*New* British history 2: Why did the Romans invade and settle in Britain?
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*New* British history 2: Why did the Romans invade and settle in Britain?
Please note
This new unit for 2024/25 gives greater opportunities for the children to explore sources and includes new teaching resources designed to enrich their learning and deepen their understanding of the topic. The Archived unit: British history 2: Why did the Romans settle in Britain? will no longer be updated.
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Explain what was important to people in Ancient Rome.
- Explain the meaning of the words ’empire’, ‘invasion’ and ‘settlement’.
- Analyse the different reasons for the Roman invasion of Britain.
- Explain how the Celts responded to the Roman invasion.
- Explain how the Roman army’s structure, discipline and equipment made it so successful.
- Use artefacts to make deductions about the lives of Roman soldiers in Britain.
- Explain the meaning of legacy, identifying how the Romans changed Britain and ordering legacies by their significance.
Suggested prior learning
Y3/4 (A): British history 1: Would you prefer to have lived in the Stone, Bronze or Iron Age?
Get startedLessons
Lesson 1: What was it like to live in Ancient Rome?
- To investigate life in Ancient Rome by looking at its buildings.
Lesson 2: Why did the Romans invade and settle in Britain?
- To explore the causes of the Roman invasion of Britain.
Lesson 3: How did Britons respond to the Roman invasion?
- To investigate the different responses to the Roman invasion using a range of sources.
Lesson 4: Why was the Roman army so successful?
- To explore how the Roman army was so successful using a range of sources.
Lesson 5: What do artefacts suggest about the lives of Roman soldiers in Britain?
- To investigate the lives of Roman soldiers by examining artefacts found at Vindolanda.
Lesson 6: What was the legacy of the Roman Empire in Britain?
- To explore the impact of invasion and settlement by examining the legacy of the Roman Empire in Britain.
Key skills
Key knowledge
Related content
Unit resources

Knowledge organiser – History Y3: Why did the Romans invade and settle in Britain?
Aimed at pupils, two pages providing key facts and definitions from the unit 'Why did the Romans invade and settle…

Vocabulary display – History Y3: Why did the Romans invade and settle in Britain?
A display version of the vocabulary from the 'Why did the Romans invade and settle in Britain?' unit.
Cross-curricular opportunities
Art and design
Physical education
English – Spoken language