elizabeth's background and accession
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of elizabeth's background and accession
- Apply elizabeth's background and accession to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for elizabeth's background and accession first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: Key Context, Elizabeth's Approach, The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: elizabeth's background and accession
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about elizabeth's background and accession. Then check against the key terms: Key Context, Elizabeth's Approach, The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Key Context, Elizabeth's Approach, The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Key Context, Elizabeth's Approach, The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: elizabeth's background and accession. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of History because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: elizabeth's background and accession. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of History because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Why was Elizabeth's education unusual for a woman of her time? (2 marks)
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about elizabeth's background and accession.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: elizabeth's background and accession
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on elizabeth's background and accession. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Key Context: Elizabeth I was born on 7 September 1533 at Greenwich Palace, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her path to the throne was far from straightforward - she was declared illegitimate, excluded from the succession, imprisoned in the Tower of London, and survived the dangerous reigns of her half-brother Edward VI and her half-sister Mary I. These experiences shaped her into a cautious, pragmatic, and deeply intelligent ruler.
How Elizabeth's Early Life Shaped Her Rule: The execution of her mother and her own imprisonment in the Tower taught Elizabeth the dangers of political life and the importance of caution. She learned to keep her thoughts private and never reveal her hand prematurely. Her humanist education gave her the confidence and intelligence to rule. The religious turmoil of Edward VI's Protestant reign and Mary I's Catholic restoration convinced her that religious extremism was dangerous - a lesson that directly influenced her Religious Settlement.
Elizabeth's Approach: Elizabeth wanted a moderate settlement that would satisfy most people. She was not a religious extremist - she famously said she had "no desire to make windows into men's souls." Her goal was political stability, not religious purity. The Settlement was designed to be a compromise: Protestant enough to satisfy most English people, but traditional enough to make Catholicism possible in practice.
The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication: Pope Pius V's bull Regnans in Excelsius (25 February 1570) transformed the Catholic challenge from a religious issue into a political one. By absolving Catholics of their allegiance to Elizabeth, the Pope effectively made being Catholic equivalent to being a potential traitor. This forced Elizabeth's government to treat Catholics as a security threat, leading to increasing persecution, fines for recusancy (refusing to attend Church of England services), and the execution of Catholic priests.
Elizabeth's Response to Puritans: Elizabeth consistently refused to make further reforms. She insisted on conformity to the Settlement and demanded uniformity of worship. She blocked Puritan bills in Parliament, imprisoned Puritan agitators, and insisted on strict enforcement of the Act of Uniformity. She saw Puritanism as a threat to her authority and to the stability of the Church - if everyone could worship as they chose, there would be chaos.
Successes: The Settlement provided a workable compromise that lasted for Elizabeth's entire reign (45 years). Most English people accepted it, and the vast majority of parish churches conformed. It ended the violent religious oscillation of the previous 25 years (Henry VIII's break from Rome, Edward VI's Protestantism, Mary I's Catholic restoration). It established the Church of England as a distinctive "middle way" between Catholicism and Protestantism.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Head of Church | The Pope | Elizabeth as Supreme Governor |
| Language of services | Latin | English |
| Communion | Transubstantiation (bread and wine become body and blood) | Ambiguous wording |
| Clergy marriage | Forbidden (celibacy) | Permitted |
| Church decoration | Elaborate (statues, paintings, vestments) | Restricted but some retained |
| Prayer book | Traditional Latin mass | Revised Book of Common Prayer |
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: Why was Elizabeth's education unusual for a woman of her time? (2 marks)
Answer: Elizabeth's education was unusual because she received a humanist education normally reserved for boys: she was tutored by leading scholars like Roger Ascham, became fluent in Latin, Greek, French, Italian, and Spanish, studied rhetoric, philosophy, and theology, and was skilled in music. Most women of the era received only basic domestic education.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: elizabeth's background and accession
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: Key Context, Elizabeth's Approach, The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Q1: Why was Elizabeth's education unusual for a woman of her time? (2 marks)
Answer: Elizabeth's education was unusual because she received a humanist education normally reserved for boys: she was tutored by leading scholars like Roger Ascham, became fluent in Latin, Greek, French, Italian, and Spanish, studied rhetoric, philosophy, and theology, and was skilled in music. Most women of the era received only basic domestic education.
Q2: Describe two challenges Elizabeth faced when she became queen in November 1558. (4 marks)
Answer: Two challenges: (1) Religious division - England had swung from Henry VIII's break with Rome to Edward VI's Protestantism to Mary I's Catholic restoration, leaving the country deeply divided; (2) Financial crisis - Mary I left the Crown approximately £300,000 in debt. Other challenges include war with France, loss of Calais, and questions about Elizabeth's legitimacy.
Q3: Explain why Elizabeth called her Religious Settlement a "middle way." (4 marks)
Answer: The Settlement was a "middle way" because it was designed to be a compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism. Elizabeth became "Supreme Governor" (not the more Protestant "Supreme Head"); the communion service used deliberately ambiguous wording that could be interpreted as either Catholic or Protestant; some traditional vestments and ceremonies were retained while services were in English; clergy could marry (Protestant) but churches retained some decoration (Catholic).
Q4: How did both Catholics and Puritans challenge the Religious Settlement? (8 marks)
Answer: Catholics challenged the Settlement by: refusing the Oath of Supremacy (8 bishops were deprived); continuing to practice Catholicism privately; Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570, absolving Catholics of their allegiance. Puritans challenged the Settlement by: refusing to wear vestments (37 London ministers suspended 1566); demanding the abolition of bishops; publishing the Admonition to Parliament (1572); holding unauthorized prophesyings. Elizabeth enforced conformity against both groups.
Q5: "The Religious Settlement of 1559 was Elizabeth's greatest achievement." How far do you agree? (16 marks + 4 SPaG)
Answer: A balanced answer should discuss: the Religious Settlement (it provided 45 years of relative stability, most people accepted it, it ended the violent religious oscillation of previous reigns); other achievements such as securing the succession (though she never married), dealing with foreign threats (the Armada), financial recovery, and the cultural flourishing of the Elizabethan age. Argue either that the Settlement was her greatest achievement because it solved the most dangerous problem, or that other achievements were equally important.
Q6: Explain the significance of the 1570 papal excommunication of Elizabeth. (4 marks)
Answer: The 1570 excommunication was significant because it transformed Catholicism from a religious difference into a political threat. By absolving Catholics of their allegiance to Elizabeth, Pope Pius V made being Catholic equivalent to being a potential traitor. This forced the government to treat Catholics as a security threat, leading to increasing persecution, fines for recusancy, and the execution of Catholic priests. It made compromise between Elizabeth and the Catholic Church impossible.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: elizabeth's background and accession
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Exam-Style Question
Attempt a past-paper style question on elizabeth's background and accession from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.
Exam Tips: Always use specific dates: Elizabeth born 1533 , accession 17 November 1558 , Religious Settlement 1559 , excommunication 1570 | Know the difference between the Act of Supremacy (governing the Church) and the Act of Uniformity (governing worship) | Explain the "middle way" clearly - it's a very common exam question | For questions about challenges, discuss BOTH Catholic and Puritan opposition | Remember that "Supreme Governor" was a deliberate compromise - not "Supreme Head" | Link Elizabeth's early life experiences to her later decisions (caution, pragmatism) | For 16+4 mark questions, write at least 3-4 developed paragraphs plus a conclusion
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often think elizabeth solved the religious problem. Wrong: Elizabeth solved the religious problem Correct: The Religious Settlement was a compromise that satisfied neither Puritans nor Catholics. Catholic plots continued throughout her reign. Students often think the spanish armada was defeated entirely by the english. Wrong: The Spanish Armada was defeated entirely by the English Correct: While English tactics (fire ships) were important, the weather played a crucial role. Many Spanish ships were wrecked by storms. Students often think elizabethan england was a golden age for everyone. Wrong: Elizabethan England was a golden age for everyone Correct: While the elite pros
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how elizabeth's background and accession connects to another History topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of elizabeth's background and accession
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in elizabeth's background and accession?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: Key Context, Elizabeth's Approach, The Impact of the 1570 Excommunication (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on elizabeth's background and accession from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain elizabeth's background and accession to someone else in your own words (10 mins)