4.51311 reviews

Last updated

13 June 2026

This is an engaging and interactive decision-making game, perfect for consolidating students’ understanding of attacking and defending castles in Norman and Medieval England.

Students take on the role of the defenders of a medieval castle, loosely inspired by the famous Siege of Rochester Castle (1215). Having failed to pay their taxes, they face the wrath of King John and his advancing army. Their mission is simple: defend the castle at all costs by making a series of tactical decisions that will determine the outcome of the siege.

Throughout the activity, students must think like medieval commanders, weighing up their options carefully and considering the strengths and weaknesses of castle defences. Every choice earns (or loses) points, encouraging critical thinking, discussion and historical reasoning as they attempt to survive the siege.

At the end of the game, students use a clear and student-friendly scoring system to discover just how successful they have been, ranging from novice defenders to true masters of medieval siege warfare. The activity is ideal as a revision task, plenary, homework, cover lesson or end-of-topic challenge.

The game is easy to run, engaging and encourages students to apply their knowledge in a fun and memorable way.

Included in this resource:
Interactive medieval castle defence game
Based loosely on the Siege of Rochester Castle (1215)
Encourages strategic thinking and decision-making
Reinforces knowledge of castle defences and siege warfare
Promotes historical reasoning and problem-solving skills
Simple scoring system to assess success
Student-friendly mark scheme included
Ideal for revision, consolidation or end-of-unit activities
Suitable for KS3 Medieval England and Norman England units
Can be completed individually, in pairs or small groups
Minimal preparation required
Best presented as an enlarged A3 resource for maximum impact

Please feel free to leave a review to aid my future planning of resources.

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

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KS3 Norman Conquest & Medieval Complete Bundle

This fully resourced unit covers the Norman Conquest and the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain from 1066–1509. Students are introduced to Norman England through a range of enquiry-based lessons which develop key historical skills including source analysis, interpretation, explanation, significance and historical judgement. Throughout the unit, students investigate how William the Conqueror gained control of England and how the Normans used castles, the feudal system and the Church to maintain power. The enquiry questions encourage students to think critically about Medieval life and change over time. The bundle includes: L1 William the Conqueror L2 Norman Castles (+ Castle Attack Game) L3 The Domesday Book L4 The Feudal System L5 The Church (FREE) L6 Doom Paintings L7 Monks and Nuns (FREE) L8 Medieval Towns L9 The Black Death L10 Crime and Punishment L11 The Bayeux Tapestry + Key Word History Display The lessons are designed to be engaging, challenging and easy to deliver, with a strong focus on discussion, evidence and historical enquiry. Activities include games, source work, decision-making tasks, written challenges and retrieval practice to help students build confidence and deepen understanding. All lessons are differentiated, editable and supplied in PowerPoint format, making them easy to adapt for your classes. Suggested teaching and learning strategies are included throughout, alongside links to modern interpretations and historical scholarship. This bundle is Ideal for: Key Stage 3 History Medieval England units Norman England schemes of work Non-specialists looking for ready-to-teach lessons Departments wanting a complete half-term or term-long unit Please leave a review to help my future planning of lessons. Contact me at PilgrimHistory17@gmail.com for any other advice if needed as I am currently a full time history teacher and Head of Department. You may wish to click here for a free curriculum guide to also aid planning your history Key Stage 3 Scheme of Work: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13464327 You may also be interested in my Battle of Hastings Bundle which can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12791104

£24.00