This complete KS2 history lesson explores why the Anglo-Saxons migrated to Britain and why they chose particular locations for their settlements.

The lesson begins with a chronological retrieval activity recapping what happened after Roman rule ended around AD 410. Pupils are then introduced to the concepts of migration, settlement, push factors and pull factors.

During the main activity, children sort evidence cards into reasons people may have left their homelands and reasons Britain may have attracted settlers. They then rank the factors according to importance and justify their historical judgement.

Pupils also study an illustration of an Anglo-Saxon settlement and make inferences about why communities were often located near rivers, farmland, woodland, grazing land and travel routes. The lesson concludes with an agree-or-disagree question encouraging pupils to consider whether the Romans leaving Britain was the main reason for Anglo-Saxon settlement.

The resource includes:

• an editable lesson PowerPoint;
• a chronological retrieval activity;
• child-friendly knowledge notes;
• push-and-pull factor sorting cards;
• a sorting mat;
• an Anglo-Saxon settlement illustration;
• inference modelling and sentence stems;
• ranking and reasoning questions;
• a final historical judgement activity.