History · Years 3–4

The Romans in Britain: KS2 history for parents

By Dave Allen · Updated 5 October 2026 · 5 min read

Drafted and fact-checked with AI help, against the sources below. Not yet reviewed by a teacher. How we write our guides

What it is

Empire: A large area of land and people ruled by one person or country. The Roman Empire was ruled by an emperor.
Invasion: When an army goes into another land to take control of it.
BC and AD: How historians number years. BC years come before AD 1 and count down, so 55 BC came before 54 BC. AD years count up, like ours today.
c.: Short for circa, meaning about. Historians write c. AD 410 when they know roughly, but not exactly, when something happened.
Romanisation: The way Roman ideas, buildings, language and beliefs spread into Britain and changed it.

Before the Romans came, Britain wasn't one country. Many peoples lived in independent tribes, each led by its own kings or queens. The Romans wanted Britain's resources, such as gold, tin, iron and cattle.

55 and 54 BC: the Roman commander Julius Caesar leads two expeditions to Britain. He doesn't stay or take over the land.
AD 43: the emperor Claudius sends a big army, and the Roman conquest begins. Over the next 45 years, the army gradually takes control of much of England and Wales.
c. AD 60: Boudica, queen of the Iceni tribe, leads an uprising. Her army burns the Roman towns at Colchester, St Albans and London before the Romans defeat it.
AD 122: the emperor Hadrian orders a wall to be built across the north of England, from coast to coast.
c. AD 410: Roman rule in Britain ends, as the empire struggles to defend itself elsewhere.

How it's taught at school

The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain is a KS2 topic in the national curriculum for England. The curriculum doesn't say which year it's taught in, so your child's school may teach it at any point in KS2.

The curriculum suggests examples schools can use: Caesar's attempted invasion, the power of the Roman army, Claudius's conquest including Hadrian's Wall, British resistance such as Boudica, and the Romanisation of Britain. Schools choose which of these to focus on.

Children learn what the Romans brought or made bigger and better in Britain:

straight, paved roads linking new towns
stone buildings, bathhouses and central heating
coins used for buying and selling across the country
Latin, the Romans' language, and Roman numerals, which you can still see on some clocks
temples to many gods, and later Christianity

KS2 history also builds historical skills. Children compare sources and ask how far they can trust them. A favourite example: much of what we know about the Britons Caesar met comes from Caesar's own writing, and he was their enemy, so his view may be one-sided.

Tip
A timeline helps more than anything with BC and AD. Draw a line, mark AD 1 in the middle, and put the key dates on it with your child. Seeing BC dates count down to the middle makes them click.

From Pipkin

Practise history with Pipkin

Short, calm puzzles that follow the UK curriculum. Free, with no sign-up.

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Common mistakes (and how to help)

Calling Julius Caesar an emperor: Lots of people do this, grown-ups included. Caesar was a Roman army commander, not a ruler. When he came to Britain in 55 and 54 BC, Rome was still a republic, which didn't end until 27 BC. Claudius, who invaded in AD 43, was an emperor.
Thinking Caesar conquered Britain: Caesar came twice but didn't stay. The conquest began almost 100 years later, under Claudius in AD 43.
Thinking 55 BC came after 54 BC: It's natural to think a bigger number comes later. Use a timeline: BC years count down towards AD 1, so 55 BC is one year before 54 BC.
Thinking the Romans conquered the whole of Britain: They took control of England and Wales, but never conquered all of what is now Scotland. Hadrian's Wall was built as a border between Roman Britain and the lands to the north.
Thinking every Roman soldier came from Rome: The Roman army recruited soldiers from many parts of the empire. For example, soldiers from Dacia, in what is now Romania, helped guard Hadrian's Wall.

Three quick activities at home

Kitchen-roll timeline

About 10 minutes · You need: A strip of paper or a length of kitchen roll, and a pen

Mark AD 1 in the middle of the strip. Put BC to the left and AD to the right.
Help your child add 55 BC, AD 43, c. AD 60, AD 122 and c. AD 410, with a word or picture for each.
Add one modern date too, such as the year your child was born, right at the far end.

Roman numeral hunt

About 5 minutes

Look for Roman numerals around you, such as on a clock face.
Teach your child that I is 1, V is 5 and X is 10.
Write a few small numbers in Roman numerals for each other to read.

What did the Romans do for us?

About 5 minutes

Take turns naming something the Romans brought or improved in Britain: roads, towns, bathhouses, coins, Latin.
For each one, ask whether we still have it today, and what it looks like now.
Ask your child which one they think was most important, and why.

Try it with your child

Free Pipkin puzzles on this topic. No sign-up. They open on the children's side of Pipkin.

Questions parents ask

Why does my child's book spell it Boudicca, but this page says Boudica?

Both spellings are used. The national curriculum and English Heritage write Boudica, while some books and websites, including BBC Bitesize, use Boudicca. Either is fine.

Can we visit anything Roman?

Yes, there are Roman sites across England and Wales, including forts along Hadrian's Wall and Caerwent, a Roman town site the curriculum names as an example. Your nearest museum may have Roman finds too.