Thank you, Neil. I’ll prepare a comprehensive overview of Roman Britain tailored for Year 4 pupils, focusing on how Romanisation transformed daily life and the technological advances introduced by the Romans. This will include key historical knowledge, pedagogical strategies, suggested sequencing, and curated resources suitable for primary education.I’ll let you know when it’s ready to review.

Teaching Roman Britain in Year 4: “How Roman was Roman Britain?”

Historical Overview

The Romans first invaded southern Britain in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius and, over the next decades, gradually conquered much of the islandwww.english-heritage.org.uk www.historyextra.com. By the end of the 1st century AD, Roman legions had marched as far north as southern Scotland. Key events include the building of Londinium (London) and other Roman towns, the Boudicca revolt of AD 60–61 (when the Iceni queen attacked Roman towns), and the construction of military frontiers such as Hadrian’s Wall (begun AD 122)www.english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk. Roman rule lasted until about AD 410www.historyextra.com. Pupils should learn the basic chronology (invasion ~43, Boudicca ~60s, Hadrian’s Wall AD 122, end of Roman rule ~410) and key figures (e.g. emperors Claudius and Hadrian, Queen Boudicca). Important vocabulary includes empire, legion, province, Briton (Britain’s Celtic inhabitants), Romanisation, fort, villa, amphitheatre, gladiator, hypocaust (see below), and archaeologist.

The Romanisation of Britain

Romanisation means the spread of Roman culture, technology and lifestyle. In practice, its impact varied widely. In southern and eastern Britain (the Midlands, South and East), large towns with Roman-style buildings sprang up and many Britons adopted Roman ways of life. English Heritage notes that “the army remained at the forefront” in Wales and the far North, where Roman influence stayed more military and less culturalwww.english-heritage.org.uk. By contrast, in the Romanised towns (like Colchester/Camulodunum, Londinium, Verulamium/St Albans, Silchester and Wroxeter), urban features such as forums, basilicas, temples, baths, amphitheatres and paved streets appearedwww.english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk. These towns were planned and built along Roman lines with grids of roads and public buildingswww.english-heritage.org.uk. In between were smaller market towns and villa estates: large rural houses with Roman amenities (underfloor heating, mosaic floors) where local elites often livedwww.english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk. Farmland remained widespread, but connected to the towns by the new roads and market economywww.english-heritage.org.uk.Figure: Map of Roman roads and key towns in Britain (c. AD 150). The Romans built some 3,200 km of straight, paved roads to link their forts and townsen.wikipedia.org. These roads (shown in color) allowed armies and traders to travel quickly across Britain. Many sections remained in use for centuries after 410en.wikipedia.org. Sites like Colchester (Camulodunum) and St Albans (Verulamium) developed the typical forum-and-basilica layout of Roman citieswww.english-heritage.org.uk.

Roads and Forts: The Roman army engineered a national road network to connect forts, towns and portsen.wikipedia.org. Roads like Ermine Street and Watling Street ran north–south, while the Fosse Way and Dere Street ran east–west. These straight, paved roads – visible on the map above – dramatically improved travel and trade. Pupils might compare a modern motorway map to this ancient map to see continuity. Small forts (sometimes now village ruins) guarded key routes.
Towns and Villas: Roman towns had stone buildings with tiled roofs. Wealthy villas (country homes) featured hypocaust heating and mosaic floors. For example, an archaeological reconstruction of a Roman forum (administrative centre) at Wroxeter shows shops, baths, temples and a town square, reflecting a fully Romanised town centrewww.english-heritage.org.uk. Meanwhile, the countryside still had farms, but many were rebuilt as villas with under-floor heating and fancy decorationwww.english-heritage.org.uk. Farmers could sell their produce at town markets via the Roman roads.
Language and Writing: Latin became the official language of government and commerce. Inscriptions on stone and lead show that some Britons learned Latin to record names and messages (the Vindolanda tablets – wooden letters from a Roman fort in Northumberland – are a famous exampleen.wikipedia.org). Children might practise writing Latin-style letters or roman numerals to understand this change.
Religion: Romans worshipped gods like Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, and sometimes merged them with local deities (for example, the Celtic goddess Sulis was identified with Minerva at the hot springs of Bath). Temples to Roman gods were built in towns, but many people likely continued older Celtic and Druid beliefs alongside. (For simplicity, Year 4 pupils can learn that Romans introduced temples and new gods while local beliefs persisted.)
Food and Daily Habits: The Romans introduced new foods and habits. Traded foods like wine, olive oil, cherries and apricots arrived in Britain, along with the fish sauce garum. Wealthier Romans in Britain ate these imported foods and held banquets, as evidenced by mosaic dining-room floors. Most Britons, however, still farmed local grains, vegetables and meats. Clothing also changed somewhat: Roman-style tunics and cloaks became common, and sandals or metal hobnails were used, whereas pre-Roman Britons had worn woollen clothes and leather.

Roman Technology and Infrastructure

The Romans brought striking technological advances to Britain. Roads and bridges (many still traced by modern paths) were engineered with layers of stone for durabilityen.wikipedia.org. They built forts of stone, introduced public baths with plumbing, and urban water management (for example, the sanctuary at Bath supplied hot spring water to a temple and baths). The photo below illustrates Roman heating technology:Figure: The pilae stacks in the Bath Roman Baths (Bath, Somerset) are the remains of a hypocaust – an underfloor heating system. Hot air from a furnace (frigidarium) flowed beneath the raised floor. The hypocaust is literally a Latin word meaning “heat from below” and was an ingenious Roman inventioncommons.wikimedia.org. Many affluent Romans built hypocausts under villa floors and bath-houseswww.english-heritage.org.uk. Combined with ornate mosaics (as in the mosaic below), this exemplifies Roman luxury in Britain.

Hypocaust Heating and Baths: As seen above, Roman engineers built raised floors on small brick pillars so that hot air could circulate beneath and warm the roomscommons.wikimedia.org. Pupils can examine the photo and notice the grid of square pilae (pillars). This system was used in baths and rich homes to create central heating – a novelty to Britain. The Romans also constructed public bath complexes (like in Bath and at Wroxeter), which included hot rooms (caldarium), warm rooms (tepidarium) and cold rooms (frigidarium).
Architecture – Mosaics and Villas: The lush villas of Roman Britain often had decorated floors. For instance, a fragment of a mosaic floor from Verulamium (Roman St Albans) is shown below. Wealthy Roman Britons emulated styles from the Empire, covering floors with geometric and figurative patternswww.english-heritage.org.uk. These mosaics had small coloured tiles (tesserae) and usually lay atop wooden beams with hypocausts beneath. Figure: Roman mosaic floor from Verulamium (St Albans), c. AD 180. Wealthy inhabitants of Roman Britain adorned their villas and bath-houses with intricate mosaic designswww.english-heritage.org.uk. This example shows the precision of Roman artisans. Such decoration, new to Britain, replaced simpler Iron Age flooring.
Urban Amenities: The Romans introduced new urban facilities: public toilets and baths with running water (the Romans had advanced plumbing, including lead pipes and drainage), market shops (tabernae), temples and amphitheatres for entertainmentwww.english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk. For example, Silchester (ancient Calleva) had a small amphitheatre and a basilica for civic lifewww.english-heritage.org.uk. Pupils could compare a photo of the Roman Baths (above) with a British library or swimming pool today to see an ancient equivalent.

Daily Life: Comparing Roman and Native Lifestyles

A key enquiry question is “How Roman was British daily life?”. Teachers can encourage pupils to compare life before and after conquest. For example:

In housing, Iron Age Britons lived in roundhouses with thatched roofs. After Romanisation, some people (especially in towns) built rectangular stone houses with tiled roofs and wood beams. Many others continued in roundhouses for generations, but on occasions a farmhouse might be rebuilt in Roman style (a villa). Comparing images of roundhouses and villas helps pupils see differences.
In food and farming, pre-Roman Britons ate bread, beer, meats and local vegetables. Romans encouraged new crops (grapes, dates, currants) and introduced olive oil and wine. In farming technology, Romans built watermills and used the heavy plough in some areas. Pupils could sort pictures of British farms with Roman farms, noting ploughed fields and wine amphora vs. old storage jars.
In language, most people still spoke Brythonic (Celtic), but Latin was used in official documents and by the military. Few Britons wrote in Latin, but finding Latin inscriptions (for example, on gravestones) can show pupils that some Romans and Romanised Britons wrote their names in letters.
In religion and beliefs, explain that the Romans brought their gods and emperor-worship, but did not entirely erase Celtic religion. For example, the Celts worshipped a goddess Sulis at Bath’s hot spring; the Romans built a temple to Sulis Minerva there, blending traditions. Showing a reconstruction drawing of the Temple of Sulis Minerva can illustrate cultural fusion. Throughout, emphasise that Romanisation was partial. As English Heritage notes, “there was never a massive influx of ‘Romans’”, and most people remained native Britonswww.english-heritage.org.uk. Many towns adopted Roman features, but in the remote North and West life often stayed more traditionalwww.english-heritage.org.uk. The question for pupils is to weigh evidence: what Roman ideas did Britons take up, and what did they leave behind?

Suggested Lesson Sequence (6–8 sessions)

A coherent sequence might span a half-term. Each lesson can begin with the fertile question “How Roman was Roman Britain?” and use a sub-question as a focus:

Introduction to the Romans and Roman Empire – Sub-question: “Who were the Romans and why did they come?”
Teach the concept of an empire and empire-building. Locate Rome and the Roman Empire on a map. Explain the 43 AD invasion of Britain (Claudius). Use a timeline activity (children place key dates on a class timeline). Consider a quick quiz: “True or False – The Romans had already conquered Gaul (France) before Britain.”
Life in Iron Age Britain – Sub-question: “What was life like in Britain before the Romans?”
Explore Celtic Britain: tribes, hillforts, roundhouses, trade with Europe. Compare objects (replica roundhouse, Celtic art) to Roman items later. This sets the baseline for change. Use a KWL chart (What we Know, Want to find out, and later Learned).
Conquest and Conflict – Sub-question: “How did the Romans conquer Britain, and how did Britons respond?”
Teach Claudius’s invasion (Richborough landing), the spread of Roman forts and roadswww.english-heritage.org.uk. Then cover Boudicca’s revolt: why the Iceni rebelled and what happened at Colchester, St Albans and Londonwww.english-heritage.org.uk. Use source analysis: e.g., compare a Roman army seal and a Celtic horse emblem. Encourage debate: “Were the Romans brutal conquerors or did they bring benefits?”
Roman Towns, Roads and Technology – Sub-question: “What did Romans build in Britain and why?”
Show a map of Roman Britain (like the road map above). Discuss forts, roads, towns. Embed [14] and talk through it. Use an Ordnance Survey Roman roads overlay or Google Earth to plot ancient roads. Have pupils plan their own “Roman town” with a forum, temple, baths and grid roads. Highlight technology (roads, aqueducts, arches). Cite that Romans built ~3,200 km of roadsen.wikipedia.org.
Daily Life in Roman Britain – Sub-question: “What was life like in a Roman town or villa?”
Examine artifacts: pottery, coins, mosaic tesserae. Show [20] mosaic as a starting point for a creative task (make a simple paper mosaic). Discuss housing (hypocausts under floors). Introduce [25] hypocaust photo to explain Roman heatingcommons.wikimedia.org. Use role-play: one group of pupils acts as Roman merchants and another as Celtic villagers visiting a market.
Culture and Religion – Sub-question: “How Roman were people’s beliefs and culture?”
Compare Roman gods and Celtic gods. Read a simple story of a Roman festival (Saturnalia) or a druid celebration (like Samhain). Look at Latin words in modern English (e.g. urban, villa). Consider bringing in a Latin inscription reproduction for pupils to decipher names.
Evidence and Interpretations – Sub-question: “How do we know about Roman Britain?”
Teach source analysis: show photos of real Roman artefacts (coins of Claudius, pottery shards, altars). Introduce archaeology by having children “excavate” sandboxes for coins and pottery, then draw conclusions (a la History Detectives). Discuss reliability: e.g., a famous find like the Vindolanda tablets shows soldiers’ lettersen.wikipedia.org, proving literacy.
Legacy and Review – Sub-question: “Is Roman Britain still ‘Roman’ today?”
Conclude by discussing what Roman influences remain (road routes, place names ending “-chester/-caster” from castra (camp), Roman numerals in clocks, our calendar months named after Roman gods/Emperors, etc.). Use a “Romans or not” sorting activity with images (e.g. road, toga, roast chicken, amphitheatre) to reinforce distinctions. End by having pupils answer the big question: In what ways was Britain Romanised, and how much stayed the same? (Depending on time, some lessons can be combined or extended. For example, lessons 4 and 5 could be split into two on “towns & roads” and “villas & homes”.)

Common Misconceptions

When teaching Roman Britain, watch for these pitfalls:

“The Romans wiped out the Celts completely.” In fact, most Britons remained Celtic in origin. Romans settled mainly in cities and key areaswww.english-heritage.org.uk, and many continued traditional life. Explain that Romanisation was often superficial outside townswww.english-heritage.org.uk.
“All Romans wore togas and laurel wreaths.” In Britain, most soldiers wore tunics and armour, and civilians wore tunics and cloaks. Togas were formal wear seldom seen except in ceremonies. Bring examples or images of tunics and sandals.
“Everybody in Britain spoke Latin.” Few native Britons learned Latin. Many inscriptions are in Latin, but they often name the owner rather than represent everyday speech. Emphasise that local languages persisted.
“Roman Britain was rich and peaceful for 400 years.” Clarify that there were conflicts (rebellions, tribal uprisings, threats from beyond Hadrian’s Wall) and that Roman rule actually lasted about 370 years, not “400 years of peace.”
“The Romans only built arches and concrete things.” In Britain, they did introduce some new methods (e.g. opus caementicium concrete, hypocausts). However, many early forts were wood, and the grand stone constructions mostly date from the 2nd–4th centuries.
“Hadrian’s Wall is the border of Scotland.” Actually it was the northern frontier of Roman Britain, but Scotland (Caledonia) was inhabited by many non-Roman tribes. (Might be beyond Year 4 detail, but clarify if raised.)

Suggested Resources and Artefacts

Websites: BBC Bitesize (KS2 “Roman Britain” section) offers short videos and quizzeswarwick.ac.uk. English Heritage’s “Story of England” pages on Romans provide text and images (e.g. an Introduction to Roman Britainwww.english-heritage.org.uk). The Oak National Academy has free video lessons on Roman Britain. The British Museum and the Roman-Britain.co.uk site have galleries of finds and timelines.
Books: Child-friendly histories like “The Romans” (DK Eyewitness or Scholastic publications) and Horrible Histories: The Rotten Romans can spark interest (with caution about gruesome humour). Storybooks such as “Enchanted Castle” (for time-travelling Romans) or Roman mystery series can be read aloud or referenced.
Videos: BBC Hands-on History: “A Day in the Life of a 10-Year-Old in Roman Britain” and the History in a Nutshell: Romans animation offer vivid portrayals. The British Council “LearnEnglish Teens” channel has a short video of a child actor experiencing Roman Britainlearnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org.
Artefacts and Images: High-quality prints or online images of Roman coins, pottery, mosaics, inscriptions and statues (for example, the Verulamium mosaicscommons.m.wikimedia.org, Bath temple remains, or the Vindolanda writing tablets). Museums (local or the British Museum) often provide replica artefacts or photos. Consider obtaining inexpensive replica Roman coins and pottery shards for handling. Use Geograph/commons images like the Bath hypocaust ([25]) or mosaic ([20]) as visuals.
Interactive Tools: A map of Roman forts (e.g. Ordnance Survey “PastScape” or Google Earth layer of Roman Britain), online virtual tours of Roman Bath, or archaeological simulators (there are kid-friendly apps showing Villa sites) can engage pupils. The “Roman Inscriptions of Britain” website (RIB) has transcriptions of Latin inscriptions for older children.
Visits: If possible, organize a visit to a local Roman site or museum. Verulamium Museum (St Albans) and the Roman Baths (Bath) have excellent exhibits and handling sessions for school groups. Even a local hillfort or remaining Roman road segment (rare but possible) can be turned into a field trip.

Pedagogical Approaches

To bring Roman Britain alive in Year 4, use a variety of strategies aligned with primary pedagogy:

Comparison: Encourage pupils to compare “then and now” or “Briton vs Roman”. For example, give pairs of pictures (Iron Age roundhouse vs Roman villa, Celtic plough vs Roman plough) and ask children to discuss differences. Use Venn diagrams to chart what Romanised elements they see (e.g. “Both have farms, but Romans have straight roads”). This helps pupils see the extent of Romanisation.
Source Analysis: Treat pupils as young historians. Present replica artefacts (or images) and ask guided questions: What is this? Who might have used it? What does it tell us about Roman life? For instance, show a Roman coin and note the emperor’s portrait and Latin text – discuss why people needed coins. Use short excerpts from Tacitus or Bede (adapted) or pictures of a Roman soldier’s tomb inscription. Teach them to question: “Is this evidence direct or made by someone later?”
Imaginative Reconstruction: Year 4 children enjoy role-play and creative writing. Have them write a diary entry or a letter “home” from a Roman soldier stationed at Hadrian’s Wall, or from a Celt living in a town. Encourage them to use vocabulary (“I tramped along the straight stone road…”, “the bath steams from heated floors below”). Drama can be effective: re-enact a Roman market (one child is a trader in a toga selling oil, another a local in a cloak buying grain).
Hands-on Activities: Let pupils do Roman things. For example, make a simple mosaic from paper squares; build a model arch or section of road in clay; cook a Roman recipe (bread or cheese on flatbreads). Use mosaic templates (as English Heritage suggests)www.english-heritage.org.uk. Have a small “archaeological dig” in sand or soil with buried pottery shards and coins.
Cross-curricular Links: Link history with literacy (write stories set in Roman Britain), design & technology (make Roman shields or catapults), art (Roman mural paintings, mosaic patterns), and numeracy (Roman numerals on clocks, measuring distances on Roman maps). For example, measure out the length of the Fosse Way in a maths lesson, or use columns in a science lesson on structures.
Differentiation and Misconception Checking: Some pupils may still think of Romans only from popular culture; use concept cartoons or quick true/false quizzes to surface misconceptions and correct them. For instance, show an image of a Spanish conquistador in armor and ask “Is this a Roman soldier? Why or why not?” to emphasize differences. By sequencing lessons around enquiry questions, using varied resources, and connecting to pupils’ lives, teachers can create a rich Roman Britain unit. This approach ensures children learn accurate historical facts (e.g. AD 43 invasion, Roman inventions) through engaging inquiry, while also developing skills of critical thinking and source use. In this way, Year 4 pupils will come to answer “How Roman was Roman Britain?” with nuanced understanding: Britain was partly Roman in its towns, technology and governance, but much of the land and its people retained their old ways under the new Roman veneerwww.english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk.Sources: Factual content is drawn from up-to-date history research and heritage education materialswww.english-heritage.org.uk en.wikipedia.org. BBC Bitesize and English Heritage offer age-appropriate overviews for childrenwarwick.ac.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk. All images are public-domain or CC-licensed from Wikimedia Commons (map and photos), as indicated above. Other suggested resources include museum collections, Oak Academy lesson media, and published primary history texts.