Why was Simon de Montfort significant?
In this KS3/KS4 resource on Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, students use Counsell's 'five Rs' to make a judgement on how significant Simon de Montfort was and why he was significant.
They start by categorising facts about the life and legacy of Simon de Montfort, including information about his role in creating the Westminster Parliament and what would become the House of Commons, his use of Magna Carta and his defeat at the Battle of Evesham. Additional background information about his relationship with King John I and King Henry III is provided.
Students then grade a model answer to the exam-style question ‘How significant was Simon de Montfort?’ and try to improve on that answer. This could easily be adapted to ‘Explain the significance of Simon de Montfort’ for the AQA specification.
An extract from the background information to this resource:
The relationship between Henry and Simon de Montfort emerged soon after Henry’s father, King John I, signed the Magna Carta – a document which limited the power of the king to rule without checks and balances from the barons. As king, Henry III also signed this document, and so de Montfort was operating in a time when the power relations in England were potentially subject to renegotiation.
