History GCSE Elizabeth Edexcel KT2 L5 Political and Religious Rivalry (Fully Resourced).
This complete lesson is part of the Edexcel 9–1 GCSE History Elizabethan England unit, Key Topic 2: Challenges at Home and Abroad, 1569–88. Lesson 5 explores How did politics and religion make England and Spain enemies by 1585?

The resource is fully resourced and requires no textbook, making it ready to teach immediately. It traces the decline in relations between England and Spain from allies to enemies, showing how religious difference and political events pushed the countries towards war.

Detailed lesson content:

Do Now / 5-a-day starter: retrieval on foreign policy, commercial rivalry with Spain, privateers, why Spain viewed Drake as a pirate, and how Drake helped Elizabeth’s aims.

Comprehension check: students correct and extend their answers in full sentences.

Background task: reading on European relations before 1569, including England’s links with Spain and France, the Treaty of Câteau-Cambrésis (1559), and why Elizabeth’s Protestantism weakened ties with Philip II. Students answer comprehension questions in full sentences.

Decline of relations task: students examine a timeline of key events between 1569–1585 that worsened Anglo-Spanish relations.

Examples include: Elizabeth’s support for Dutch rebels, the excommunication of Elizabeth, Spanish plots with Mary Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth’s use of privateers.

Students highlight each event to show whether Elizabeth, Philip, both, or neither were to blame for the worsening relationship.

Students plot each event on a “Good Relations → Bad Relations” scale to judge the overall trend.

Discussion and extension: students consider which event marked the “point of no return” where conflict became unavoidable.

Exam practice: students plan a 16-mark answer on “The decline in Anglo-Spanish relations between 1569 and 1585 was mainly caused by Elizabeth’s actions. How far do you agree?” using key factors (Drake’s voyages, the Netherlands, religion).

Plenary: reflection question on how much Elizabeth was personally to blame for the collapse in relations.

This lesson develops student knowledge of the political and religious rivalry with Spain and prepares them for longer exam-style questions on causation and judgement. Fully resourced, structured, and specification-aligned.