Henry VIII’s Enduring Impact

Overview

This 60-minute lesson explores the significance of Henry VIII’s reign and its lasting influence on modern Britain in 2025. It is designed for Year 10 students and aligns with the National Curriculum for England: Key Stage 4 History. The lesson aims to develop students’ understanding of the Tudor period’s historical importance and encourage critical thinking about legacy and historical influence in contemporary society.

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National Curriculum Links

• Key Stage 4 History Programme of Study:

  • Pupils should be taught to understand the key features and characteristics of the past including ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of men, women and children.
  • Pupils should develop an understanding of the characteristic features of the periods studied and their impact on the present day.
  • Pupils should develop understanding of change and continuity over time; the nature of cause and consequence; and the process of historical enquiry.

• Specific content: The British depth study including the reign of Henry VIII and his impact on England (Tudors c.1485–1603).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain the key events and policies of Henry VIII’s reign, particularly the English Reformation and the establishment of the Church of England.
2. Analyse the political, religious and social changes initiated by Henry VIII and evaluate their continuing influence on British society and institutions in 2025.
3. Evaluate how historical legacy shapes modern governance, law, and religion in Britain.
4. Develop historical enquiry skills by interpreting primary and secondary sources related to Henry VIII.

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Resources Needed

• Copies of primary source excerpts: Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy (1534) and quotes from contemporaries
• Timeline handouts of Henry VIII’s reign
• A whiteboard or interactive board
• Projector or screen to show brief video clip (2-3 minutes) on Tudor England today (pre-recorded teacher video or animation)
• Printed worksheet for the “Legacy Today” group activity
• Pens, paper, coloured markers

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Lesson Structure

Starter (10 minutes)

“Who was Henry VIII?” Think-Pair-Share

• Students individually write three key facts they already know about Henry VIII.
• Then discuss in pairs to add one new fact from their partner.
• Share as a group and teacher writes key points on the board: marriages, break with Rome, establishing the Church of England.

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and quickly gauge students’ baseline understanding.

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Main Activity Part 1 (15 minutes)

Mini-input & source analysis: Henry VIII’s Reign

• Teacher delivers a concise presentation outlining:
  • Henry VIII’s motivations for breaking with the Catholic Church
  • The Act of Supremacy and creation of the Church of England
  • Impacts on religion, politics, and society at the time
• Distribute excerpts from the Act of Supremacy and a contrasting contemporary opinion.
• In pairs, students extract key messages and discuss how these documents reflect the significance of Henry VIII’s decisions.

Curriculum focus: Developing understanding of source interpretation and cause and consequence.

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Main Activity Part 2 (20 minutes)

“Legacy Mapping” Group Activity

• Students split into 2 mixed-ability groups of 2 and 3.
• Each group receives a worksheet prompting them to map Henry VIII’s influence under the following headings:
  1. Religion (e.g., lasting impact of the Church of England)
  2. Government and Law (e.g., monarchy’s role, royal supremacy)
  3. Society and Culture (e.g., changes in power dynamics, religious festivals)
• Groups create visual mind maps including explanations and examples of how these influences remain relevant in 2025 Britain (e.g. established church role in Parliament, monarchy today, legal traditions).
• Groups present their mind map highlights to the class.

Key skills: Synthesising knowledge, speaking and listening, relevance to modern context.

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Plenary (10 minutes)

Reflective discussion and exit ticket

• Teacher facilitates a reflective question: “Why is it important for us to understand Henry VIII’s reign in 2025?”
• Students answer in one or two sentences on a sticky note or electronically (if available).
• Select 2 or 3 students to share their responses.
• Teacher summarises the enduring legacy and links back to the curriculum aims about understanding past influences on present society.

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Assessment

• Informal assessment through observation of paired/source discussions and group presentations.
• Evaluation of exit tickets to check understanding of legacy concepts.
• Worksheets collected to review students’ ability to connect historical events to the modern day.

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Differentiation

• Support sheets with simplified source excerpts for lower ability learners.
• Extension task: Students research and add examples of Henry VIII’s influence on a specific modern institution or law and prepare to share briefly in the next lesson.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Religious Studies: The role of the Church of England today and religious reform.
• Citizenship: Understanding how historical monarchy influences modern UK governance.

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Reflection and Follow-up

• Plan a follow-up lesson focusing on the English Reformation’s wider European context.
• Encourage students to compare Henry VIII’s impact with another significant British ruler to develop comparative skills.

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This detailed plan combines historical enquiry, critical thinking, and modern relevance — designed to engage and inspire Year 10 students while meeting the exact demands of the National Curriculum for History in England.