Year 4 History Scheme of Work
Year 4 history focuses on three of the most important and interconnected periods in British history: the Roman occupation, the Anglo-Saxon settlement, and the Viking Age. Together, these three periods span approximately 900 years (43 AD to around 1000 AD) and shaped the language, laws, place names, religion, and cultural identity of Britain in ways that are still visible today.
The sequencing of these units is chronologically sound, and teachers should draw out the connections between them: the Romans left Britain, creating a power vacuum that the Anglo-Saxons filled; the Anglo-Saxons were then challenged by Viking raids and settlement; and the tensions between these groups eventually led to the unified English kingdom. The emphasis throughout should be on evidence, causation, and the idea that periods of history do not begin and end cleanly but overlap and influence one another.
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Knowledge of prehistoric Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age and the nature of pre-Roman British society.
- ✓Ability to place events on a timeline spanning thousands of years.
- ✓Experience of using artefacts, maps, and written sources as historical evidence.
- ✓Understanding that civilisations can leave lasting legacies.
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 History programme of study.
Roman Britain
- –Know and understand the Roman invasion and occupation of Britain.
- –Understand the impact of Roman rule on British life, including roads, towns, and governance.
- –Know about the legacy of Roman civilisation on Britain.
- –Study the Roman invasion of 43 AD: who invaded, how, and why did the Romans want Britain?
- –Map Roman roads, forts, and towns across Britain and discuss why the Romans built where they did.
- –Examine Roman artefacts (Samian ware, Roman coins, mosaic tiles) and draw inferences about Roman life.
- –Research a named Roman site (e.g. Bath, Hadrian's Wall, Vindolanda) and explain what it tells us about Roman Britain.
Anglo-Saxons
- –Know about the Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England.
- –Understand how Anglo-Saxon society was organised and how people lived.
- –Understand the introduction and spread of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon Britain.
- –Study the migration of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes from northern Europe and place these migrations on a map and timeline.
- –Explore Anglo-Saxon village life using the site of West Stow as a case study.
- –Examine the Sutton Hoo helmet and burial ship as primary evidence of Anglo-Saxon culture and beliefs.
- –Research Alfred the Great and his role in unifying England and promoting learning and Christianity.
The Vikings
- –Know about the Viking invasion and raid, and the struggle for control of Britain.
- –Understand Viking settlement and its influence on British place names and language.
- –Know about the Danelaw and the relationship between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons.
- –Map Viking homelands (Scandinavia) and the routes of Viking raids and settlements across Europe and beyond.
- –Study the Lindisfarne raid of 793 AD as the starting point of Viking activity in Britain.
- –Investigate the Danelaw: examine a map of Danelaw boundaries and discuss what this tells us about Viking power.
- –Explore Viking legacy in place names (e.g. -by, -thorpe, -wick suffixes) using a local and national map.
Anglo-Saxons and Vikings: Conflict and Legacy
- –Understand the relationships between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, including treaties and conflict.
- –Know about the reign of Cnut and the unification of England.
- –Evaluate the legacy of both cultures on modern Britain.
- –Compare Anglo-Saxon and Viking cultures using a structured Venn diagram covering religion, government, trade, and warfare.
- –Study the reign of King Cnut and discuss whether he was a good or bad king for England.
- –Research the legacy of Viking and Anglo-Saxon words in modern English (e.g. sky, egg, window from Norse; king, lord from Anglo-Saxon).
- –Create a newspaper front page reporting on the Battle of Hastings from either a Viking, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman perspective.
Local History: Our Town Through Time
- –Understand the history of the local area, using a range of sources.
- –Know how to investigate the past using maps, photographs, buildings, and oral history.
- –Recognise changes over time in the local area.
- –Study old maps of the local area and compare them with current maps, identifying what has changed and what has stayed the same.
- –Examine old photographs of local buildings, streets, and events and place them in chronological order.
- –Interview a local historian or community elder about how the local area has changed within living memory.
- –Create a timeline of the local area from the earliest known settlement to the present day.
Progression into Year 5
In Year 5, pupils study two major civilisations from very different parts of the world: Ancient Greece and the Benin Kingdom. These units develop pupils' ability to understand non-European history and to compare historical periods across different cultures and continents.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 4 History lesson plans →