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British Period Study and Enquiry (Unit 1)

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did British politics and government change between 1930 and 1997, from the slump to the end of the post-war consensus?

Unit 1 Option (e.g. Y113 Britain 1930 to 1997): the slump and the National Government, the post-war consensus and the welfare state, the politics of the 1950s and 1960s, and the Thatcher governments and the breaking of the consensus.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 British period study guide to British politics and government from 1930 to 1997. Covers the slump and the National Government, the post-war consensus and the welfare state, the affluent society of the 1950s and 1960s, and the Thatcher governments that broke the consensus, with the period-essay and enquiry skills the paper rewards.
15 min answer →

How did the Second World War and its aftermath reshape British politics and society between 1939 and 1951?

Unit 1 Option (e.g. Y113 Britain 1930 to 1997): Churchill and the wartime coalition, the impact of total war on society, the Labour landslide of 1945, and the achievements and difficulties of the Attlee government to 1951.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 British period study guide to Britain from 1939 to 1951. Covers Churchill and the wartime coalition, the social impact of total war and the Beveridge Report, the Labour landslide of 1945, and the achievements and economic difficulties of the Attlee government, with the period-essay and enquiry skills the paper rewards.
14 min answer →

How did Henry VII establish and secure the Tudor dynasty between 1485 and 1509, and how stable was his rule?

Unit 1 Option (e.g. Y106 England 1485 to 1558): the establishment of the Tudor dynasty under Henry VII, his government and finance, the pretenders and rebellions he faced, and his foreign policy and consolidation of power.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 British period study guide to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty under Henry VII from 1485 to 1509. Covers Bosworth and the securing of the throne, government and royal finance, the pretenders Simnel and Warbeck, the major rebellions, and foreign policy, with the period-essay and enquiry skills the paper rewards.
15 min answer →

Why did Henry VIII break with Rome, and how far did it transform the English Church and state between 1509 and 1547?

Unit 1 Option (e.g. Y106 England 1485 to 1558): Henry VIII and Wolsey, the divorce campaign and the break with Rome, the royal supremacy and the Reformation, the dissolution of the monasteries and the Pilgrimage of Grace.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 British period study guide to Henry VIII and the break with Rome from 1509 to 1547. Covers Wolsey's ministry, the divorce and the King's Great Matter, the royal supremacy and the Reformation statutes, the dissolution of the monasteries, the Pilgrimage of Grace and the role of Cromwell, with the essay and enquiry skills Unit 1 rewards.
15 min answer →

How serious was the instability of England under Edward VI and Mary I between 1547 and 1558, and was there a mid-Tudor crisis?

Unit 1 Option (e.g. Y106 England 1485 to 1558): Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation, the protectorates of Somerset and Northumberland, the rebellions of 1549, the succession crisis of 1553, and Mary I's Catholic restoration, marriage and rebellion.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 British period study guide to the mid-Tudor crisis from 1547 to 1558. Covers Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation, the rule of Somerset and Northumberland, the rebellions of 1549, the disputed succession of 1553, and Mary I's Catholic restoration, Spanish marriage and Wyatt's rebellion, with the debate over whether there was a crisis.
15 min answer →

How do you answer the Unit 1 enquiry, evaluating four primary sources to test a hypothesis?

Unit 1 Section A: the enquiry question, evaluating four contemporary sources for their use in testing a given hypothesis, weighing content and provenance against the historical context (AO2).
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 guide to the Section A enquiry. Explains how to answer the source question, evaluating four contemporary sources for their use in testing a hypothesis, weighing content and provenance against the historical context, with a Tudor worked example and the AO2 skills the enquiry rewards.
14 min answer →

How do you write the Unit 1 period study essay, building a ranked, analytical argument across the period for AO1?

Unit 1 Section B: the period study essay, building a sustained analytical argument across the period that ranks factors and reaches a substantiated judgement (AO1).
An OCR A-Level History Unit 1 guide to the Section B period study essay. Explains how to read the command, plan a ranked thematic argument across the period, deploy precise evidence and reach a substantiated judgement for AO1, with a worked Tudor example and the essay skills the paper rewards.
14 min answer →