AQA A Level History: The Tudors - Mary I Complete Lesson Bundle

This fully resourced bundle is designed to enable A Level students to engage confidently with the Mary I content in the AQA 1C specification, presenting the key ideas, themes and complexities of her Tudor government in a clear, accessible format for A Level students.

This bundle of lessons challenges the traditional negative view of Mary , encouraging students to critically evaluate whether Mary deserves her reputation or whether she was, in many respects, a courageous, decisive, and determined monarch operating in an exceptionally difficult political and religious context.

At the heart of the bundle is the enquiry question: Was a woman fit to rule England? This overarching theme runs throughout the resources, encouraging sustained evaluation of gender, authority, and historical bias in Tudor historiography.

Students explore the circumstances of Mary’s accession and assess her priorities as queen, before examining how interpretations of her reign have been shaped over time. They evaluate the role of government and Parliament under Mary, alongside the political implications of her marriage to Philip II of Spain, including England’s involvement in the Habsburg–Valois conflict and the consequences of war, most notably the loss of Calais.

The bundle also includes a detailed comparison of the Counter Reformation with the religious changes introduced under Edward VI, alongside an examination of Marian persecution and the experience of the Marian Martyrs. This allows students to evaluate both continuity and change in mid-Tudor religious policy.

Finally, students assess the economic condition Mary inherited from Edward VI, before judging the extent to which her policies created stability or laid important foundations for future success under later monarchs. Across the bundle, students are consistently encouraged to weigh evidence, challenge traditional narratives, and construct balanced judgements.

The lessons are as follows:

L1 Introduction to Mary I
L2 Aims of Mary I
L3 Mary I and her government
L4 Mary I marriage and Wyatt’s Rebellion
L5 The Counter Reformation
L6 Marian Martyrs
L7 Mary’s Foreign Policy
L8 Mary I and the economy

Included in this bundle:
Fully resourced and editable PowerPoint lessons
Central enquiry question: Was a woman fit to rule England?
Historiography focus including Foxe and Protestant interpretations
Structured evaluation of Mary I’s accession and priorities
Analysis of government, Parliament, and political authority
Detailed study of marriage to Philip II and foreign policy impact
Habsburg–Valois conflict and the loss of Calais
Religious change: Counter Reformation vs Edwardian reforms
Marian martyrs and religious persecution
Economic evaluation: continuity, change, and long-term impact
Comparative and judgement-based activities throughout

The lessons include the two types of exam question used, with examples of how to tackle them, using helpful hints and tips, structuring and scaffolding as well as markschemes and model answers. However, please refer to the AQA website for further assessment materials as they are subject to copyright.

The lessons are also differentiated and fully resourced and allow students to reach the very top marks.

If you are interested in the full Tudor A Level Bundle 1485-1603, please click here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13151989.

If you have any questions about the lessons, please email me via my TES shop, or any other information about the course.

I would also welcome any reviews, which would be gratefully appreciated.