GCSE History Revision –

The Normans
How much did 1066 change England?
Specification Summary – The Normans:
Conquest and Control
• Part one: The Normans: conquest and control
• Causes of Norman Conquest, including the death of Edward the Confessor, the claimants and claims.
• Military aspects: Battle of Stamford Bridge; Battle of Hastings; Anglo-Saxon and Norman tactics; military
innovations, including cavalry and castles.
• Establishing and maintaining control: the Harrying of the North; revolts, 1067–1075; King William’s
leadership and government; William II and his inheritance.
• Part two: Life under the Normans
• Feudalism and government: roles, rights, responsibilities; landholding and lordship; land distribution;
patronage; Anglo-Saxon and Norman government systems; the Anglo-Saxon and Norman aristocracies and
societies; military service; justice and the legal system such as ordeals, ‘murdrum’; inheritance; the
Domesday Book.
• Economic and social changes and their consequences: Anglo-Saxon and Norman life, including towns,
villages, buildings, work, food, roles and seasonal life; Forest law.
• Part three: The Norman Church and monasticism
• The Church: the Anglo-Saxon Church before 1066; Archbishop Lanfranc and reform of the English Church,
including the building of churches and cathedrals; Church organisation and courts; Church-state relations;
William II and the Church; the wealth of the Church; relations with the Papacy; the Investiture Controversy.
• Monasticism: the Norman reforms, including the building of abbeys and monasteries; monastic life; learning;
schools and education; Latin usage and the vernacular.
Specification Summary – The Normans:
Conquest and Control
Part four: The historic environment of Norman England

• The historic environment is 10% of the overall course. Students will be examined on a specific site
in depth. The site will relate to the content of the rest of this depth study. It is intended that study
of different historic environments will enrich students’ understanding of Norman England.
• Students will be expected to answer a question that draws on concepts of change, continuity,
causation and/or consequence, and to explore them in the context of the specified site and wider
events and developments of the period studied.
• Students should be able to identify key features of the specified site and understand their
connection to the wider historical context of the specific historical period.
• Students will be expected to understand the ways in which key features and other aspects of the
site are representative of the period studied. In order to do this, students will also need to be
aware of how the key features and other aspects of the site have changed from earlier periods.
• Students will also be expected to understand how key features and other aspects may have
changed or stayed the same during the period.
• E.G. The historic environment can be explored through the examination of Norman buildings such
as the cathedrals (Part three), abbeys (Part three), castles (Part one) and wider historic
environments such as towns and settlements (Part two). Equally, key historical developments and
events such as trade (Part three), revolts, and battles (Part one) were shaped by the historic
environment in which they took place.
The Exam – Same paper as Medicine and
Public Health (7th June)
1/ How far do you agree with this interpretation? (8 marks)
Requires the evaluation of one visual or written interpretation drawing upon contextual knowledge of a key event,
development, group or individual from the specified content.

2/ Explain… (8 marks)
Requires knowledge, understanding and analysis of historical events, issues or developments in relation to causation,
change, continuity and/or consequence.

3/ Write an account… (8 marks)

Is a narrative account testing knowledge, understanding and analysis of of cause, change, continuity and/or
consequence.

4/ Essay linked to the specific focus (in our case Yorkshire) (16 marks)
The final question is based upon knowledge, understanding and analysis of the historic environment (Yorkshire) and
its relationship with wider events/developments of the period studied. Essay requiring a judgement and will draw on
change, continuity, cause and/or consequence. This question is intended to be an extended response enabling
students to demonstrate their ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent,
relevant, substantiated and logically structured.
How convincing is this interpretation about William the Conqueror and
the Battle of Hastings? Explain your answer using the interpretation
and your wider knowledge.
[8 marks]
An interpretation of William and the Battle of Hastings.
Adapted from ‘The Norman Conquest’ by Hugh Thomas, 2008.
William has to be seen as the better commander because he won. He
showed extraordinary persistence and bravely risked both himself and
his army to win his gamble at Hastings. However, in any battle the effect
of luck cannot be ignored. Had William died early in the fighting, as was
rumoured, then his army would probably have broken up. He might
then have been known as ‘William the Reckless’, and instead historians
would have praised Harold as a daring and brilliant general.
The interpretation question…
• The best way to think of this question is to rephrase it ‘In what ways is
this interpretation accurate?’
• ‘Interpretation’ in this context will always be a secondary source,
usually the work of an historian, though it could be a pictorial
interpretation. There are no marks for provenance.
• Therefore the key is to pick out key points in the interpretation and
use knowledge and contextual understanding to explain why the
interpretation is convincing.
Key points in the interpretation
1. William has to be seen as the better commander because he won.
2. He showed extraordinary persistence and bravely risked both
himself and his army to win his gamble at Hastings.
3. However, in any battle the effect of luck cannot be ignored.
4. Had William died early in the fighting, as was rumoured, then his
army would probably have broken up. He might then have been
known as ‘William the Reckless’
5. …Historians would have praised Harold as a daring and brilliant
general.
Explain why the revolts against William in the years 1068-1071 failed
…or…
Explain what was important about the feudal system under the
Normans.
…or…
Explain what was important about the relationship between the Norman
Kings and the Church. (8 marks)

• What different reasons were there…

• In what ways was the xxx important?
- Aim for 2 categories (paragraphs) – specific reasons/ways in which
xxx was important. For each you need to have examples which
illustrate this.
- Can the factors be linked?
 Write an account of box the ways in which the legal system changed under the Normans.
…or…
Write an account of the ways in which the Normans changed monastic life in England.
…or…
Write an account of how towns changed under the Normans
[8 marks]

• The aim is to have 2 or more consequences, causes, changes or continuities that need to be
explained – ideally with some evaluation of their impact. L4 – linked/evaluated (st/lt?)