Target age range: A-level

The materials published in this section focus on developing students’ understanding of the Reformation and its impact on sixteenth-century society, using the case study of York. The enquiry equips students to analyse a range of primary sources, including the archaeological finds at St Mary’s Abbey, to evaluate the significance of religious upheaval for different social groups. The resources also provide an enhanced chronological understanding of the key events of the reign and explain the reasons for rebellion against Henry VIII through events such as the Pilgrimage of Grace and the Wakefield Conspiracy.

Activities focus on storytelling and role play, with Edward Lee – the Archbishop of York through much of Henry’s reign – being the main character. Lee has been chosen because of his involvement with a large number of key events in the reign so, if preferred, the story of his career could be used as the basis of a chronology or revision exercise for the period.

They have been developed from materials originally produced for a series of workshops exploring the question ‘How can scholars explore the progresses of Henry VIII in the twenty-first century?’ This work was undertaken by Dr Helen Carrel while she was Director of Humanities at Tormead School, Guildford. She is now Head of History and Politics at Sir William Perkins’s School, Chertsey.

Every effort has been made to trace all image copyright holders and permissions in these resources, although occasionally it has not been possible to identify them. Please contact Maheema Chanrai at maheema.chanrai@history.org.uk with any queries.

Image: St Mary's Abbey Church in Museum Gardens York, England, 2007. Photograph by Kaly99, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)