Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
Education in Elizabethan England (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How Important was Education in Elizabethan England ?- Summary
Education experienced a change in Elizabethan times. Events such as Drake's circumnavigation of the world in 1577-80 brought new ideas and discoveries to England. Religious changes made Elizabethan England consider new thinking in the fields of science, theology, philosophy and the arts. These ideas filtered into the education system of Elizabethan England. The school curriculum expanded for students of upper and middle classes.
A significant limitation of the Elizabethan education system was it was not compulsory. The majority of boys and girls in Elizabethan England did not attend school. Elizabethans believed that the type and level of education a child needed depended on their social class. As many workers would not need to read or write, they believed it was unnecessary for them to receive a basic literacy and numeracy education. The education system also depended on gender. Elizabethans did not believe that girls needed a formal education.
Attitudes and Influences Towards Education in Elizabethan England
Elizabethan England experienced an age of discovery
As a result, many factors influenced the education system in 16th-century England
The diagram below explains what ideas and influences affected Elizabethan education:
Attitudes and Influences on Elizabethan Education
Home Education in Elizabethan England - Nobility
Elizabethans believed it was vital to educate the boys and girls of the upper classes
The majority of education for the nobility happened within their household
Noble parents would hire a private tutor for their children until the age of 12 or 13
In their early teens, noble children lived and learnt in the household of another noble family, until they turned 14 or 15
The table below shows the type of education that noble boys and girls received in Elizabethan times:
Types and Purpose of Education for Elizabethan Nobility
| Noble girls | Noble boys |
Subjects | Languages such as Latin and Greek, History, Philosophy, Government and Theology | Languages such as Latin and Greek, History, Philosophy, Government and Theology |
Skills | Music, dancing, needlework, horse riding and archery | Horse riding, archery, fencing, swimming and wrestling |
Education received in other noble households | Create useful social connections with other noble families. To perfect the skills of conversation and hosting that all noble women needed | As the eldest son would inherit their father's land and titles, noble boys would need to learn how to run and protect their property |
Grammar Schools in Elizabethan England - Middling Sorts
The number of grammar schools increased during Elizabeth's reign
In the 1560s, 42 new grammar schools opened
In the 1570s, Elizabethans opened 30 more grammar schools in England
Boys from the age of 7 to 14 attended grammar schools
The Experience of Grammar School Education in Elizabethan England
| Explanation |
Who could attend grammar school? | Intelligent boys who came from the 'middling sorts.' The 'middling sorts' included landowners, lawyers, doctors and wealthy business owners. Grammar schools allowed some lower-class boys to attend. Grammar schools did not allow girls to enter. 'Middling sort' girls received their education at home |
How much did grammar school cost? | The fees for grammar school depended upon the family's income. The lower-class boys had their place funded by donors to the school |
Subjects | Languages such as Latin, Greek and French. Subjects such as Bible Study and History. The Philosophy, Literature and Poetry of classical scholars such as Plato, Aristotle, Virgil and Seneca |
Skills | Archery, Debating, Public Speaking, Chess, Wrestling and Running |
Structure of the school day | The school day began at 6 or 7 am and ended at 5 pm. Students only received time off of school at Christmas and Easter. Students attended lessons from Monday to Saturday. Teachers emphasised the need for students to remember and recite the texts they had learnt in lessons |
Punishments | Each teacher assigned two students to monitor and report on poor behaviour outside of the classroom. Punishments included: the teacher reporting behaviour to parents, the loss of break time, exclusion from school, corporal punishment like caning, expulsion from school in extreme cases |
Worked Example
Describe one feature of grammar schools in Elizabethan England
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of grammar schools in Elizabethan England was how they selected students (1). Grammar schools catered for the 'middling sorts' that had wealth. Girls of wealthy businessmen were not allowed to attend grammar schools (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
Grammar Schools in Elizabethan England - Merchants and Craftsmen
Merchants and craftsmen included a wide variety of professions such as:
Silversmiths
Glovers
Carpenters
Tailors
Yeomen
Traders of wine, cloth, spices, sugar, silver and silk
The children of these skilled classes attended a different model of grammar school
Their educations differed from the 'middling sorts' grammar schools because:
They focused on more practical skills like counting, writing and Geography
These practical skills would help them in their future careers in trading and navigating across the world
The sons of skilled craftsmen were often educated through apprenticeships
The children needed to learn the craft of their fathers to take over the family business
Formal education of children in 'middling sorts' grammar schools would seem unnecessary to merchants and craftsmen
It was not compulsory to send children to school.
The children of merchants and craftsmen would learn a trade better through practical experience rather than through school-based education
Petty and Dame Schools in Elizabethan England
Parents who had some money sent their children to Petty or Dame schools
Petty schools focused on the education of boys
Dame schools focused on the education of girls
The Structure of Petty and Dame schools in Elizabethan England
| Petty Schools | Dame Schools |
Who could attend? | Boys between the ages of 4 and 7. Some intelligent or wealthy boys would attend grammar school after Petty school | Girls between the ages of 4 and 7. It prepared girls to become wives and mothers |
Who ran the school? | A local teacher who ran lessons in their house | In the house of a local educated woman |
Subjects | English Literacy, Basic Arithmetic, Bible Study | English Literacy, Basic Arithmetic, Bible Study |
Skills | How to behave | A bigger focus on household skills, for example preserving food, baking, brewing, sewing and methods to treat minor illnesses |
Punishments | Harsh punishment including beatings for making mistakes in lessons | Harsh punishment including beatings for making mistakes in lessons |
Education for the Poor in Elizabethan England
The children of the poor or working classes did not receive formal education in Elizabethan England. This was because:
Their parents could not afford to pay the fees charged by Petty or Dame schools
The children learnt the skills they needed from working with their family
The poor and working class would not have jobs that required them to read or write
The parents needed their children to work from a young age to contribute to the family income
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The levels of poverty increased during Elizabeth's reign. This created a growing number of poor people living in England. The reasons for this include food shortages and an increased demand for land. As a result, it became more important for the young to work for their families instead of acquiring an education.
University Education in Elizabethan England
The sons of Elizabethan nobles could attend university from the age of 14 or 15
Elizabethan England had two universities at the time: Oxford and Cambridge
Elizabethan universities contained different colleges for different purposes
Elizabeth established Jesus College in Oxford in 1571
The college focused on the education of Welsh boys
Sir Walter Mildmay established Emmanuel College in Cambridge in 1584. He was one of Elizabeth's Privy Councillors
It aimed to increase the levels of education among Protestant clergymen
The Education Provided by Universities in Elizabethan times
| Explanation |
Who could attend university? | Noble boys could attend university. Universities did not allow noble daughters to receive a university education. Some middle-class boys attended university. The sons of craftsmen and merchants could study a university apprenticeship. Some middle-class students who could not afford the university fees received a scholarship |
Subjects | All degrees included Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic. All students attended lectures in Mathematics, Music, Theology, Medicine, Astronomy and geometry. Most Elizabethan university students chose to study law. The highest degree a student could receive was a doctorate. Students could study for doctorates in Medicine, Law and Divinity |
Skills | The ability to write in correct English and converse in French and Latin. Universities taught students conversational skills, good table manners, the skill of formal dancing |
Some professions had alternative higher education
Lawyers in London received their training from the Inns of Court rather than Oxford or Cambridge
A papal bull in 1218 prohibited the clergy from representing and making judgements in civil court. The Inns of Court trained lawyers who wanted to work in civil courts instead of church courts
The Impact of Schooling on Elizabethans
Most Elizabethans belonged to the lower classes
Therefore, education had a limited impact on the majority of people living in Elizabethan England
The causes and consequences of Elizabethan education are shown below:
Causes and consequences of Elizabethan education
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