Year 5 - History
The impact of the Romans' withdrawal on religion
Britain after the Romans: how did Christianity survive in the British Isles?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop their causal understanding by learning how Christianity survived in the British Isles following the departure of the Romans. They learn about how religion changed after the Romans left and the importance of Irish Christianity in this period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why Christianity declined in Britain when the Romans left.
Key Notes
- As the Romans were leaving Britain c.410CE, groups of people called the Angles, Saxons and Jutes began to migrate there.
- These Anglo-Saxons were pagan and polytheistic: they were not Christian.
- As they began to dominate Britain, Christianity declined in areas where they settled.
- This process was probably helped by the fact that many Britons had not fully embraced Christianity under Roman rule.
- For example, at Lullingstone, a pagan shrine built before the chapel was still being used after the chapel was built.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Anglo-Saxons: the Anglo-Saxons are a group of people formed of the Angle, Saxon and Jutes tribes
- pagan: pagan means a religion other than one of the main world religions
- polytheistic: to be polytheistic means to believe in many different gods and goddesses
- shrine: a shrine is a place regarded as holy
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think all Britons became pagans.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
As the Romans were leaving Britain c.410CE, groups of people called the Angles, Saxons and Jutes began to migrate there. These Anglo-Saxons were pagan and polytheistic: they were not Christian.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'Anglo-Saxons'
the Anglo-Saxons are a group of people formed of the Angle, Saxon and Jutes tribes.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Pupils may think all Britons became pagans. Correction: It is likely that some Britons adopted pagan beliefs when the Anglo-Saxons settled. Some may have continued to follow Christianity.
More Lessons In This Unit
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