mary I’s reign has traditionally been viewed negatively. These lessons challenge simplistic interpretations and encourage students to assess Mary as a determined, politically capable and significant Tudor monarch, whilst also evaluating the limitations and failures of her reign. Key areas covered include: Was a woman considered fit to rule England? Mary’s accession and priorities as queen Government, Parliament and royal authority Philip II, Wyatt’s Rebellion and foreign policy The Counter-Reformation and Marian persecution The influence of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs Economic challenges and Mary’s long-term legacy Comparisons between Edwardian and Marian religious reform Students develop evaluative skills through interpretation work, source analysis and debate-based activities. The lessons are as follows: L1 Introduction to Edward L2 The rise of Somerset (free resource) L3 Rule of Somerset L4 Rise of Northumberland L5 Rule of Northumberland L6 The Edwardian Reformation L7 Introduction to Mary I L8 Aims of Mary I L9 Mary I and her government L10 Mary I marriage and Wyatt’s Rebellion L11 The Counter Reformation L12 Marian Martyrs L13 Mary’s Foreign Policy L14 Mary I and the economy This Bundle includes: Fully resourced PowerPoints and activities Enquiry-based learning throughout Retrieval practice and knowledge development Exam practice for both AQA question types Model structures, scaffolds and writing support Mark schemes and examiner-style guidance Interpretation and historiography tasks Differentiated activities to support all learners Help for students to achieve top grades If you are interested in the full Tudor A Level Bundle 1485-1603, please click here: /teaching-resource/resource-13151989. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via my TES shop. Reviews are always greatly appreciated and help support the creation of future resources.

£30.00
Bundle

AQA A Level History: The Tudors - Mary I Complete Lesson Bundle

This fully resourced bundle is designed to enable A Level students to engage confidently with the Mary I content in the AQA 1C specification, presenting the key ideas, themes and complexities of her Tudor government in a clear, accessible format for A Level students. This bundle of lessons challenges the traditional negative view of Mary , encouraging students to critically evaluate whether Mary deserves her reputation or whether she was, in many respects, a courageous, decisive, and determined monarch operating in an exceptionally difficult political and religious context. At the heart of the bundle is the enquiry question: Was a woman fit to rule England? This overarching theme runs throughout the resources, encouraging sustained evaluation of gender, authority, and historical bias in Tudor historiography. Students explore the circumstances of Mary’s accession and assess her priorities as queen, before examining how interpretations of her reign have been shaped over time. They evaluate the role of government and Parliament under Mary, alongside the political implications of her marriage to Philip II of Spain, including England’s involvement in the Habsburg–Valois conflict and the consequences of war, most notably the loss of Calais. The bundle also includes a detailed comparison of the Counter Reformation with the religious changes introduced under Edward VI, alongside an examination of Marian persecution and the experience of the Marian Martyrs. This allows students to evaluate both continuity and change in mid-Tudor religious policy. Finally, students assess the economic condition Mary inherited from Edward VI, before judging the extent to which her policies created stability or laid important foundations for future success under later monarchs. Across the bundle, students are consistently encouraged to weigh evidence, challenge traditional narratives, and construct balanced judgements. The lessons are as follows: L1 Introduction to Mary I L2 Aims of Mary I L3 Mary I and her government L4 Mary I marriage and Wyatt’s Rebellion L5 The Counter Reformation L6 Marian Martyrs L7 Mary’s Foreign Policy L8 Mary I and the economy Included in this bundle: Fully resourced and editable PowerPoint lessons Central enquiry question: Was a woman fit to rule England? Historiography focus including Foxe and Protestant interpretations Structured evaluation of Mary I’s accession and priorities Analysis of government, Parliament, and political authority Detailed study of marriage to Philip II and foreign policy impact Habsburg–Valois conflict and the loss of Calais Religious change: Counter Reformation vs Edwardian reforms Marian martyrs and religious persecution Economic evaluation: continuity, change, and long-term impact Comparative and judgement-based activities throughout The lessons include the two types of exam question used, with examples of how to tackle them, using helpful hints and tips, structuring and scaffolding as well as markschemes and model answers. However, please refer to the AQA website for further assessment materials as they are subject to copyright. The lessons are also differentiated and fully resourced and allow students to reach the very top marks. If you are interested in the full Tudor A Level Bundle 1485-1603, please click here: /teaching-resource/resource-13151989. If you have any questions about the lessons, please email me via my TES shop, or any other information about the course. I would also welcome any reviews, which would be gratefully appreciated.

£20.00

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