English National Curriculum - History

1. What happened once the Romans left Britain?

Mission Objectives

Understand where the word Anglo-Saxon comes from

Understand how the Anglo-Saxons settled in Britain

Analyse where the Anglo-Saxons settled in my local area

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Keywords

Words and meanings to learn

Angles

a group of people who migrated to Britain and formed the kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia

Saxons

a group of people who migrated to Britain and formed the kingdoms of Wessex, Sussex and Essex

Picts and Scoti

a group of people who lived in northern Britain and attacked the Romans and Celts

kingdom

a country or area of land ruled by a king or queen

migrated

when people have moved from one place to live in a new place

This lesson has been written by

Sarah Mintey MBE

Sarah is a former headteacher and charity CEO who founded Developing Experts in October 2015 with the goal to create a fit-for-purpose curriculum for schools. The company has created a science curriculum for children ages 4-16 which is delivered through sequenced lessons mapped against the National Curriculum in biology, chemistry, and physics. Developing Expert's innovative approach to learning has already been road-tested and voted 'best EdTech product in Europe', winning Tech Nation’s Rising Stars earlier in 2019 and a place on Google for Startups Immersion program 2020. In 2022 Developing Experts won the BETT Awards for Best Classroom Resource - Teaching Aid. Sarah is a 'LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leader' 2022. In October 2022 Developing Experts joined Tech Nation's Upscale 8.0 programme.

Sarah is delighted to be working with over 6500 UK schools and clients such as the Royal Horticulture Society, Network Rail, Rolls Royce, BEIS, National Nuclear Labs, Anglian Water and the Ministry of Defence.

Sarah was awarded an MBE for her services to tech and education in 2020. 

Clare Faulkner

Clare is an experienced primary teacher with extensive experience across the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. She has a strong background in curriculum design and development, contributing to programmes across EYFS, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2, ensuring they are engaging, inclusive, and pedagogically effective.

Before joining Developing Experts, Clare served as a QA Inspector for a childcare agency, rigorously applying the Ofsted inspection framework to evaluate and enhance educational provision. She also brings insight into school governance, supporting strategic decision-making and understanding the operational and pedagogical challenges faced by schools.

Clare is committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-informed learning experiences that inspire curiosity and foster academic and personal growth. She maintains a deep knowledge of current educational research, teaching strategies, and best practices to continually enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

Emma Wilding

Emma is an experienced primary teacher with over twelve years of classroom experience and a strong background in curriculum leadership. She has led history within schools and contributed to curriculum development across academy trusts, supporting the design of coherent, knowledge-rich programmes that enable pupils to build understanding over time.

Emma has a particular passion for writing high-quality curricula that are carefully sequenced, engaging, and rooted in strong subject knowledge. She is committed to creating lessons that are lively, meaningful, and accessible, helping children to grasp complex ideas through clear explanations and purposeful activities that support long-term learning.

Through her curriculum leadership, Emma has supported schools in preparing for successful Ofsted inspections, ensuring that subjects are well structured and effectively implemented. She is dedicated to designing learning experiences that spark curiosity and help pupils make meaningful connections between the past, the present, and the wider world.

Matthew Willsher

Matthew is an experienced and qualified educator, with a background in both classroom and outdoor settings. He is passionate about making learning engaging for all involved and creates content which enhances children’s experiences in education and those delivering it. With a strong belief in the value of education, Matthew recognises the importance of enabling children and adults to access any curriculum content with ease, regardless of their backgrounds. In his spare time, Matthew loves being with family and friends; additionally, he has a keen interest in the performing arts and volunteers time as a voice-over artist.

Chloe Wilson

Chloe has worked in education for the past 7 years, with a particular passion for the Early Years Foundation Stage. A strong advocate for active, hands-on learning, she is committed to creating engaging, meaningful experiences that help children thrive from the very start of their educational journey.

Driven by the belief that every child should be inspired by learning, she is dedicated to supporting them as they discover new skills, build confidence, and develop a lifelong love of exploration and curiosity.

Required Resources

Resources: Atlases or maps of Britain and colouring pencils. Optional: local maps

Research tool: To support the children in labelling their maps, DE has provided a description of where the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were found. In addition, the research tool includes a collection of Old English words and their meanings, which the children can use to support them when decoding Anglo-Saxon place names.

Support Handout (1): The handout provides a map of Britain and Ireland for the children to label and decode the Anglo-Saxon settlements. 

Core Handout (2): The handout provides 2 maps of Britain and Ireland for the children to label; one map to label the 7 kingdoms and the other map to locate and decode the meaning of major Anglo-Saxon settlements.

Challenge Handout (4): After completing the core handout, this handout provides a list of words and meanings in Old English so children can locate places in their local area that have Anglo-Saxon origins and add these to their map. 

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