A fully resourced GCSE History lesson examining the enquiry question:
Why did Anne Boleyn fall in 1536 and Jane Seymour rise?

Designed for the Edexcel GCSE History course, this lesson explores the dangerous world of Henry VIII’s court, focusing on succession, factional rivalry, religion, and foreign policy. Students investigate how Anne Boleyn’s failure to produce a male heir, combined with religious conflict and international threats from France, Spain, and Rome, led to her downfall — while Jane Seymour’s traditional image and promise of stability secured her rise.

The lesson places strong emphasis on causation, to help students clearly explain why events happened, not just what happened — a key GCSE exam skill.

What’s included:

• Fully editable and ready-to-teach PowerPoint and worksheets
• Knowledge-building tasks on the Tudor succession and foreign threats
• Map activity linking international pressure to Henry VIII’s need for a son
• Sorting tasks comparing reasons for Anne’s loss of favour vs Jane’s rise
• Timeline activity (1533–1536) analysing court factions and key turning points
• GCSE-style paragraph writing with scaffolded sentence choices

How I use this resource:
I use this lesson as part of a GCSE Henry VIII / Early Elizabethan England unit, either as a core causation lesson or as preparation for “Why did…” exam questions. The structured approach supports all learners while stretching higher-attaining students to evaluate the most important causes.

See my shop for more GCSE History resources, including lessons on Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Cold War, Weimar Germany, and exam-focused writing support.