How to find the best teaching resources for your students

Keeping children engaged in the classroom is often reliant on the array of different teaching resources and activities which can be weaved into lesson plans.

With pupils also working from home under certain circumstances, accessing these types of resources takes on even greater importance.

But what makes a good set of teaching resources and what should a teacher look for? From trusted websites to inspirational pages, here’s where to find ideas to help keep your lessons top of mind.

Tes

With more than 900,000 teaching resources to access, all designed by teachers for teachers, Tes covers everything from early years, primary and secondary education through to supporting those with special needs.

Teachers can register for free and can access a range of different tools and support, from free downloadable resources to others which can be downloaded for a minimal fee.

Primary Resources

Covering key subjects such as English, maths and the sciences, as well as history, geography, art and many others, Primary Resources houses an array of free resources for primary teachers.

Many can be downloaded as documents or PDFs, providing a quick and easy solution for those looking for inspirational ideas or worksheets to use as lesson starters or for plenary activities to review learning.

The British Council

From current trends to exciting developments and upcoming events, The British Council has an array of different teaching resources which can be used to enhance lessons.

Designed to help pupils explore different cultures and to discover more about the world around them, the resources are all easily accessible and can be tailored as required.

A set of English specific teaching resources can also be accessed at Teaching English – delivered by The British Council – with primary and secondary ideas among more than 400 lesson plans to choose from.

Scholastic

With a research bank covering a range of primary subjects, Scholastic has a number of free resources which can be downloaded, as well as others available for those with a membership.

There’s also plenty of guidance for teachers on elements such as planning and professional development, alongside handy lesson fillers for those with five or ten minutes of classroom time to spare.

STEM Learning

Aligned to the national curriculum, STEM Learning has a carefully curated set of downloadable teaching resources covering the sciences, technology, engineering and maths.

Here teachers can access thousands of free-to-access materials, from exploring how to introduce engineering to primary pupils to teaching science through the art of storytelling.

National Geographic

Renowned for its quality geographical coverage, National Geographic is also home to an array of classroom resources which aim to bring exploration and education together.

Experiences are grouped together into themed lessons and ideas, useful for those looking to explore the worlds of science, geography and history, as well as human culture.

Google Education

The basic version of Google Workspace for Education can be accessed for free for 30 days, providing a suite of tools which can help enhance collaboration and communication.

Several differently priced editions exist beyond that, housing a plethora of tools and resources designed to drive creativity and boost digital learning.