1. Tudor Feedback - Sources
Easter Mock Week
Tudor Feedback - Sources

2. Tudor source: overall findings…
Own knowledge on Wolsey was generally good! Many of you used accurate, relevant and precise knowledge in your interpretation question
Exam technique is improving, but still need development, especially:
P1: What is the historian’s argument
P3: What elements of the historian’s argument are not convincing

3. The historian’s interpretation:
Henry VIII liked to shrug off responsibility for important decisions on his efficient but unpopular minister, Wolsey. The main business of government was to keep the peace and dispense justice; and this Wolsey did but little more. Wolsey’s years seem tame compared to the bustling reforms of the next decade; but there is perhaps much to be said for mere stability. The failure of Wolsey’s foreign policy in 1529 was hardly Wolsey’s fault. There was little that England could have done to prevent Charles V’s triumph in Italy- there was little that could therefore be done to secure Henry’s divorce except by resorting to radical measures.
Issue: Most students understood the source – but did not use the first paragraph in the essay to prove this.
Activity: Ask students which highlight the elements of the historians argument they mention in paragraphs 2 and 3. Then get them to look at whether those aspects of the argument are in their paragraph 1.
Activity: Get them to re-write their paragraph ones by rephrasing the highlighted elements on the board.

4. Q. What is wrong with this sentence?
“The historian was not there at the time, and therefore he does not have a full understanding of what happened”
Q. What is wrong with this sentence?
ALL of the Tudor extracts are from historians. None of them were there at the time, therefore the point that ‘they were not there’ is invalid.
Also, the question is about how convincing their views are. Whether somebody is there or not has nothing to do with whether they are convincing, it is about whether you believe their opinions on matters to do with the Tudor unit. Being there at the time would not make you more convincing!!

5. Wolsey promoted civil law, that was based on natural justice rather than evidence. He also strengthened the Star Chamber, as echoed through the number of cases being heard increasing from 20 to 120. Wolsey proposed a subsidy in 1523 and the ‘Amicable Grant’ in In 1517 Wolsey began a national enquiry to find out how much land was enclosed and what effect it was having. From this legal cases were drawn up against landlords who were judged to have enclosed without the proper permission. Henry met Francis at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in June 1520.
Issue: a lot of students made the point (especially in conclusions) that there aren’t many facts and therefore it is not convincing.
Activity: Get students to plan out an answer to this ‘interpretation’ – should help them to understand that facts actually make answering this question harder. Should given them a better understanding of what the interpretation is and what is meant by convincing.

6. Q. What is wrong with this sentence?
“This extract is mainly opinions and doesn’t have many facts”
Q. What is wrong with this sentence?
The point of the extract question on the Tudor unit is for you to assess how convincing a historians argument it.
This could be rephrased as: ‘do you believe the historian’s opinion?’
You cannot assess how convincing a fact is, because it is objective!

7. Say ‘the historian does not say….’
In the third paragraph on a Tudor interpretation question, you are required to write a paragraph on the elements of the interpretation that are not convincing.
Task: Re-read what you wrote about in this paragraph, and write it on a white board.
Q. Does you point
Pick out an elements of the historian’s argument that you do not think is convincing
Say ‘the historian does not say….’
Issue: some people in their paragraph on elements of the source are not convincing, went down the route of ‘it does not say…’ and then word vomited all their own knowledge on the topic they had revised.

8. Henry VIII liked to shrug off responsibility for important decisions on his efficient but unpopular minister, Wolsey. The main business of government was to keep the peace and dispense justice; and this Wolsey did but little more. Wolsey’s years seem tame compared to the bustling reforms of the next decade; but there is perhaps much to be said for mere stability. The failure of Wolsey’s foreign policy in 1529 was hardly Wolsey’s fault. There was little that England could have done to prevent Charles V’s triumph in Italy- there was little that could therefore be done to secure Henry’s divorce except by resorting to radical measures.
Get all students to re-write their ‘not convincing’ paragraph – by picking one of the highlighted sentences, and using their own knowledge to prove that is not convincing.

9. Tudor Feedback - Essays
Easter Mock Week
Tudor Feedback - Essays

10. Tudor essay: overall findings…
Answers to the Tudor essay question were generally better than the answers to Tudor interpretation questions.
Areas that need improvement
Introductions – criteria
Linking paragraphs back to the question

11. Introduction: criteria
Q. What is a criteria?
A standard by which something may be judged or decided
Q. Why do we need a criteria in a history essay introduction?
It gives you a bench mark which has to be met in order for the statement in the question to be valid. You might decide in your answer, that the criteria has not been met, and that the statement is NOT valid.
Criteria’s: Students either did not attempt them, or if they did made flimsy points. I think this is because they are not 100% clear on what a criteria is, and more importantly, its purpose within a history essay.
Analogy of the red line in pointless – have to hit the red line in order to go through, similar in an essay, the red line has to be met in order for the statement to be valid.

12. Introduction: criteria
What would need to happen for Jeremy Corby to be elected on 8th June?
First example: designed to show that some criteria can have objective elements e.g. labour need to win most seats

13. Introduction: criteria
What would need to happen for Trump to ‘make America great again’?
Second example: designed to show that many criteria are subjective – i.e. there is not a ‘right’ criteria as long as you stick to it

14. Introduction: criteria
What would need to happen for Henry VII’s control of the Nobility to be the key reason for the consolidation of Henry VII’s royal authority?
Get students to re-write their criteria (or write it for the first time!)

15. Linking back to the question
‘Establishing control of the Nobility was the key reason for the consolidation of Henry VII’s royal authority’
Does this paragraph link back to the question?
One way in which Henry controlled his nobility was through his use of attainder. Attainders were special laws passed by parliament, which allowed someone to be declared guilty of treason without going through the process of trail. This meant that Henry was able to remove the titles and possession of nobles. However, a more detailed examination of Henry’s use of attainders reveals that more attainders were passed at the end of his reign, suggesting insecurity and paranoia until the end of his reign.
Many students are able to point, evidence and explain, but few are linking back to the question (big factor preventing students getting high grades in AS).
Get students to finish of this paragraph by linking back to the question.

16. Linking back to the question
One of the main differences between essays that get C and essays that get B-A*, is linking back to the question.
Linking back to the question at the end of each paragraph focuses your essay, and demonstrates that you are always answering the question.
Level 4 descriptor:
‘Clearly structured, argued and focused on the question throughout’
Level 3 descriptor:
‘Mostly clearly structured and argued, but may lack focus in the question in places’
Many students are able to point, evidence and explain, but few are linking back to the question (big factor preventing students getting high grades in AS).
Get students to finish of this paragraph by linking back to the question.

17. Linking back to the question
‘Establishing control of the Nobility was the key reason for the consolidation of Henry VII’s royal authority’
Does this paragraph link back to the question?
One way in which Henry controlled his nobility was through his use of attainder. Attainders were special laws passed by parliament, which allowed someone to be declared guilty of treason without going through the process of trail. This meant that Henry was able to remove the titles and possession of nobles. However, a more detailed examination of Henry’s use of attainders reveals that more attainders were passed at the end of his reign, suggesting insecurity and paranoia until the end of his reign.
Get students to re-write their criteria (or write it for the first time!)

18. Linking back to the question
‘Establishing control of the Nobility was the key reason for the consolidation of Henry VII’s royal authority’
Does this paragraph link back to the question?
Imposters and rebellions also helped Henry consolidate his royal authority. Whilst they were always a threat, they helped Henry prove he was the rightful King of England. In 1487, Henry ended the Simnel rebellion at the battle of East Stoke. This not only demonstrated Henry’s military strength, but that it was God’s will for him to be King. Rebellions and imposters also allowed Henry to identify the disloyal nobles, for example Henry’s spies found Sir William Stanley supporting Lambert Simnel. Therefore, imposters and rebellions consolidated Henry’s royal authority as they identifying his enemies. Imposters and rebellions link back to royal authority as many imposters gained support from foreign powers; Simnel and Warbeck were both given financial aid from Margaret of Burgundy. This shows foreign powers undermining Henry’s position as King and justifies why imposters and rebellions was not the key reason for the consolidation of Henry VII’s royal authority.
Many students are able to point, evidence and explain, but few are linking back to the question (big factor preventing students getting high grades in AS).
Get students to re-write one of their paragraphs in full, ensuring that they link to the question – could get students to swap over their new paragraphs and get their peer to highlight the link.