Henry II's church reforms
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why Henry II came into conflict with the Church and how Henry’s reforms reduced the power of the Church.
Key learning points
- The power of the Church often brought it into conflict with the king’s authority .
- If they broke the law, the clergy were only required to attend the Church's own courts.
- Henry II appointed Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to help reform the Church.
- Henry wanted to use the Constitutions of Clarendon to increase his control over the Church.
- Becket argued with Henry and believed the Church should be free from the king's interference.
Keywords
Clergy - the clergy are religious leaders, especially priests, ministers, etc.
Spiritual - spiritual is relating to deep feelings and religious beliefs
Archbishop - the chief bishop of a large region is known as the archbishop
Bishop - a senior member of the Christian Church in charge of an area containing several churches is known as a bishop
Exile - when you are sent away from your home country, you go into exile
Common misconception
Medieval and modern Church power is equivalent.
Explicitly outline the Church's organisational power: land ownership, clergy social status, and spiritual authority.
Teacher tip
A virtual tour of a cathedral provides a grand visual of the period. These impressive structures give pupils an insight into the power of the medieval Church.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? The Assizes enabled royal justice to be everywhere, even without the presence of the king.
Q2.Identify two examples of how barons took advantage during the chaos of the Anarchy.
Q3.Match the key words with the correct definitions.
Q4.Write the missing word. Legal matters were decided in local courts often overseen by a local __________.
Q5.Select the incorrect impact of the Assizes.
Q6.Which of the following best describes Henry II’s legal reforms?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the below is not an example of Church power in medieval England?
Q2.What was the main cause of conflict between the Church and the crown in medieval England?
Q3.Write the missing word. If they broke the law, the clergy were only required to attend the __________'s own courts.
Q4.Write in the missing name. Henry II appointed __________ as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Q5.What was one important change made by the Constitutions of Clarendon?
Q6.Match the key words with the correct definitions.
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Henry II's church reforms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Henry II's church reforms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the England under Henry II: how successfully did Henry reassert royal authority? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.