Life in a Tudor Castle

Curriculum Area

Subject: History
Level: Key Stage 1 (Year 1 & Year 2)
National Curriculum Links:

• Significant historical events, people, and places in their own locality.
• Changes within living memory and beyond living memory.

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Know the roles of different people in a Tudor castle.
2. Understand what life was like in Tattershall Castle during the Tudor period.
3. Recognise how Tudor castles were places of wealth and power.

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Lesson Duration

52 minutes

Class Size

16 students

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Lesson Plan

Starter Activity (10 minutes) – ‘What is a Castle For?’

1. Teacher Questioning: Open with a discussion: “What do you think a castle was used for in Tudor times?” Encourage students to share ideas.
2. Quick Draw: Give each student a whiteboard and ask them to draw what they imagine a Tudor castle looked like.
3. Class Share: Briefly discuss what they have drawn and compare ideas.

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Main Teaching Input (15 minutes) – 'Who Lived in a Tudor Castle?'

1. Introduction to Tudor Roles

• Explain that castles were not just homes for kings and queens, but also for lords, ladies, servants, and workers.
• Introduce key roles:
  • Lord and Lady – Owners of the castle, lived in luxury.
  • Servants – Responsible for cooking, cleaning, lighting fires, and looking after the lord and lady.
  • The Cook – Worked in the kitchen to prepare meals.
  • The Gong Farmer – Cleaned out the toilets (cesspits)!

2. Tattershall Castle in the Tudor Period

• Show a simple timeline of owners, explaining that after Lord Cromwell died, the castle was passed along to many wealthy and powerful people including Henry VIII and Charles Brandon.
• Explain Charles Brandon’s impact – “[He turned the castle into a Tudor palace and even built a special place for jousting called a Tiltyard.]”

3. Interactive Role-Play Decision Making Question

• Ask students: “If you lived in Tattershall Castle, would you want to be a lord, a cook, or a gong farmer? Why?”

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Activity (15 minutes) – Jobs in a Tudor Castle

1. Role-Play Cards – Assign each student a role: Lord, Lady, Cook, Servant, or Gong Farmer.
2. Act It Out! – Students act out their roles. Examples:
   • Lords and Ladies enjoy a banquet.
   • Servants clean and light fires.
   • Gong Farmers pretend to scoop waste (with imaginary tools!).
3. Discussion – Ask students:
   • “How do you think each person felt doing their job?”
   • “Was life fair for everyone in Tudor castles?”

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Plenary (10 minutes) – Quiz and Reflection

1. Quick Quiz:
   • What was a Gong Farmer’s job?
   • Who owned Tattershall Castle after Lord Cromwell died?
   • What special sport did Charles Brandon bring to the castle?
2. Personal Reflection: “If you lived in Tudor times, would you rather be rich or poor? Why?”

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboards and pens (for drawing starter)
• Printed role-play cards (Lord, Lady, Cook, Servant, Gong Farmer)
• Simple timeline of Tattershall Castle’s Tudor owners
• Teacher’s storytelling voice - enthusiasm essential!

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation: Are students engaging with questions and role-playing?
• Discussion Contributions: Do students show understanding of different roles in a Tudor castle?
• Quiz Answers & Reflection: Can students recall key Tudor facts about Tattershall Castle?

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Differentiation

• For Support: Provide picture prompts for castle roles, use paired discussion.
• For Challenge: Ask students to explain why roles were divided this way in Tudor times.

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Teacher Reflection

• Did all students participate in role-play?
• Did the quiz show good understanding?
• What could be improved for next time?