Qualification

Accredited
Oxford Cambridge and RSA

AS and A LEVEL
Coursework Guide

HISTORY A
Guide to Unit Y100

www.ocr.org.uk/history
 Coursework Guide
Introduction

This is a guide to H505 History A Level Non Examination Assessed Unit Y100. It should be read in
conjunction with two important documents. The first is the specification pages 105 to 113 and the second
is the JCQ regulations for Non Examined Assessment which is available from
http://www.jcq.org.uk/Download/exams-office/non-examination-assessments/instructions-for-
conducting-non-examination-assessments-2015-16.
This guide explains the formal requirements and also considers how to prepare learners and mark NEA
(coursework). However, nothing in the guide can override the requirements of the specification or the
official regulations and these must be followed to the letter by centres entering learners for this Unit.

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Introduction

1. Overview of the requirements 4

2. Choosing a topic – Different approaches 6

3. Getting started. Information for learners 7

4. Topic Choice and Assessment Objectives 8

5. Submission of titles 10

6. Research and development 11

7. What should be done at the end of the research process 12

8. Some key points to note 14

9. Sending of work to OCR 15

10. Further guidance 16

11. Appendix - an example of annotated coursework 17

12. Appendix 2 23

13. Appendix 3 24

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 Coursework Guide
Overview of the requirements
1. Overview of the requirements The essay must be based on the independent investigation of historical issue. The issue may
arise from the study of a period or topic in unit groups 1–3, or it may be on a topic, or from
What your candidates need to offer - a summary a period, that the learner has not studied as part of the A level course. The topic for this
The requirement is for an essay rather than a report. This requires continuous prose and a essay cannot be the same as that chosen for the in-depth interpretation topics studied
structured argument. The topic can be chosen from any aspect of history, including ancient within Unit Group 3.
history. There is no given beginning and end date, but the topic must be based on historical
evidence. Learners should choose their own essay title, but all titles must be checked by OCR. Centres
must use the Text and task Proposal Form (http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/by-type/
The length is recommended. Essays which fall significantly below 3000 words may well fail as-a-level-gce-related/as-a-level-gce-history-a-h105-h505-from-2015-related/text-and-task-
to deal with the chosen topic in sufficient depth. Essay which go beyond 4000 words are proposal-form/) to submit all chosen titles, along with the centre’s choice for Unit group 3 to
unlikely to demonstrate the skills required any more convincingly than essays which remain OCR for approval.
within the 3000-4000 word recommended limit. Very long answers are burdensome to both
learners and teachers who mark them and should be discouraged. Titles should be chosen Centres must submit their Proposal Form every series even if the titles have been approved
which can be answered in sufficient depth in the recommended word limit. Marks will not previously. There is no restriction on the number of learners choosing the same title,
be deducted for excessive length, but learners may well penalize themselves by offering however centres must ensure that work is independent (see the ‘selection of sources and
descriptive rather than analytical and evaluative writing. In later studies and in the world of interpretations’ below).
work learners will have to offer writing within given limits and in broader educational terms,
it may be doing them a disservice to discourage them from observing the recommended OCR will verify that the in-depth interpretations topics studied by the learners in Unit group
guidelines here. 3 have not been used as a basis for the Topic based essay and will confirm to the centres that
appropriate essay titles have been chosen. OCR consultants may contact centres requesting
In summary coursework should be: further information in order to be able to confirm the appropriateness of the title(s). Centres
• an extended essay on a topic of the learner or centres choice and not be the same as must wait until they have received confirmation from OCR that the chosen titles are
that chosen for the in-depth interpretation topics studied within Unit Group 3 suitable before learners begin working on their essays.
• an essay arising from independent study and research undertaken by the learner
• a recommended length of 3000-4000 words . More information about the deadlines for submitting the form and expected turnaround
times can be found in the OCR Admin Guide and Entry Codes: 14–19 Qualifications, which can
The following information is taken directly from the specification. be downloaded from the OCR website: www.ocr.org.uk

Overview
The History A unit Y100 Topic based essay is an independently researched essay of 3000–
4000 words in length. This unit is a non exam assessment. The work will be marked by centres
and moderated by OCR.

Choice of essay topic

The essay should include an explanation and analysis of different perspectives on a clearly-
stated historical issue, drawing on a range of primary and secondary material. It will therefore
utilise the skills and understanding developed elsewhere in the course. As an independent
enquiry using a range of sources and interpretations, the essay will require students to
develop an understanding of how historians work.

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Overview of the requirements
Topic based essay assessment This could well come out of interests and enthusiasms in other disciplines they have been
The unit assesses AO1, AO2 and AO3 through one piece of written work. Half of the marks studying. A love of modern languages and history, for example, might be linked by studying
will be awarded for AO1, and thus the essay should be driven by use of knowledge and an aspect of France, Spain, Italy, China or Russia. This could involve looking at evidence
understanding to reach substantiated judgements. A range of primary (AO2) and secondary in French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin or Russian, or merely extending knowledge and
(AO3) sources should be evident and analysed, but formal critical evaluation in itself is less understanding of the history of a particular country whose language has been studied.
important than the discerning use of evidence to support analysis. Further advice and
exemplification is available in the Coursework Guidance booklet. Learners may have an interest in a particular topic for its own sake. This could emerge,
for example, from their family, where they live, a hobby, a place they have visited, something
The non exam assessment topics chosen can add coherence to the overall course in any of they have seen in an exhibition, or a play, novel or film that has not featured in the main A
the following ways: level History course. Some examples might be the impact of industrial growth on a town or a
region; the impact of civil war on a local area; the development of culture in a particular city;
Learners may extend their knowledge of aspects of the past already studied. An the impact of religious or social change on a locality; the significance of a particular person,
example of this may be that the French Revolution and Napoleon has been studied for unit or events which have impacted on past members of their family.
group 2, but a learner has a special interest in the War of the Third Coalition, or the Hundred
Days War. A learner has studied US Civil rights in unit group 3 but may wish to consider the Selection of Sources and Interpretations Learners must use a range of both primary
career of Martin Luther King in greater depth. The reign of Elizabeth has been studied in unit (sources) and secondary (interpretations) material. A ‘range’ is considered to be 10 to 15 in
group 1, but a learner may wish to consider the issue of why she did not marry in greater total; however, where appropriate learners may use more. The balance between sources and
depth. Learners may not complete non exam assessment on any of the three in-depth interpretations will depend upon the topic studied, but learners should choose a sufficient
interpretations topics they study in unit group 3. variety and quantity of each to allow them to explore their chosen topic in sufficient depth.

Learners may wish to build on what they know to study related aspects not The topic must be independently researched by the learner. Centres may provide guidance
specifically required by the specification. An example of this may be that while US Civil regarding where learners can access appropriate sources and/or interpretations, and discuss
Rights has led to the study of rights for women, African-Americans and Trade Unions, a the subsequent selection with learners. While learners may inevitably select the same key
learner is interested in knowing more about gay rights. A learner may have enjoyed studying texts in researching an interpretation, such as AJP Taylor on the Origins of the Second World
Elizabeth and may wish to pursue a cultural aspect of the Elizabethan age. A learner may War, or Goldhagen on The Holocaust, centres may not provide learners with pre-selected
have studied China in unit group 3 between 1839 and 1989 but may wish to know more of compilations of sources and interpretations.
Chinese history in an earlier era.
Where learners offer the same title, centres must be vigilant in order to ensure that the
Learners may wish to study a topic which is not related to other topics studied in order learners’ work is genuinely independent. Moderators will be checking the selections of
to extend the range of their historical knowledge. The focus of their studies may have sources and interpretations, and significant overlap in the material chosen will be considered
been the modern period but they may wish to investigate something from an earlier period, potential evidence of collaboration.
or from a different geographical area. Such a study would involve using historical skills but
would be a broadening rather than a deepening of knowledge. Please remember, non exam assessment does not contribute to the 200 year minimum
programme of study requirement.
Learners may wish to study a topic which involves a different sort of history than
they have studied. Thus they may choose an aspect of social history to balance a course
which has been more focused on political history. They may wish to study an aspect of local
history when their main course has been predominantly based on national history. They may
wish to pursue a cultural or intellectual topic – a study of the arts or philosophy or literature
in a particular period. They may wish to focus on an economic topic or a scientific topic.

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 Coursework Guide
Choosing a topic
2. Choosing a topic – Different approaches However there are also advantages:
• Research can begin at a higher level if the basic framework is already known.
There are numerous ways in which a topic could be chosen. We have endeavoured to • It would prevent rather over-ambitious ideas for research topic proving beyond the
make this as free a choice as possible within the rules of the specification. Below are some capabilities of some learners.
suggested ways in which the choosing of a topic could be approached. • The centre would be sure that there appropriate debates and research materials accessible.
• The centre would be sure that it could mark the final essays accurately.
2.1 One model is that, within the limits imposed by the specification, learners choose any
topic they wish. Thus a centre of 25 learners may be submitting 25 different titles with a 2.3 The middle position would be for the centre to have a list of recommended topics but
massive range of topics and periods. to allow learners to submit proposals to offer a topic in which they were interested which fell
outside those proposals and to decide whether to accept it.
Some centres have favoured this approach in the past and it has advantages and
disadvantages, some of which are listed below. For example, a centre might have been studying Tudor England for Unit 1; Twentieth Century
• It may encourage a love for the past. Russia for Unit 2 and US Civil Rights for Unit 3. It might have suggested topics from Units 1 and/
• It may offer learners who have struggled with the taught units a chance to work on a or Unit 2 which learners might choose from. A learner however had a strong interest in China
topic of their own choice in which they might be motivated to do well. and wanted to investigate the Great Leap Forward because of interest sparked by reading
• It may help to prepare learners for future independent research on higher education. about this. One way forward would be to ask the learner to offer a proposal showing the
question, what the broad lines of discussion between historians were and what resources he or
However; she was going to use. A decision could be made based on that proposal and also on the basis
• It may be very difficult for some learners to acquire the necessary background of whether the department was willing to monitor the research and mark the final essay.
knowledge and understanding about a topic which seems to be interesting, but may
require a lot of contextual knowledge to understand. Frequently asked questions
• There may be problems of resources. 1. Can all learners offer the same title?
• Teachers may be unhappy at their ability to assess such a range of topics. Yes, all learners may do the same title but care should be taken in these instances to
ensure the work produced is individual to the learner.
2.2 The other end of the spectrum would be where learners are given a number of topics 2. Does it mean that my learners cannot offer essay titles based on their Unit 3 studies?
which the centre is sure that it has resources for and is happy to assess and learners make No, but they would have to be sure that no relevant material in the essay came from the
a guided and more restricted choice. Centres may feel that learners would be better in-depth studies. In practice, this may be difficult.
doing further research into an area where they have existing contextual and background
3. Does it matter that we have taught in class a topic that my learners choose as coursework?
knowledge.
No, because the 3000-4000 word essay will be more developed.
This has some disadvantages: 4. Can my learners use sources studied for the British history Unit 1 enquiry paper for their
• Some learners would flourish more doing topics which engaged their interest and which coursework?
they really wanted to know about. Yes, there is no bar on this.
• Topics might become ‘stale’ if they have already been studied. 5. Which of the approaches outlined above is the best?
• Topics studied in the first year would have to be studied in more depth to meet the It depends on a number of factors. These include the policy of the school and the
requirements of NEA rather than examined units. department to independent learning; the interests and abilities of the learners; the
• This might not pave the way so well for future research. resources available; the attitude of the department to assessing a range of topics;
previous teaching methods and aims. There is no set answer and the approach may vary
from year to year.

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Getting started
3. Getting started. Information for learners

Learners must know some key information:

3.1 That centres cannot provide model answers or writing frames specific to the task, such
as outlines, paragraph headings or section headings. This is expressly stated in the JCQ
regulations.

3.2 That you can only give general advice on how to improve drafts. You can read work and
give this general advice, but the OCR regulations restrict you to this general advice.

3.3 You are not allowed to mark work provisionally and then tell what you think it would get
in order for them to improve.

All this is important because it may inform the learner’s choice of topic.

3.4 Learners should be made aware of how the work is to be marked and JCQ says clearly
that this is recommended. It is quite permissible to issue a simplified and learner-friendly
version of the mark scheme so that they are quite clear about the requirements.

3.5 JCQ regulations require each centre to have a policy on NEA (coursework) so you must
be sure that you are conform to this policy and also that your learners are aware that you are
bound by the policy.

Thus if a learner is expecting you to offer detailed comments on specific elements of

a coursework, say, on Mussolini, as opposed to general comments about research,
assessment criteria, then this may cause problems. At the start learners must be aware of the
independent nature of the research and how it is to be assessed so that they choose the title
appropriately.

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Topic Choice and Assessment Objectives Coursework Guide

4. Topic Choice and Assessment Objectives The question should lead easily to learners being able to evaluate – i.e. weigh the relative
importance of explanations and also to a distinct judgement about an issue.
How the work is going to be assessed may affect the topics and titles to be chosen 4.2 AO2 is focused on the assessment of primary sources.
• There should be excellent evaluation of a range of different sources that are primary and/
There is a very clear link between the assessment objectives and the choice of topics and or contemporary to the period.
questions. The questions must allow the learner’s work to achieve the highest levels set out
in the assessment objectives. Also the learners must understand the nature of the task and • There should be detailed and accurate knowledge used to analyse these sources within
how it is going to be marked. their historical context.

The assessment objectives are set out on Pages 111 and 112 of the specification. This means using appropriate relevant primary sources critically. Analysing them involves
understanding how they might be used as evidence and evaluating them means assessing
4.1 AO1 deals with knowledge and understanding and refers to traditional essay skills and their value as evidence by testing them against contextual knowledge. This is not a separate
carries the most marks. It is the assessment objective that ‘drives’ the Unit’s requirements and task but should integrate within the essay.
looks for;
• Focus on the question. Thus there should be primary evidence used and assessed in relation to the explanations
• Detailed and relevant knowledge. being tested and explained. So if one of the explanations is the attitude of the Council, some
primary evidence should be introduced in relation to this factor and that evidence should be
• Understanding of the issues. evaluated.
• Analysing and evaluating key features of the period.
• A clear and well supported argument. A source may be a short extract quoted in a textbook or a secondary work; it is not expected
• A convincing and substantiated judgement. that very long surveys of state papers or parliamentary records will be undertaken. There
are many useful online collections of extracts which may be used. There are for some topics
useful collections published, or departments may have primary resources of their own.
Thus, if a learner were asking about, say, why Elizabeth never married, a good answer at Level In general learners do not find it difficult to access primary material if the topic is chosen
6 would; sensibly and with this requirement in mind.
• Stay focused on the explanations and not drift off into general considerations about the
reign. How does this affect the choice of question? However interesting the topic may be, the
• Include detailed knowledge to support the explanations which would all be linked to the learner does need to make sure that there is accessible primary evidence about it to support
issue of why she did not marry. different explanations. Without this, it will be very hard to gain good marks for AO2. This is a
• Include more than a description of the possible suitors and what happened; there would fundamental requirement and any learner proposing his or her own question should be able
be analysis, i.e. the knowledge would be linked to the question and the explanations. to show the teacher the sources that might be used and where they are going to come from.
• Also include an evaluation of the explanations, not merely a series of reasons but It is not a reasonable requirement for any department to find primary sources for a topic
judgement about the significance and relative importance of each. which interests a learner but about which the learner cannot find sources. However, if a series
of questions is suggested to learners then it is reasonable for those learners to be sure that
• Include a judgement would be clear and would follow from the analysis.
there are sourced readily available in the library, or in the department, or from the internet.
The research must be the learner’s own work, but he or she should know that evidence is
How does this affect the choice of question? If there is evaluation and judgement required, available and the topic has accessible evidence. This is not so say booklets of evidence must
then the question should lead to this. ‘ ‘Explain why Elizabeth never married’ ‘would therefore be provided for every question, just that sources can be accessed without recourse to going
be less good than ‘Assess the reasons why Elizabeth never married’. to specialist libraries or buying expensive academic books.

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Topic Choice and Assessment Objectives Coursework Guide

4.3 A03 concerns assessment of how of how history has been interpreted, where the Frequently asked questions
interpretations considered are later, deliberate constructions (most usually the writings
1. Does this mean that only established historical debates must be chosen?
of historians). It is not enough, for this AO, to simply analyse a view, it must be an actual
No, that would be very limiting. However, there must be scope for learners to identify
interpretation.
differences in the way that explanations are made.
There should be;
2. What if my learners identify different explanations but don’t attribute them to specific
• Excellent evaluation of a fully appropriate range of different interpretations of the chosen
historians?
issue.
This raises the issue of how your learners know there are different interpretations?
• Evidence of detailed and accurate knowledge. Everything they read should be logged. They must have got their views and
• Different interpretations, that should be analysed and located within the wider historical explanations from somewhere! To gain marks for AO3, actual interpretations have to be
context. analysed, and this clearly will involve identifying them.
2. Do I have to set special exercises with primary sources and secondary sources – say from 1-15
This means that different interpretations should be explained and assessed. This does not and then get my students to evaluate them?
mean a historiographical approach but rather identifying interpretations from the reading No, this would not be an essay. You should not provide booklets of sources with
and research done and assessing this by using knowledge. The views of historians should be exercises like that, or the work ceases to be independent in any meaningful sense.
referenced. ‘Source A in my booklet says…..’ is not the correct approach.

In all 10-15 sources should be used. Some of these must be primary and some will be A check list when choosing questions
identified secondary evidence. • Is it an ‘open question’ which allows consideration of different views? ‘Explain why German
caused World War II’ is not an open question ‘How far was Germany responsible for World
How does this affect the choice of question? War II’ is.
The question should give rise to the consideration of different interpretations. Not all issues
• Is there any real scope for discussion? ‘A War which scarred Europe’ How far do you agree
have intense debates such as the famous Neale debate or that over Cromwell and the
with this view of World War Two? This is not really disputable. ‘Stalin was most responsible
Revolution in Tudor Government. However, as historians are naturally argumentative and
for the Cold War’ How far do you agree? This could open up a lot of discussion.
history depends on the reading of evidence, there are certainly differences in emphasis
and explanations on many topics. The chosen topic and question must allow the learner to • ‘How far was the modernization in Meiji Japan for military purposes’ is an interesting
access and evaluate different historical views, though. Again if a learner is eager to pursue a question, but are there 10-15 sources and interpretations which are accessible by a
topic of personal interest, then he or she must be able to show what different interpretations learner who was interested in doing it?
are going to be analysed and evaluated. • ‘Assess the development of Civil Rights in the New Deal.’ Be careful that this learner is not
doing Unit 3 Civil Rights in the USA 1865 to 1992.

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Submission of titles
5. Submission of titles
To prevent unsuitable questions, centres are required to submit all the titles to be done by
the centre to OCR to be checked. Points to note are;

• If the considerations above have been taken into account, this should not throw up any
objections.
• Where questions are phrased in such a way as to be unlikely to lead to sustained
discussion or are on topics with limited scope for debate and the evaluation of views
and evidence, then the consultants will say ‘No’.
• There is no explanation offered, so it is important to look at any negative response in the
light of the guidance above.
• If it is still not clear why ‘No’ has been given as a response, please contact
[email protected].

This service is intended as a safeguard for centres and learners and is mandatory under
the terms of the specification. OCR doesn’t need to know the essay title that each of your
students has chosen, but does need to check all of the titles being attempted in your centre
(i.e. if multiple learners are doing the same title, you only need to submit it once). You must
submit titles every year, even if they have been previously approved or come from the pre-
approved list at the back of this guide.

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 Coursework Guide
Research and development
6. Research and development The JCQ rule that a mark must not be given to work handed in with a view to showing how
a learner has performed and therefore what he or she needs to do to improve must be
By the time research begins the following should have happened; respected. There is no formative marking allowed. This is also true of verbal feedback. Under
no circumstances must a learner be told that a draft would get a certain mark as a guide to
• There should have been clear guidance on the nature of the task and what help can be the learner improving the work.
offered.
• Learners should be clear about how the work is to be marked and what is expected.
• The question itself should have been checked by the centre and amended and refined if The type of support which can be offered during the research period
necessary.
• All questions should have been approved by OCR. Group Work
Seminars or classes which offer general guidance on key skills involved in the research and
Thus an important part of the teachers’ role is in the preparation for research. writing process. For example a lesson on referencing or a reminder about how to assess
evidence. Seminars on good historical writing or reminders about the assessment criteria are
Other key elements that should be taught include; good practice. Please do note, this is an individual investigation, and though learners might
be doing the same or similar questions, work on their coursework should be completed
• Planning the project – mapping out the structure and key elements to be considered. individually.
• Managing the project – a series of agreed targets and a timetable.
• Keeping a record of evidence read, analysed and evaluated. This is a requirement
set out by JCQ. OCR does not need to see the record of sources consulted, but it is a
requirement for all NEA (coursework) in all subjects.
• Referencing material - OCR does not insist on any one method but all evidence used
must be referenced. This is a JCQ requirement.
• Plagiarism - Learners must be taught the difference between using material which is
acknowledged and referenced and merely using unreferenced material as if it were the
learner’s own work.
• Note taking from evidence used.

What help can be offered?

Drafts may be read and comments offered, but these must be of a general nature and not
specific to the topic. OCR suggests that one review should be sufficient. Any feedback either
written or verbal must be general. Thus references to how far the assessment objectives are
being met in general terms are acceptable, but detailed advice or input on say the role of the
Privy Council in the 1530s is not.

OCR makes it clear that only general advice may be given. Thus the requirements given in the
JCQ documentation does not apply. There is no mechanism for recording specific help given
and how that help was reflected in the marking because specific help is not allowed.

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What should be done at the end of the research process Coursework Guide

7. What should be done at the end of the research process • Marking which is not consistent with marginal comments. Thus if ‘irrelevant’ appears
quite a bit and a high level mark is given for AO1 this would not be in line with the
7.1 Authentication demand that ‘There is consistent focus on the question’. If marginal annotation had said
Learners have to sign to the effect that the work offered is their independent work. Centres ‘good evaluation’ of primary sources and a mark of Level 2 had been awarded, this would
are advised that JCQ inspectors may ask to see records of this. OCR requires a declaration inconsistent. If the comment were made ‘little reference to different interpretations’, then
from the learner on the cover sheet. a high mark for either AO1 or AO3 would not be justified.
Centres have also to sign to the effect that the work submitted is the independent work of • Obvious variance between different markers in a centre with little evidence of internal
learners. A checklist for teachers undertaking the authentification process should include; standardisation.
• Comparing the coursework with other work done by the learners.
• Reviewing the records kept by the learners of their research. Some guidance
• Monitoring of progress to be sure that the work is authentically that of the learner. It is helpful when marking and also when holding standardisation meetings in a centre to ask
• Checking of referencing to ensure that the learner has not submitted the work of others some key questions of the work under consideration.
which is unacknowledged.
• Reviewing for similarities between the work of different learners answering the same AO1 Issue Judgement
question. Are there irrelevant If Yes, can this be top
passages? level?
7. 2 Centre marking
Guidance is given on page 109-110 of the specification about marking and internal If so how many? Is the lack of focus so poor
standardisation. that it means that the
From the point of view of moderating it is essential that; learner is looking more at
• the centre has recognized the correct rank order of merit. the general topic than the
• work is fully annotated by the centre. question?
• marks are given for all three assessment objectives together with the level, e.g., for AO1 Is knowledge being used How detailed is it?
L5/14 marks. to analyse and evaluate?
• marks should be added up correctly and correctly transcribed onto the cover sheet. Where have I written that There may be detail but is
• there should be an explanation of why the marks have been awarded for each AO and the knowledge is strong? it being USED?
those explanations should be consistent with marginal comments.
Is there evaluation Can this be Level 3-6
• marking should be obviously based on the wording of the OCR mark scheme.
of different factors/ where evaluation is an
explanations or is it a list or element? Is it strong
Some things to avoid
a ‘one way’ argument enough for top levels?
• Comments clearly not aimed at the moderator but the learner
How convincing is the Look at the adjectives –
judgement? simplistic to convincing
John, this is the best work I Fantastic, Jo and substantiated –
have seen from you where does it fall?

This is worthy of a
This is disappointing University

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What should be done at the end of the research process Coursework Guide

A02 Issue Judgement Where there is analysis of a factor or possible view or explanation then ‘ANAL’ is helpful.
Where there is evaluation of a factor/explanation/view, then ‘EVAL of expl.’ is good. Where
How many primary sources Even Level 1 requires 2 knowledge is being used then ‘Good detail USED’ is helpful. A comment on the overall
are there here? sources judgement in terms of the mark scheme – e.g. ‘Convincing J’ or ‘some J but not supported’.
Are they being used just to This is the key difference
illustrate arguments at face between Level 3 and Level AO2
value or is there any critical 4 When a primary source appears in the essay it is helpful to indicate PS - When there is some
sense? evaluation, it is helpful to comment – PS EVAL, OK to support or PS EVAL BUT NO SUPPORT’.
Is there knowledge being Without it cannot be If there is no inclusion of any primary sources, this should be noted as a terminal comment.
applied to test higher than L4
When there is reference to interpretations, this should be shown INT. Where there is some
How well is knowledge This is the key for higher
evaluation then this should be indicated e.g. ‘EVAL but no support’ ‘EVAL good support’ etc.
being used levels
The marginal annotations should be consistent with overall comments which should explain
A03 Issue Judgement the mark given for each AO.
Are there at least two This is a requirement for
interpretations (not Level 1 E.g. AO1 All relevant, enough detailed support for EVAL for B5 but judgement not entirely
necessarily named) convincing L5 14.
AO2 Not many primary sources, some attempt to analyse and evaluate but not well
Is there a range of
supported L2 2.
interpretations?
AO3 Mostly based on secondary sources – very good evaluation using OK L5 7 Total 23.
Are they described Level 3 has some
explained or is there some evaluation 7. 3 Standardisation within the centre
evaluation? • This is essential. Learners may be disadvantaged if marking standards are not uniform
How strong is the support Excellent evaluation/ (L6) throughout the centre.
for the evaluation? very good evaluation (L5)/ • Moderators have to recommend accepting or adjusting the centre’s marks.
good evaluation (L4) • If there is adjustment it will be applied to the moderator is looking at the accuracy of the
centre’s application of the mark scheme so this must be applied uniformly by all markers.
Annotation • Standardisation must be based on the requirements of the mark scheme.
• While it is good if all the markers can agree on a common standard, ultimately it is the
Marginal annotation is essential for centres to reach an accurate overall judgement. It is not responsibility of the Head of Department to submit work which is marked to a common
helpful to put ‘A01’ ‘AO2’ etc. in the margin – these are overall assessment objectives and the standard, as if marked by one person.
mark must reflect the overall achievement of the learner. • Centres within a consortium must retain evidence that internal standardisation has been
carried out.
AO1
As focus on the question is important, it is helpful to indicate if this is not strong; ‘IRR’ and
‘LACKS FOCUS’ are good annotations. As analysis, and not description or narrative, are
required, then if these appear, it is helpful to note ‘D’ or ‘NARR’.

13 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Some key points to note
8. Some key points to note
The brackets at the end of each point detail whose requirement this is.
• Centres must submit all titles for approval (OCR).
• The centre should ensure that learners understand the assessment criteria and if
necessary produce a student-friendly mark scheme (JCQ)
• A centre policy for all Non Examined Assessment is required and department practice
must conform to this overall policy (JCQ)
• Learners are required to keep a record of all evidence used (JCQ).
• Any written or oral feedback must be general and not specific (OCR).
• Records of learners signing to say that the work is their own must be retained and can
be inspected by JCQ (JCQ).

14 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Sending of work to OCR
9. Sending of work to OCR
• Marks must be submitted to OCR.
• Requested samples must be sent to the moderator in accordance with OCR instructions.
• OCR Cover sheets should be filled in
• All work sent must be annotated clearly and contain three separate marks and an overall
mark.
• No covering letters should be sent to the moderator. If there are matters of concern then
these should be raised directly with OCR.
• JCQ regulations require that work should be fastened together. Loose sheets should not
be sent. Each learner’s work should be fastened securely and the learner index number
and name should be on every sheet. Pages should be numbered.
• Work should not be sent in bulky folders as a JCQ requirement.
• Work should not be inserted into plastic folders either for individual learners or for the
centre work as a whole.

15 © OCR 2016
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Further guidance
10. Further guidance
There are essay questions for the previous coursework Unit (F965) which centres may find
helpful when suggesting questions to learners. These can be accessed via
www.cpdhub.ocr.org.uk

There is guide for learners available from OCR that can be downloaded at
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/268462-independent-study-guide-.pdf.

OCR runs face to face training on History Units, including Y100. More information can be
found at www.cpdhub.ocr.org.uk.

Centres can contact [email protected] for advice from the subject team.

16 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Appendix 1 - an example of annotated coursework
11. Appendix 1
Assess the view that religion was the main cause of the Western Rebellion. Question opens up chance to
discuss views
The Western Rebellion has traditionally been seen by historians, such as Rose-Troup, INT
as being primarily a religiously motivated rebellion and this view is even clearer in its
alternative name, the Prayer Book rebellion. This interpretation has been based on the list
of grievances drawn up by the rebels and the symbols used, the religiously conservative
nature of the West Country in 1549 and the role of the clergy within the rising, particularly
that of Robert Welsh. Moreover, the timing coincided with the introduction of Cranmer’s
First Prayer Book, which introduced a more Protestant element to services. However, this Knowledge to support
ignores other issues, particularly social and economic, and fails to place the rebellion
in the context of the other 24 counties afflicted by unrest in the summer of 1549. More
importantly, the emphasis on religious factors ignores the actions of the rebels, which
were more socially and economically driven. The traditional interpretation also fails to
take account that the demands studied by many historians are the second set published
by the rebels, whereas the first had a much greater emphasis on economic problems
and that religion in the West Country may not have been as conservative as was once
thought. As a result, although the timing may be the direct result of religious change, the EVAL of INT - supported
underlying causes are much more rooted in the social and economic issues that pervaded
not only Devon and Cornwall, but also East Anglia and resulted in the other great rising of
1549, Kett’s rebellion. Alternative INT
It is the nature of rebel’s demands, with fourteen of the sixteen grievances apparently
centred on religious issues, which appear to be the most convincing argument for the
importance of religion as a cause of the rising. This view is further supported by Sturt
who argued that the ‘Western Rebellion of 1549 has often been described as the most
formidable opposition to the English Reformation that England saw ‘1as the rebels were
particularly concerned about the ceremonial aspects of Catholicism that had been
attacked and demanded their restoration. This is clearly supported by a closer examination EVAL of INT using PS
of the demands that called for ‘the Sacrament hange over the hyege aulter ‘2 , ‘holy
bread and holy water made every sondaye ‘3 and ‘oure olde servuce of Mattens, masse,
Evensong and procession in Latten not in English ‘4 . As Sturt suggests, the changes the
rebels demanded would have resulted in the reversal of many aspects of the Henrican
and Edwardian Reformations. The demands show clearly that the rebels were infuriated
by the abolition of the Latin Mass and the use of an English service, as they claimed
that they could not understand English. This resentment is given further weight by the
rebels calling the change ‘lyke a Christmas Game ‘5 , and their claim that ‘we Cornishmen Developed evaluation of INT
utterly refuse this new English ‘6 shows their contempt for the change which was not
welcome. However, the extent to which they represent the motives of the rebels has to be
questioned as the demands were drawn up by the clergy and are therefore more likely to
have a religious emphasis. PS some eval

However, despite the apparent dominance of religious grievances in the final set of
demands, drawn up during the siege of Exeter, with the call for the return of Pole in Article
12 it also shows an indication of other complaints, perhaps in an attempt to broaden PS
the appeal of the rising. Although they demanded his return from exile, it was not as
cardinal but as a member of the King’s Council7. The rebels did not call for the removal of
Archbishop Cranmer, as one might have expected if it was solely a religious rising and his EVAL of INT
replacement by Pole as Archbishop of Canterbury as one would assume their vehement
hatred of the new liturgy would see them want. Perhaps the rebels hoped that having
a religious conservative on the Council would allow their grievances to be considered
by the King, but it might even be that Pole’s Yorkist connections were a last desperate
attempt at dynastic rebellion to restore the crown to the Yorkists.

1
Sturt J, Rebellion In The West, Devon Books, 1987, pg 3
2
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
3
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
4
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
5
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
6
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
7
Fellows N, Disorder and Rebellion in Tudor England, Hodder and Stoughton, 2001,pg 53

17 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Appendix 1 - an example of annotated coursework
However, it is also vital to consider that this set of grievances were written by the clergy
who were more likely to stress religious concerns as they were the ones particularly
affected by the changes and therefore the demands may not reflect the real grievances
of the rebels who were largely peasants, further supporting the view that this was not EVAL of PS
simply a religious rising. The wider concerns of the peasantry is even clearer if the first set
of grievances are examined as they contain more economic and social demands, with
particular complaints about enclosure and new taxes, suggesting that religion was not the
only cause of unrest.

The treatment of the clergy, particularly Robert Welsh, by royal forces after the rebellion
initially appears to suggest that it was a religious rising. He was symbolically hung from
his parish steeple where ‘in chains hanged in his popish apparel, and had a holy water
bucket and sprinkler, a scaring bell, a pair of beads and such other popish trash about
him‘8 , suggesting that the government wanted to portray it as a religious rising. This view PS to support INT
is given further credence by the government’s attitude during the rising, reflected in the
printed royal declarations and in the sermons drafted during the rising by Archbishop
Cranmer to be read in all churches which stated were ‘to preserve the people in their
obedience and to set out the evil and mischief of the present disturbances ‘9 in which PS to support INT
they stressed the religious motivation of the rebels. However, the extent to which this
reflected the actual grievances of the rebels has to be questioned as the government did
not want to admit there were social and economic problems that needed attention as
it would have forced them to abandon policies such as debasement and therefore the
war in Scotland. Therefore, the government’s, and Cranmer’s portrayal of the rebellion as
religiously motivated needs to be treated with caution as it deliberately ignores the social
and economic tensions within the South-West which were clearly identified in a letter
written to the Council of the Justices of the Peace of Devon in 1549 which acknowledged
the resentment towards the proposed sheep tax through ‘the delay of tyme for
th’execution of the statute of the levy of the sheep and cloth ‘10 . PS to support INT

It has also been suggested by historians such as Rose-Troup that because Devon
and Cornwall were religiously conservative it is not surprising they rose in defence of
traditional ceremonial religious practices. This view is given further credence by Whiting’s
study of wills in Devon and Cornwall which showed that before 1550 there was only one
Protestant preamble in a will in the whole of the southwest of England11 . A.L Rowse has Support for INT by evidence
taken this interpretation further arguing that it was religion that ‘united the small towns
with a maritime and superstitious heritage ‘12 . The overwhelming devotion to St Petroc
the favourite Saint of Cornwall13 re-iterates the superstitious nature of the South-West and
explains why changes to the practices of the church caused such animosity. Rose-Troup
re-enforces the significant impact the Edwardian changes had on a small provincial
town like St Keverne arguing that ‘the slow moving countrymen conservative by nature
resented the suppression of the monasteries and the desecration of all that they held
sacred’ 14. However, the view that the South-West was conservative in their religious beliefs
is not that simple. At grass roots there were signs that the Henrican Reformation had EVAL of INT
made some inroads into traditional religious practices, which suggests that the area was
less likely to rise in defence of the old religion. Parish records, confirm this as they show
that the two counties were not as ardent in their beliefs, ‘the southwest the Bede Roll

8
Caraman P, The Western Rising 1549 The Prayer Book Rebellion, Westcountry Books, 1994, pg 96.
9
Caraman P, The Western Rising 1549 The Prayer Book Rebellion, Westcountry Books, 1994, pg 68
10
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, pg 155.
11
Whiting R, Local Responses To The English Reformation, MacMillan Press LTD, 1998, pg 82.
12
Arthuson I, Fear and Loathing in West Cornwall: Seven New Letters on the1548 Rising pg 84
13
Caraman P, The Western Rising 1549 The Prayer Book Rebellion, Westcountry Books, 1994, pg 22.
14
Rose-Troup F, The Western Rebellion of 1549, Smith and Elder, 1913, pg 71.

18 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Appendix 1 - an example of annotated coursework
recitations usually ended in 1548 and that prayers and masses for the dead had finished
by 1549’15, similarly parish records indicate that during 1534 there was not one donation
made to a religious establishment16. These records were compiled at the time and have no
reason not to reflect the genuine beliefs of the ordinary people and therefore provide a
reliable account of the changing beliefs of the area, suggesting that the area was gripped Eval of PS
by religious apathy rather than the zeal needed to rise in rebellion. Perhaps confused
by the regularity of religious change many had abandoned their traditional faith, even if
they had not embraced the new religion. However, even if the West Country had still held
traditional religious beliefs this does not prove that they rose for religious reasons. The
timing may show that the introduction of the Prayer Book was the trigger, but it ignores
other underlying problems in West Country society.

The murder of the government commissioner William Body in 1548, whose job it was
to ‘destroy images and conduct inquiries into church property and jewels ‘17 appears,
at first sight, to suggest that religious tensions were sufficient to provoke unrest. He had
been responsible for the destruction of Chantries and Guilds in Cornwall. However, put
into context of the declining support for guilds, the murder of Body should be seen EVAL of evidence for INT
as an attack on the infringement of local privileges and resentment at the attempts of
centralisation by the crown in an ardently parochial area, replicating the resentment
shown in 1497 to the infringement of the powers of the Stannary.

Perhaps the most convincing evidence to support the view that that rising was religiously
motivated is provided by the symbols and the timing. The ‘traditionalist religious
rhetoric‘18 under which the rebels marched, was similar to that used in the Pilgrimage of
Grace and the rising of the Northern Earls: all used the banner of the Five Wounds of Christ
as a symbol of their devotion to the Catholic faith.

It would also be very difficult to deny that the timing and initial actions of the rebels at
Sampford Courtenay suggest that religious grievances were the trigger for unrest. The
outbreak coincided with the introduction of the Prayer Book on Whitsunday 1549. The
actions of the rebels towards William Harper, the rector of Sampford Courtenay who, by
the 1549 Act of Uniformity had to preach in English on Whitsunday does suggest that
their protests were religiously motivated. He was violently cornered and coerced by a
tailor from the village into reverting to preaching from the old Prayer Book so much so
that John Hooker, an eye-witness of the siege and writing in his ‘Description of the City of
Exeter’ recounts that ‘he yielded to their wills and forwith ravessheth (clothed) himself in
his old popish attire and sayeth mass and all such services as in times past accustomed ‘19 . PS to support EVAL
However, Hooker’s account has to be treated with caution as, although he was twenty four
at the time of the siege and may remember events, he was converted to Protestantism
when he visited Strasbourg where he met Peter Martyr and this bias is evident in his
account. Supported eval of PS

15
Whiting R, Local Responses To The English Reformation, MacMillan Press LTD, 1998, pgs 74-75
16
Whiting R, Local Responses To The English Reformation, MacMillan Press LTD, 1998, pgs
17
Williams P, The Tudor Regime, Claredon Press, 1979, pg 324.
18
MacCulloch D, Tudor Church Militant, Allen Lane Penguin Press, 1999, pg 120.
19
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, pg 58.

19 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Appendix 1 - an example of annotated coursework
However, even if religious grievances explain the timing of the unrest and provided
symbols behind which the rebels marched, it does not explain the underlying causes of
unrest. The most convincing argument that there were other issues involved is provided
by Guy who argued ‘the revolts of 1549 were the closest thing that Tudor England saw
to class war’ 20. He suggests that both social and economic issues had a significant role
to play in the outbreak and this is supported by the first set of demands and the actions
of the rebels during the unrest. Pollard gives further support to this view citing the cries Support for EVAL of INT
of ‘Kylle the Gentlmen ‘ as proof of a deep-seated class antagonism. The status of the
hostages taken by the rebels at St Michael’s Mount where ‘4 lords, 8 knights, 12 squires
and 10 yeomen ‘21 were incarcerated further suggests social cleavage was an issue. PS
Moreover, the murder of William Hellyons, the only member of the gentry to defy the
rebels, is further evidence of the social tensions prevalent in the West Country. Similarly
accounts from the gentry also indicate there were deep-seated grievances between the
classes. One contemporary member of the gentry described the rebels as ‘a band of
theves who wolde have no State of anye Gentlemen ‘22 , and this view is supported by the PS eval by OK
actions of the rebels at Trematon Castle where they violently attacked the gentry who
had stayed loyal and their wives, from who they stole jewellery so that ‘several suffered
broken fingers as gold and silver rings were unceremoniously removed ‘23 . Although
written by a Devonshire gentleman, who is more likely to portray the rebels as thieves,
it is supported by Cranmer, who in a sermon during the rebellion described the rebels
as ‘ruffians and sturdy idle fellows’ and Udall who, when writing in a pamphlet for the
government described the rebels as ‘idle loitering ruffians that will not labor nor can by
any other ways get anything to maintain them withal but by an open and common spoil’. PS EVAL Excellent OK
Although the purpose of both Cranmer’s sermon and Udall’s pamphlet may suggest that
their comments are simply for propaganda purposes and just reflect the government’s
view, they are supported by the actions of both the rebels and government forces. The
widening gulf between the social classes was made even more apparent by the burning
of the barns by royal forces at Crediton. Hooker’s account of the chaos supports this view
suggesting that ‘the common people noised and spread it abroad that the gentlemen
were altogether bent to overrun, spoil and destroy them’ 24. The burning gave the rebels PS to support view
a cause to inspire the commons to join and act against the gentry who had resorted to
‘burning them out of their homes like vermin ‘25 Such violent antagonism between the
classes is also prevalent in Kett’s rebellion, particularly during the siege of Norwich, where
the houses of the rich were burnt.

Although the final set of demands were largely religious, even they attacked the privileges
of the gentry, further reflecting the antagonism between the classes. This is most
noticeable in Article 14: ‘that no Gentylman shall have anye mo servantes then one to
wayte upon hym may dispende one hundreth marke land and for every hundredth marke
we thynke it reasonable, he sould have a man and no mo’ 26. This attack on the privileges PS
of the gentry over the number of servants they have reflects the common’s dislike of how
the landholding class were abusing their social position and failing to fulfil the concept of
‘good lordship’ 27.

20
Guy J, Tudor England, Oxford University Press, pg 208
21
Wall A, Power and Protest in England 1525-1540, Hodder Headline Group, 2000, pg 174.
22
Wood A, The 1549 Rebellions and the Making of Early Modern Europe, Cambridge University Press, 2007, pg45.
23
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder In England During the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005, pg 51
24
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, pg 54
25
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005, pg 55.
26
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
27
Williams P, The Tudor Regime, Claredon Press, 1979, pg 324
20 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Appendix 1 - an example of annotated coursework
Economic grievances were of serious concern and this is made clear in Somerset’s letter of
26th June which addressed the plea from the rebels to ‘delay of a tyme for th’execution of
the statute for the live of the sheep and cloth ‘28 This is supported by complaints about the PS
proposed tax on sheep which ormed the basis of the first set of demands: ‘The payment
for shepe they should paie for theyre geese and pigs and such like ‘29 This concern is also Supported by other PS
given credence by Guy who placed emphasis on economic grievances, particularly those
surrounding rumours of new taxes. It is hardly surprising that the rebels should have
been concerned by this as the area was heavily dependent on sheep farming and this
is made even clearer by the concerns expressed about enclosure. But such complaints
were not just confined to the first set of demands, the local contemporary historian, the
anonymous, R.L gives this view credence when he spoke of the rebels ‘plucking down
enclosures and enlarging commons ‘30and Stow who spoke ‘that the enclosures might
be disparked ‘31 . Despite this, Rose -Troup argues that ‘prior to 1549 there had been little
complaint from the South-West about enclosure ‘32 which suggests that agrarian concerns
by themselves didn’t provoke the rebellion but instead heightened tensions. This view is
supported by Beer who shows that the same distress about enclosure could be seen in
Gloucestershire and Dorset both of which remained peaceful throughout the tumultuous Support for INT
period33. However, a better explanation can be found in a link between enclosures and
the gentry. It was after all the gentry who were usually the beneficiaries of enclosure and
the peasants the losers. Somerset’s response to the enclosure commission appeared to
show empathy for the peasants and spurred them on believing that the government
was on their side against their evil landlords who were enclosing and not practising the
principles of ‘good lordship ‘ and ‘hospitality ‘. This interpretation is given further weight
by Parliament’s response to the insurrection ‘because the amendment thereof will help so
many as well as lords and gentlemen as all other commoners, no man having cause repine PS used to support INT
against it, but such as gather, not to spend an improve their livings, not for their charges,
as many gentlemen have done, but for their coffers ‘34 reflecting the abandonment of the
poor by their landlords. This view is given further credibility by Hooper who argued that
‘The people are sorely oppressed by the marvellous tyranny of the nobility ‘35 reflecting the
neglect of the poor by their landlords.

When put into context of the economic and social climate of the period, where the
harvest in 1548 had been the worst of the century, leaving Cornwall barren and in further
impoverishment it is not surprising that tensions were frayed as the main commodity
apart from tin was cloth and with enclosure cordoning off the common land used for
farming, many were forced into penury, reflected in the condition of their houses with
‘ walls of earth, low thatched roofs and few partitions ‘36 suggesting that any further
taxation would be calamitous.

28
Documents: The Council to the Justices of the Peace of Devon 1549- Tudor Rebellions Fletcher and McCulloch
29
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, pg 59.
30
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005, pg 71.
31
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005, pg 71.
32
Rose-Troup F, The Western Rebellion of 1549, Smith and Elder, 1913, pgs 111-112.
33
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005, pg 69.
34
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005 pg 70.
35
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005 pg 71.
36
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005, pg 41.

21 © OCR 2016
 Coursework Guide
Appendix 1 - an example of annotated coursework
The importance of the class divide is even apparent in the final set of apparently religious
articles where the rebels demand ‘that halfe parte of the Abbey landes and Chauntrye
landes, in everye mans possessions, how so ever he cam by them be geven again to
two places ‘37 is, according to Fellows, less a request for the restoration of monasteries PS
and chantries, but a further attack on the gentry. Those gentry who had gained from
the dissolution were often those attacked38, evident in the actions towards Sir Richard
Grenville who had gained former monastic land in Cornwall from the crown as a reward
for his services on the battlefield and as a result was put in Launceston gaol for the
duration of the rebellion.

The claim that religion was the main cause of the insurrection does need revising, it
ignores the complex social and economic tensions that were ultimately at the heart of
the rebellion, such as the proposed sheep and cloth taxes, which were at the forefront
of the first set of demands and were the main subject of letters between Somerset
and the rebels. It also fails to take account of the actions of rebels who targeted many
of the gentry who were failing in their traditional role or exploiting their position. The
introduction of the Prayer Book was the trigger for the rebellion, sparking as it did fierce
demonstrations in Sampford Courtenay. But, with Catholicism already in decline in the
South-West, shown in Bede Roll recitations and money bequeathed to churches, it was
not a sufficient cause alone. Most convincingly, ‘from the beginning to the end the
Western Rebellion found the commons fighting on one side and the leading gentry
families on the other’39 as underlying social tensions finally came to a head. Convincing judgement

Word Count: 3246

Examiner commentary

AO1 Well focused, analytical, different explanations evaluated

Top L 6 20
A02 Full engagement with a range of sources. Some excellent evaluation of primary material L6 10
A03 Very strong evaluation of range of different interpretations Top L6 10

40/40 Strong well researched essay with developed critical sense.

37
Fletcher A & MacCulloch D, Tudor Rebellions Fifth Edition, Seminar Studies, 2004, Documents, pg 152.
38
Fellows N, Disorder and Rebellion in Tudor England, Hodder and Stoughton, 2001, pg 55
39
Beer B, Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder In England During the Reign of Edward VI, The Kent State University Press, 2005,pg.70

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 Coursework Guide

12. Appendix 2
Appendix 2
Coursework process; a possible scenario

June Year 12 two lessons

Introduce coursework, explaining nature of the Unit and how it is marked. If learners can choose their own questions, ask them to think about topics.

Two lessons
Learners do a brief presentation to the class about why they think the topic is important and suitable.

Sum up checklist of what ‘tests’ the title and topic have to meet.

Homework
Learners refine question, offer a plan showing debate and research some primary and secondary sources to make sure the topic can be supported by
appropriate evidence. Submit questions to OCR

Two lessons and homework explain research methods and ethics.

Do a practice exercise where an unfamiliar short topic is researched.
1. Keep ‘log’ of sources used and what they contain and any evaluation.
2. Do a sample paragraph in which two views of the event are explained and evaluated and two primary sources are analysed and evaluated.
3. Class discussion.

Two lessons
Breaking down the implications of a question and planning the research.

Year 13 two lessons a week allocate in the Autumn Term and Spring Term
• Seminars once a fortnight on aspects of assessment and research.
• Individual seminars and checking of research log and progress.

Preliminary Drafts completed just after February half term

Individual tutorials in which general feedback is given.
Final drafts with complete footnotes and bibliography together with completed
coversheets and all records of sources used handed in by end of Spring Term.

Coursework marked and any internal standardisation completed by April.

23 © OCR 2016
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Appendix 3
13. Appendix 3
The following list contains pre-approved questions that you might wish to consider using with your learners for the coursework element of the A Level. They are based on previous OCR
coursework topics and are a guide to the type of questions which would be suitable and do not attempt to cover the range of possible questions. There are no, cultural, African or Asian,
ancient history etc. questions but you should feel free to encourage a broad range where appropriate and can adapt the questions as they see fit. Any adaption of questions must be
submitted as if they are not on the pre-approved list.

The Age of Justinian Alfred the Great 871-899

• How convincing is the view that Justinian’s military priority was the reconquest of the • How successful was Alfred’s government of Wessex?
western parts of the old Roman Empire? • Assess the view that the most significant achievement of Alfred’s reign was the cultural
• Assess the view that Justinian’s wars were motivated mainly by religious objectives. and educational revival he inspired.
• Assess the view that the Byzantine Empire became weak in the second half of Justinian’s • Assess the view that Alfred’s educational and cultural activities amounted to a
reign. renaissance.
• How strong was Justinian’s empire at his death? • Assess the view that there was limited unity in the areas of Anglo-Saxon England ruled
• How successful were Justinian’s domestic reforms? over by Alfred.
• How important a figure was the Empress Theodora in the shaping of policy in Justinian’s • How great were the achievements of Alfred in ruling over Wessex?
reign? • How strong was Wessex at the death of Alfred in 899?
• To what extent can Justinian be viewed as a conservative emperor?
• How useful is Procopius as a source of information on the reign of Justinian? The reign of King John 1199-1215
• Assess the view that the civil war of 1215-16 was the result of the actions of the barons
The reign of Charlemagne 768-814 than those of John.
• Assess the view that Charlemagne’s wars were motivated mainly by religious objectives. • Assess the view that John’s personality was the main factor in the breakdown of his
• To what extent was Charlemagne’s empire on the defensive militarily in his later years? relations with the barons.
• Assess the view that Charlemagne’s wars had a more negative than positive impact on • Assess the view that the main cause of the struggle between John and his barons was
his empire. the failure of his grand plans of 1214.
• How great a military leader was Charlemagne? • How far do you agree with the view that superior French resources were the main
• Assess the view that the coronation of 800 made little difference to the ways in which reasons for the loss of Normandy?
Charlemagne ruled his lands. • Assess the view that the conflict between John and Pope Innocent III was a conflict
• How far was Charlemagne’s personal interest the main factor in his promotion of culture more about personalities than high principles.
and learning? • How far do you agree with the view that the protracted nature of the conflict between
• How united was Charlemagne’s ‘Empire’ after 800? King John and Innocent III shows how much support John had in England?
• How important was the Church to the effective government of Charlemagne’s empire? • How effective was John’s domestic policy?
• To what extent was Charlemagne’s empire unified by the force of his personality? • How far do you agree with the view that John’s ability as an administrator was not
• Assess the view that the period 800-814 was one of dissolution and decay for matched by his ability as a military and political leader?
Charlemagne’s empire. • How far can Magna Carta be seen as a commentary on feudal practices?
• How accurate is the representation of John by the monastic chroniclers?

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Appendix 3
The Wars of the Roses 1450-85 • How far do you agree that Cromwell was offered the crown in 1657 mainly because of
• Assess the view that the Wars of the Roses came about as a result of ‘an escalation of the need to avoid a military dictatorship?
private feuds’. • Assess the view that Cromwell refused the crown in 1657 because he believed that to
• How important was failure in the war against France in causing the outbreak of the Wars accept would be against God’s will.
of the Roses? • How well does Cromwell deserve his reputation as a champion of religious toleration?
• How valid is the judgement that the most important factor in the rift between Edward IV • Assess the view that Cromwell’s principal aim as Lord Protector was to carry out a
and Warwick was disagreement over foreign policy? programme of ‘Godly Reformation’?
• Assess the accuracy of the view that Richard of Gloucester’s usurpation of power in 1483 • How accurate is the view that as Lord Protector Cromwell relied entirely on the army?
is best explained by his fear of the Woodvilles. • How far do you agree that Cromwell failed in his attempt to govern in partnership with
• How convincing is the evidence that Richard III was responsible for the murder of the the Parliaments of the Protectorate?
Princes in the Tower? • How effective was Cromwell’s foreign policy?
• Assess the importance of the part played by France and Burgundy in the instability of
England in the period 1470 to 1471. Peter the Great 1689-1725
• Assess the view that Edward IV’s personal qualities best explain why he lost his throne in • How far do you agree with the view that Peter the Great’s religious policies represented a
1470 and why he regained it in 1471. decisive break with the past?
• How far do you agree that In gaining the throne in 1461, Edward IV owed everything to • To what extent can it be argued that Peter the Great transformed the economy of
the power and influence of the Earl of Warwick? Russia?
• To what extent was the English monarchy weakened by the Wars of the Roses? • How widespread was the opposition in Russia to Peter the Great’s reforms in
• How seriously did the Wars of the Roses affect economic and social life in England? government and administration?
• Assess the view that the Russian nobility was mainly responsible for the opposition to
Elizabeth I 1558 – 1603 Peter the Great.
• How far was Elizabeth’s failure to marry the result of the attitude of her Council? • How far do you agree that Russia had already been ‘westernised’ at the accession of Peter
• How far were the Puritans able to alter the Elizabethan Church? ( prefer Did Puritans or the Great in 1696?
Catholics present the greater threat to Elizabeth I) • Assess the importance of Peter the Great’s military and naval reforms in strengthening
• Assess the view that the Elizabethan Court was a centre of corruption and intrigue and Russia.
little else. • Assess the view that Peter the Great’s foreign policy was essentially defensive.
• Assess the view that William Cecil, later Lord Burghley, was the main influence in • Assess the view that Peter failed to establish a sound educational system in Russia.
decision-making in Elizabeth’s government. • Assess the view that Peter the Great’s foreign policies were an over-reaction to external
• Assess the view that Elizabeth I agreed with her House of Commons more often than dangers.
she disagreed. • Assess the claim that Peter I can be described as ‘Great’ more for what he attempted than
• How consistent was the foreign policy of Elizabeth I. for what he achieved.

Oliver Cromwell 1599-1658

• How great a commander was Oliver Cromwell?

• Assess the accuracy of the view that Cromwell’s rise to political power is explained
mainly by his military success.
• With what justification may Cromwell be regarded as a radical in the period 1640-49?
• Assess the view that by crushing the Levellers in 1649 Cromwell brought an end to the
English Revolution.

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Appendix 3
Louis XIV 1661-1715 • How far were the domestic reforms of Disraeli’s second ministry ‘piecemeal and
• How absolute was the rule of Louis XIV. opportunist’?
• How far do you agree that Louis XIV’s policies towards the nobility made for more • How well did Gladstone deal with the problems of Ireland 1868-1886?
effective government by the monarchy? • Were there more similarities than differences in the overseas policies of Gladstone and
• How far did Colbert achieve his economic objectives? Disraeli
• How far do you agree that the gains for France outweighed its losses in the War of the
Spanish Succession? America between the wars 1918-41
• How successful was Louis XIV’s religious policy? • How isolationist was American foreign policy in the period 1920-41?
• Assess the view that Louis XIV’s policies towards the Papacy caused more problems than • How convincingly can it be argued that Roosevelt’s foreign policy was in the best
they solved. interests of the USA in the period 1933-41?
• Assess the view that the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes was necessary because the • How prosperous was the USA in the 1920s?
Huguenots presented a serious problem to the French monarchy. • Assess the view that the policy of National Prohibition (1919-33) created more problems
than it solved.
Napoleon I 1795-1815 • How effective was the New Deal in bringing about recovery?
• Assess the view that the Civil Code was the greatest achievement of the Consulate. • How justified was opposition to the New Deal?
• How far is it appropriate to refer to Napoleonic France as a ‘police state’?
• To what extent did Napoleon’s successes as a general before 1807 owe more to the The Causes of World War II, 1918-4
mistakes of his enemies than his own abilities as a commander? • Assess the view that the Peace Treaties of 1919-20, which dealt with the former Austria-
• Assess the view that the main reason for the defeat of Napoleon at Hungary, were misguided.
• Waterloo in 1815 was Wellington’s leadership • Assess the view that the main fault of the Treaty of Versailles was leniency rather than
• Assess the view that the ‘Spanish Ulcer’ was the main reason for Napoleon’s downfall. severity.
• Assess the view that the Hundred Days stood no chance of success. • Assess the view that the League of Nations was doomed to fail.
• To what extent was Britain responsible for the fall of Napoleon? • Assess the view that the Locarno Agreements of 1925 did more harm than good to the
• With what justification can Napoleon be seen as a significant figure in the growth of hopes of lasting international peace.
nationalism in Europe? • Assess the view that appeasement was the only realistic option for British policy towards
• Assess the view that the success of the coup of Brumaire owed little to Napoleon’s Germany between 1936 and 1938.
personal abilities. • To what extent was Hitler pursuing a purely ideological foreign policy between 1935 and
• To what extent does a study of any one region confirm the view that 1939?
• To what extent did Napoleon’s Empire benefit his subjects outside France? • How far can Hitler be blamed for the outbreak of war in 1939?
• Assess the view that the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939
Gladstone and Disraeli 1865-86 marked the end of appeasement.
• Assess the view that the Second Reform Act of 1867 illustrates Disraeli’s consistent • Assess the view that the outbreak of war in the Pacific in 1941 was more the fault of the
commitment to parliamentary reform. USA than Japan.
• How valid is it to argue that Disraeli brought back Peace with Honour from the Congress • To what extent did Roosevelt’s policies towards Germany make it inevitable that the USA
of Berlin in 1878? would enter the war in Europe?
• How far did the domestic reforms of Gladstone’s first ministry disappoint his supporters?
• Did Gladstone lose the 1874 election or did Disraeli win it?

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Appendix 3
The Cold War 1941-56 • How valid is the view that the work of women during World War I was the reason for
• Assess the view that the disagreements about the Second Front were the most them achieving the vote in 1918?
significant cause of tension between Russia and the West between 1941 and 1945. • How significant was the work of Millicent Fawcett in advancing the rights of women?
• Assess the view that Stalin’s suspicions of his western allies between 1941 and 1945 • Assess the view that the argument over female suffrage was won by 1914 but the war
were justified. held up its implementation.
• To what extent was Marshall Aid merely a policy of American self-interest? • Has the impact of World War I on women’s employment been exaggerated?
• To what extent was Containment a policy based on the desire to defend freedom? • Assess the view that education for women before 1900 was aimed at improving their
• To what extent was Stalin responsible for the Korean War? domestic accomplishments and little else.
• How far was US policy in Asia between September 1945 and 1953 driven by economic • How far was education for women before 1900 aimed at improving their domestic
considerations? accomplishments?
• How important was the arms race in the Cold War between 1949 and
• 1956? Nazi Germany 1933-45
• Assess the view that the prospects for peaceful coexistence were less likely in 1956 than • To what extent did Hitler rely on coercion in maintaining power in Germany after 1933?
they had been in 1949. • Assess the view that the role of propaganda in maintaining the Nazi regime in power
• Assess the view that Stalin’s policies in Eastern Europe in 1945-7 were brutal and after 1933 has been exaggerated.
expansionist. • How successful were Nazi policies in winning support among industrial workers?
• How far was Stalin to blame for the Berlin crisis 1948-9? • Assess the view that divided aims were the main reason why internal opposition to the
Nazi regime was ineffective.
The war in Vietnam 1955-75 • To what extent was Hitler ‘a weak dictator’?
• Assess the view that the main reason the US became increasingly involved in Vietnam • Assess the view that the Holocaust was the result of a predetermined plan by the Nazi
between 1955 and 1965 was the fear of successive presidents that they would be regime.
labelled as weak by their domestic opponents. • Assess the view that the German people were active and enthusiastic supporters of the
• Assess the view that Kennedy lacked a clear policy about US involvement in Vietnam. Holocaust.
• Assess the view that Lyndon Johnson had no choice but to send US troops to Vietnam • To what extent did women’s status improve in Nazi Germany?
in 1965. • How effectively did Nazi policies towards young people achieve their goals?
• To what extent has the importance of the Tet Offensive of 1968 been over-rated? • To what extent did the Nazis succeeded in reducing class barriers in Germany?
• Assess the view that the Vietnam War was a pointless, costly failure.
• Assess the view that the American ‘hearts and minds’ strategy in South Vietnam never Britain under Margaret Thatcher, 1979-90
had any chance of success. • How far did Thatcher reduce the power of the Trade Unions?
• To what extent can the programme of Vietnamisation be defended? • Assess the view that Thatcher achieved a ‘social revolution’.
• To what extent was the Vietnam War lost because of the hostility of much of the • Assess the view that the Thatcher government deliberately provoked the Miners’ strike.
American media? • Assess the view that Thatcher’s electoral success in the period from 1979 to 1989 was
• How far can it be argued that Nixon’s peace negotiations sacrificed the chance of the result of Labour weakness, rather than Conservative strengths.
victory in South Vietnam? • How effective was Thatcher’s handling of the Falklands crisis?
• How well did Thatcher manage relations with the USSR?
The development of rights for women in Great Britain 1867-1918 • How far was Thatcher’s policy dictated by ideology?
• Assess the view that working opportunities and conditions for the working-class • Assess the view that the events of 1990 were the main reason for the fall of Thatcher.
woman changed little before 1900. • How far was New Labour influenced by Thatcher?
• Assess the view that the actions of the WSPU were responsible for the delay in women
obtaining the vote.

27 © OCR 2016
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