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Mary I’s Foreign Policy: War, Spain and the Loss of Calais | AQA A Level History

Mary I’s Foreign Policy: War, Spain and the Loss of Calais | AQA A Level History

Subject: History

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

9 June 2026

pptx, 2.09 MB
pptx, 2.09 MB
PNG, 111.27 KB
PNG, 111.27 KB
PNG, 338.12 KB
PNG, 338.12 KB

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603

The aim of this lesson is to challenge the traditional interpretation that Mary I’s foreign policy was a complete failure.

Students explore the complex political situation in Europe at Mary’s accession and investigate how her marriage to Philip II of Spain drew England into the wider Habsburg–Valois conflict and war with France.

Through a range of differentiated activities, students analyse the successes and failures of Mary’s foreign policy, including military reforms, religious alliances, unpopular decisions, and the loss of Calais.

Extended comprehension tasks and discussion activities encourage students to evaluate historical interpretations and build analytical skills for essay and extract questions.

The lesson also includes a fascinating case study on the capture of Calais using material from a recent BBC History Magazine article, leading into an extract practice question complete with a detailed mark scheme and guidance.

A reflective plenary revisits the enquiry question and challenges students to reconsider common historical assumptions about Mary’s reign.

Included in this resource:
Fully editable PowerPoint lesson
Clear enquiry question revisited throughout
Differentiated comprehension and analysis tasks
Discussion activities on successes vs failures
Case study on the loss of Calais
Extract practice question with detailed mark scheme and model answers
Suggested teaching strategies included
Designed to support exam skills and historical interpretation

Reviews would be welcomed to aid future planning.

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 32%

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

Bundle

AQA A Level History: The Tudors Foreign Policy Complete Lesson Bundle

This bundle explores the development of Tudor foreign policy from the reign of Henry VII through to Elizabeth I. Students examine the changing aims, successes and failures of Tudor monarchs in their relations with foreign powers including France, Spain and Ireland. The bundle begins with an introduction to Henry VII’s foreign policy aims before exploring key case studies including Brittany and Ireland. Students then investigate the foreign policy of Henry VIII both under and after Thomas Wolsey, before assessing the policies of Mary I and Elizabeth I. The final lessons focus on the war with Spain and Elizabeth’s difficulties in Ireland. Throughout the bundle, students assess changing foreign policy aims, analyse diplomacy, treaties, war and rebellion, and evaluate the success of Tudor monarchs in securing England’s position at home and abroad. Lessons include engaging activities, enquiry questions, interpretation work and exam-style practice, helping students build confidence in analytical and evaluative writing. The lessons are as follows: L1 intro to Henry VII Foreign Policy L2 Henry VII and Brittany L3 Henry VII and Ireland L4 Henry VIII Foreign Policy under Wolsey L5 Henry VIII Foreign Policy after Wolsey L6 Mary I Foreign Policy L7 Elizabeth I Foreign Policy L8 War with Spain L9 Elizabeth and Ireland Skills developed throughout the bundle: Source and interpretation analysis Evaluating historical interpretations Explaining significance and causation Comparing continuity and change Analysing treaties, alliances and diplomacy Constructing supported judgements Extract based exam practice Essay planning and analytical writing Map and contextual analysis Debate and discussion activities Any reviews would be appreciated to aid future planning.

£20.00
Bundle

AQA A Level History: The Tudors – Edward VI & Mary I Complete Lesson Bundle

**AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603** This comprehensive bundle has been designed to help A Level History students confidently access the challenging themes, interpretations and concepts of the AQA Tudors course while developing strong analytical and exam skills. Covering the reigns of both Edward VI and Mary I, these lessons move beyond traditional interpretations and encourage students to engage critically with historical debate, historiography and Tudor government. Edward VI is often presented as a passive figure overshadowed by Somerset and Northumberland. This enquiry-based bundle challenges that interpretation and encourages students to reconsider Edward’s role within his own reign. Students will investigate: How far Edward VI was fit to rule Edward’s personality, beliefs and political influence The significance of Somerset and Northumberland The causes of rebellion and instability Religious change and the Edwardian Reformation The impact of leading reformers including Cranmer and Hooper Why both Somerset and Northumberland ultimately fell from power Mary I’s reign has traditionally been viewed negatively. These lessons challenge simplistic interpretations and encourage students to assess Mary as a determined, politically capable and significant Tudor monarch, whilst also evaluating the limitations and failures of her reign. Key areas covered include: Was a woman considered fit to rule England? Mary’s accession and priorities as queen Government, Parliament and royal authority Philip II, Wyatt’s Rebellion and foreign policy The Counter-Reformation and Marian persecution The influence of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs Economic challenges and Mary’s long-term legacy Comparisons between Edwardian and Marian religious reform Students develop evaluative skills through interpretation work, source analysis and debate-based activities. The lessons are as follows: L1 Introduction to Edward L2 The rise of Somerset (free resource) L3 Rule of Somerset L4 Rise of Northumberland L5 Rule of Northumberland L6 The Edwardian Reformation L7 Introduction to Mary I L8 Aims of Mary I L9 Mary I and her government L10 Mary I marriage and Wyatt’s Rebellion L11 The Counter Reformation L12 Marian Martyrs L13 Mary’s Foreign Policy L14 Mary I and the economy This Bundle includes: Fully resourced PowerPoints and activities Enquiry-based learning throughout Retrieval practice and knowledge development Exam practice for both AQA question types Model structures, scaffolds and writing support Mark schemes and examiner-style guidance Interpretation and historiography tasks Differentiated activities to support all learners Help for students to achieve top grades If you are interested in the full Tudor A Level Bundle 1485-1603, please click here: /teaching-resource/resource-13151989. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via my TES shop. Reviews are always greatly appreciated and help support the creation of future resources.

£30.00
Bundle

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: /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.

£20.00

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