HNC HISTORIANS EXPLORE IMPACT OF HENRY VIII ON ENGLISH REFORMATION
17.10.2025HNC’s A Level Historians recently enjoyed a degree level lecture on English Reformation delivered by Professor Sarah Bastow of the University of Huddersfield, expanding their knowledge of one of the biggest changed to religion and politics in English history.
The English Reformation, which began in the 16th century, was part of a wider reformation taking place across Europe, splitting western Christianity and leading to the creation of the protestant church. In England, this coincided with the reign of Henry VIII, widely known for his hand in the process through his wish to annul his marriage to his first wife so that he could pursue marriage with Anne Boleyn.
In this insightful lecture, Professor Bastow explored whether Henry VIII’s divorce and subsequent move away from the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church caused the English Reformation, or whether England was already moving towards becoming a Protestant nation due to the wider political and theological upheaval in Europe. The group were asked to consider the impact that the interpretations of different historians have had in our understanding of events of the past.
Emily Briggs, Faculty Lead (Enrich), shares more “Our A Level Historians have been exploring in the classroom the differences in opinion that historians can hold over the same topic, and in this degree level lecture, Professor Bastow shared more about the well known topic of the English Reformation – and how that the widely understood reasons behind it may not be all that they seem! High value guest lectures are just one of the ways in which we develop our students’ subject knowledge. I would like to thank Professor Bastow for taking the time to share her expertise with us and providing our students with an insight into what degree-level study could look like for those who wish to continue their History studies beyond HNC”.
Studying a traditional subject at A Level such as History can support progression to an incredibly diverse range of careers – join the upcoming Open Event on Wednesday 12 November to discover more. Click here for further information about our Open Events.
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