Teaching Life in Tudor Times at KS2

Outstanding KS2 history lessons on Life in Tudor Times

Although the Tudors are not a unit in their own right in the current National Curriculum for history, we can still continue to teach them in one of  four ways:

1. We can make it the main focus for the thematic study: e.g. looking at how the role of the monarch has changed from Tudor times to today. The focus in 80% on Henry VIII and Elizabeth focusing on their portraits and what they tell us about them as rulers. The rest looks at how the monarchy is presented in the media today. Alternatively you might look at ‘voyages of exploration’ focusing heavily on the Tudors.

2. We can exploit any strong local links you might have e.g. schools within visiting distance of a Tudor palace

3. We can still teach it outside the National Curriculum. This need not mean extra time for history. We simply shave off time from the other units to make space for a truncated Tudor unit.

If you’re an academy of course you just teach it because its a great KS2 topic which has stood the test of time.

Whatever you decide, all existing outstanding lessons provide superb opportunities for excellent learning .

Make sure you have the brilliant medium term planner with you, judged outstanding  by OFSTED, when you look at these lessons so you can see how well they are sequenced and how they each address a distinct and important concept that helps pupils to think historically.