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New Focus Education

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Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level History resources available for purchase and download. New Focus Education offer resources from a teacher with 10 years teaching experience, a track record of excellent outcomes and experience of leadership at several levels. The main focus is AQA 8145 and AQA A Level, with key stage three resources available with GCSE skills and requirements embedded throughout.

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Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level History resources available for purchase and download. New Focus Education offer resources from a teacher with 10 years teaching experience, a track record of excellent outcomes and experience of leadership at several levels. The main focus is AQA 8145 and AQA A Level, with key stage three resources available with GCSE skills and requirements embedded throughout.
Hardwick Hall historic environment pack 2025
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Hardwick Hall historic environment pack 2025

8 Resources
Full pack containing all lessons on Hardwick Hall including: An introduction to features of Elizabethan manor houses, who Bess of Hardwick was and how she could build Hardwick, features of Hardwick, what changes in England Hardwick demonstrates and essay planning lesson. A revision lesson (pre-exam) is also included, along with a model answer for the 16-mark response and a knowledge organiser for Hardwick Hall.
8145 Hardwick Hall 2025 HE revision workbook
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

8145 Hardwick Hall 2025 HE revision workbook

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A workbook that reviews the key content required for the 2025 Historic Environment study on Hardwick Hall. The booklet covers why manor houses were built, who Bess of Hardwick was, typical features of manor houses, how Hardwick Hall was and was not a typical manor house, changes reflected by Hardwick and essay planning.
AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall  HE 2025 L2: Who was Bess of Hardwick?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall HE 2025 L2: Who was Bess of Hardwick?

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Lesson 2 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on who Bess of Hardwick was and why she was able to build Hardwick Hall. The lesson begins with an image starter, asking students to explore how people like Bess could build manor houses. Students then explore Bess from a video, moving on to the creation of a timeline of her life. From this students create a spider diagram showing how Bess was an effective businesswoman, then explaining how Bess was able to redevelop Hardwick. Finally students assess how far Bess was a typical member of the Elizabethan Gentry.
Drake HE 2024 model answer - increase in wealth and power main result of journeys of exploration
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Drake HE 2024 model answer - increase in wealth and power main result of journeys of exploration

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A model answer to a sample question for the AQA 2024 HE on Drake’s Circumnavigation of the Globe 1577-1580. The answer explores several factors to address the question: “The main result of journeys of exploration was the increase in the wealth and power of Elizabethan England”. How far does the study of Drake’s circumnavigation support this statement? You should refer to Drake’s circumnavigation and your contextual knowledge (16 marks)
AQA 8145 Elizabeth - Hardwick Hall review lesson (pre-exam)
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 Elizabeth - Hardwick Hall review lesson (pre-exam)

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Lesson reviewing key content and linked to exam skills for Hardwick Hall. Recap starter on Hardwick, use of diagram to define how Hardwick is a "typical" manor house, card sort matching key features to key changes (e.g. rise of the Gentry), use of the cards to create PEE points linked to the 16 mark essay question, model paragraphs linked in to show use of PEEEE skills, post-it plenary writing criteria to the 16 mark essay question.
Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L6 - Puritan challenge to Elizabeth's religious settlement
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L6 - Puritan challenge to Elizabeth's religious settlement

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Lesson 6 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson focuses on the Puritan challenge to the religious settlement. The lesson begins with an inference starter on Puritan beliefs, before students link in why the religious settlement left some angry. Students then create a symbol poster reviewing the key aspect of Puritanism and the anger around crucifixes and vestments. Students then use the learning from the lesson to plan an answer to: Explain why the Puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement. You may use the following in your answer: • vestments • the Act of Uniformity You must also use information of your own (12 marks) Finally, students review the past three lessons in a retrieval plenary.
AQA 8145: Conflict in Asia: Eisenhower and Kennedy's policies (Vietnam pt.1)
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145: Conflict in Asia: Eisenhower and Kennedy's policies (Vietnam pt.1)

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This lesson explores how both Eisenhower and Kennedy increased US intervention in Vietnam and their similarities/differences. The lesson begins with exploration of existing knowledge of Eisenhower, using a video to make notes, with the same task utilised for Kennedy. Students then use the handout to create a table showing similarities and differences of their policies, leading to a detailed focus on the Strategic Hamlet Programme. Students then list any successes and failures so far for the US in Vietnam, finally assessing how far they agree that the Strategic Hamlet Programme was ultimately a failure for the US.
Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L4 - Successes of the Religious Settlement 1559
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L4 - Successes of the Religious Settlement 1559

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Lesson 4 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson begins by exploring the differences between a Catholic and Protestant church, allowing students to identify areas of disagreement. Students then read through the key areas of the Relgious Settlement and create a table showing the positives and negative impacts of this. Students then link this to a 4-mark ‘describe two features’ question, self or peer-assessing the answer. Moving on, students categorise cards into the overall positive and negative effects of the Religious Settlement, reaching a judgement on the most significant. Students then assess how successful they think Elizabeth’s attempts were at solving the religious divisions in 1559.
AQA 8145 America  1920-70: Kennedy and Johnson - how far was a 'Great Society' created?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 America 1920-70: Kennedy and Johnson - how far was a 'Great Society' created?

(1)
Lesson exploring social and economic policies of Kennedy and Johnson. JFK picture starter, analysis of JFK quote, highlight successes and failures of 'new frontier', assessment of success of this, analysis of Johnson quote, card sort on Great Society Programme - used to create a positive/negative table, video interpretation of the Great Society (opportunity to analyse provenance), justification plenary on who made a larger impact to society in the 1960s - Kennedy or Johnson.
Why was immigration feared in 1920s USA?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Why was immigration feared in 1920s USA?

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Link to the modern day with Donald Trump video (Mexico wall), exploration of Sacco and Vanzetti using the Woodie Gutherie song and a video on the Red Scare, table exploring different reasons US society was afraid of immigration building to an overall judgement.
How did castles help the Normans to keep control - KS3 suitable for AQA 8145 Pevensey focus
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

How did castles help the Normans to keep control - KS3 suitable for AQA 8145 Pevensey focus

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*Sixth lesson in the scheme - how the Normans changed England * Lesson exploring how castles helped the Normans to keep control of England. Pevensey castle starter - links to prior lesson on defensive features, information hunt on Pevensey, picture annotation around William - how castles helped him, choice of differentiated summary questions to demonstrate learning, judgement line plenary on how important castles were in keeping control.
Drake's circumnavigation (HE 2024) Knowledge Organiser
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Drake's circumnavigation (HE 2024) Knowledge Organiser

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A knowledge organiser summarising the key content required as part of the AQA 2024 Historic Environment study of Drake’s Circumnavigation 1577-1580. It covers, who Drake was, why he embarked on the journey, key events, benefits and dangers, impact and overall success, alongside tips on how to approach the question
AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall  HE 2025 L5: Hardwick Hall essay planning.
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall HE 2025 L5: Hardwick Hall essay planning.

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Lesson 5 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on application of knowledge of Hardwick Hall to the 16-mark essay on the Elizabethan paper. The lesson begins with a recap of the changes in the period demonstrated by Hardwick, leading to a paired retrieval task reviewing the key features of Hardwick. Students then explore the 16-mark essay criteria and then apply their learning to a plan for the following question: “The main change that Elizabethan manor houses demonstrated was the greater prosperity of their owners”. How far does a study of Hardwick Hall support this statement? You should refer to Hardwick Hall and your contextual knowledge. (16 marks). Students then explore a WAGOLL paragraph and assess the strengths and weaknesses of this. A model answer for this question is included in the bundle pack.
AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall  HE 2025 L4: What can Hardwick Hall show us about Elizabethan England?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall HE 2025 L4: What can Hardwick Hall show us about Elizabethan England?

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Lesson 4 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on what Hardwick Hall can show about changes in the Elizabethan period. The lesson begins with a knowledge recall of Hardwick Hall, moving on to a carousel source activity where students use sources to explain key changes in England that Hardwick demonstrates (fashions, wealth, support for Elizabeth, rise of Gentry and new architectural styles. Students then explain what Hardwick Hall can show about Elizabethan England, explaining why Hardwick can be seen as a symbol of Elizabeth’s reign.
Slave resistance
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Slave resistance

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Lesson exploring how slaves resisted on plantations. Inference starter, two layers of inference sources linked to utility, card sort categorising passive and active resistance leading to an explanation judgement regarding the most successful forms of resistance.