Hello and welcome to the History Department.
My name is Jack Morgan and I’m the Head of History at Reigate College. I’m looking forward to welcoming you to our vibrant History Department in person at the beginning of the academic year and getting you started on one of our History programmes.
As you know, we run two A Level History courses at Reigate (Early Modern and Modern). I’m going to be setting a series of activities for you to complete over the coming months which I hope will give you an introduction to the course topics; simply choose the tasks that relate to the History option you’ve chosen.
Many of you will have studied History at GCSE, but the A Level programme requires you to develop advanced skills to enable you to read, summarise and analyse information and draw your own conclusions. I hope you will enjoy the activities we’ve set, and I looking forward to discussing your findings when we meet in September.
The tasks are organised in three distinct steps and should all be completed by Choices Day on 27 August 2025. This is to give you the best insight into what the courses will be like and/or help prepare you for them.
Please note, some Course Leaders (for example for Music) may release their tasks earlier, as they may form part of the College’s audition process. If this applies to you, you’ll be notified separately.
New Starters Course Tasks and Activities
| Release date | Suggested Completion Dates | |
| Explore your Subject | 1 June | 1 July |
| Get Going | 1 June | 1 August |
| Aim High | 1 June | 1 September |
It is really important that you understand the difference between GCSE History and A Level, where you will be required to read and write far more extensively than you have done before. The volume and complexity of the work will be challenging to all. It is important that you get into the habit of reading in more depth than you will have been used to on the GCSE course in order to be successful at A Level. The following activities will give you a good indication of the demands of the work.
Please complete the tasks for EITHER Modern History A Level OR Early Modern History A Level.
Modern History A Level
The British Empire
The first activity to help you prepare for the start of your Modern History A Level course is based on the British Empire in India.
- Read this article about the British Empire in India.
- Write short answers to the following questions:
- How would you summarise Tharoor’s argument about the motivations behind British actions in India?
- What do you think might be some of the problems with looking at historical events as causes of ‘pride’ or ‘shame’?
Early Modern History A Level
Margaret Beaufort
This first activity is designed to get you thinking about one of the key figures in your course on the Tudors.
Please read the article and write short answers to the following questions.
- What does Margaret Beaufort’s life tell you about the opportunities aristocratic women could take advantage of in this period and the limitations still placed upon them?
- What does Margaret Beaufort’s life tell you about the political situation during the Wars of the Roses?
Modern History A Level
Get Going
As you explore the Modern History A Level course and the topic of Empire, you will discover that the legacy of the British Empire is still very present in Britain today. One of the clearest examples of this is in objects and places; some which were constructed to promote the empire, used to support it, or in the case of many objects linked to the empire in British museums, seized from colonised countries and peoples and brought back to Britain.
Select at least two of the places or objects highlighted below. Use the resources indicated to explore the key questions raised about empire and take brief notes on your findings.
- India: The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
- London: The Crystal Palace
- Nigeria: The Benin Bronzes
- Australia: The Gweagal Shield
- Brighton: The Pavilion in WWI
India: The Koh-i-Noor Diamond:
Key Questions:
1. How did the Koh-i-Noor diamond come to Britain?
2. What does this story tell you about the relationship between India and the British Empire?
3. What are the arguments for and against the return of the diamond?
Resources:
https://www.ft.com/content/0f17f436-5089-11e7-bfb8-997009366969
London: The Crystal Palace
Key Questions:
1. Why was the Crystal Palace built and what did it have to do with the empire?
2. How was the Great Exhibition used to promote the British Empire?
Resources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2004/07/27/history_feature.shtml
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Crystal-Palace-building-London
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/significant-events/great-exhibition-1851/
Nigeria: The Benin Bronzes
Key Questions:
1. What do the Bronzes tell you about Benin before it was colonized?
2. What does their seizure tell you about the British Empire in West Africa?
3. Why are they now being returned to Nigeria?
Resources:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/Benin_art_Nov2015.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/sep/11/2
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/26/africa/africa-uk-benin-bronze-return-intl/index.html
Australia: The Gweagal Shield
Key Questions:
1. What is the story of the Gweagal Shield?
2. What does its story tell you about the British Empire in Australia?
3. Why is there a campaign for its return?
Resources:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-gripping-story-of-the-gweagal-shield-20190511-p51mbe.html
Brighton: The Pavilion in WWI
Key Questions:
1. What was the Pavilion used for in WWI?
2. What does this tell you about the role played by Indian troops in WWI?
Resources:
https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/short-history-of-the-royal-pavilion/
https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discovery/history-stories/ww1-royal-pavilion/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26057597
http://www.eastsussexww1.org.uk/indian-soldiers-east-sussex/index.html
Early Modern History A Level
Get Going
Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell is widely regarded as perhaps the outstanding servant of the crown in the 16th century. Not only did he manage the most difficult of men for a decade (i.e. Henry VIII), but he also presided over and helped organise an enormous series of changes of fundamental importance to the development of England. Cromwell left his mark in a number of different areas:
- He shaped the development not only of the
entire system of government, but also the way in which England was
administered, worshipped, paid its taxes and was counted. - He transformed the role of Parliament,
made Wales conform more to English ways and laws, broke down the traditional
independence of the North of England and started to look at ways in which trade
could be developed. - He also went a long way towards making
the crown financially independent from Parliament.
Cromwell was perhaps the only person the King regretted disposing of (he was executed on trumped up charges of treason by his enemies in 1540). Coming from a poor and comparatively low-class background, this was a remarkable achievement.
Cromwell rose to prominence through a mix of ability, hard work, skill at collecting offices and making himself indispensable. He also had the ability to implement his master’s will effectively. He proved able to tie up the many loose ends left by Henry VIII’s divorce and its implications.
Little is known about Cromwell’s early career, beyond the facts that he had some training as a lawyer, travelled widely and sat in the Parliament of 1523. He was a key aide to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey although he managed to distance himself sufficiently when his master fell, although he showed loyalty towards Wolsey when others had fled. By 1530 he was a member of the Privy Council and over the next two years rose from being just another royal servant to being a key minister. He made enemies of those who felt they were better suited to the task, such as Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Howard, who were to play a key role in his fall in 1540.
1. Research Activity
Using the following website, create a detailed timeline of Cromwell’s life. Highlight key events and characters (such as Anne Boleyn who you will learn about in the Tudor course).
https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/thomas-cromwell/#gs.5ho292
2. Historical Interpretations Activity
Was there a ‘revolution in government’ in England as a result of the work of Cromwell? Read the History interpretation case study and answer the following two questions using examples from the article:
- How was Cromwell able to bring about so many changes?
- Does the work of Thomas Cromwell in the 1530s merit the definition of ‘a revolution in government’?
3. Research Activity
Thomas Cromwell’s older sister Katharine had a son named Richard, who later served in Thomas’s household and changed his surname to Cromwell.
- Find out who Richard’s great-grandson was, and the impact he made on Britain.
A Level Modern History
One of the key things that you will need to do in your course on the British Empire is to engage with the interpretations that historians construct about particular historical events, processes and figures. These interpretations might include judgements about what caused historical events, how much things changed or stayed the same during a period and how significant particular events or individuals were. This activity includes a recent interpretation of the Amritsar Massacre and its consequences by Anita Anand, whose book, The Patient Assassin was published in 2019.
Please read the extract from the preface to Anand’s book and answer the questions attached.
A Level Early Modern History
One of the key things that you will need to do in your course on the Tudors is to engage with the interpretations that historians construct about particular historical events, processes and figures. These interpretations might include judgements about what caused historical events, how much things changed or stayed the same during a period and how significant particular events or individuals were. This activity includes a recent interpretation of the reign of Henry VII by Lucy Wooding, whose book, Tudor England was published in 2022.
Please read the extract from Wooding’s chapter on Henry VII and answer the questions attached.
Head of History
