Guy Fawkes Assembly

Welcoming the Return to School

Mr Wilson was delighted to lead the first assembly of the term, which focused on the significance of 5th November, best known for the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. This failed conspiracy involved a group of English Catholics who attempted to assassinate King James I by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.

To provide context, pupils were taken further back in history to Henry VIII’s decision to break from the Catholic Church. Motivated partly by his desire for a divorce, but also by a wish for greater power and wealth, Henry declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England in 1534 after the Pope refused to annul his marriage. This act, known as the English Reformation, severed ties with Rome, established a national Protestant Church, and enabled Henry to seize the wealth of the monasteries. The term Protestant comes from the Latin protestari, meaning ‘to declare publicly in opposition’.

Mr Wilson also shared the story of Guy Fawkes, whose Catholic faith conflicted with the national religion. This tension led him and his fellow conspirators to plot the destruction of Parliament and the overthrow of the King. Today, we remember this event as Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, marked by fireworks, bonfires, and effigies, originally of the Pope, and later of Fawkes himself.

Mr Wilson was delighted by how well pupils engaged with the topic, offering thoughtful answers to his questions about an event that has been commemorated for more than 400 years.