80th Anniversary of D-Day
June 6th marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a turning point in World War II when the Western Allies (Britain, the United States, and Canada) launched the largest seaborne invasion in history. Landing on the beaches of Normandy, France, they began the campaign to liberate Nazi occupied Europe. This is an incredibly well known event in popular culture and with the 80th anniversary it is the perfect time to discuss this event with your students. The D-Day organisation has a wide range of resources for all Key Stages where you can discuss this topic.
Celebrating Hajj
From Wednesday 4th June to Monday 9th June, Muslims around the world will be taking part in Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is a deeply significant spiritual journey. All adult Muslims who are physically and financially able are expected to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce pupils to one of the most important events in the Islamic calendar. If you have Muslim students in your class, this can also be a valuable moment to invite them to share their experiences or family traditions related to Hajj (if they feel comfortable doing so). They are perfect for use in form time, Religious Education (RE) lessons, or even during a whole-school assembly. As they come from BBC Teach, you can be confident that they meet the standards required for use in the classroom. Follow this link to find out more:
Free Primary Maths Resources!
The The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) Classroom Resources page offers a wide range of free, high-quality materials to help primary teachers plan and deliver excellent maths lessons. With clear links to the national curriculum and simple filter options to narrow your search, it’s easy to find exactly what you need: whether you’re preparing a lesson or looking for quick assessment tools. These ready to use resources support strong pupil understanding, and are also ideal for collaborative professional development with colleagues. For busy teachers, this site is a real time saver. It reduces the need to create everything from scratch, helping to ease workload while still ensuring lessons are engaging and effective. If you can’t find what you’re looking for straight away, the search bar at the top of the page lets you explore the whole site quickly. Although the National Curriculum Resource Tool has been removed, you’ll find a host of up to date classroom materials that reflect current best practice making this site a must have in your planning toolkit.
Telling stories through sculpture
Sculptures have fascinated people for centuries. Renowned sculptor Hazel Reeves has created lesson resources designed to ignite students’ excitement about this powerful art form. In the lesson students will explore how Hazel’s sculpture of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst tells a story through its stance and describes Hazel’s process, from initial drawings to final fabrication. Students are encouraged to develop their own idea for a sculpture that tells a story through its pose. This is a great chance to combine History and Art together and make an impactful difference in students understanding of what scultpors are and the process behind them. Click on the link below to access the lesson resources.
National Numeracy Day
The 21st May is National Numeracy Day and National Numeracy have a number of useful resources to celebrate this day with your students. All you have to do is sign up to access them. Maths is a core foundation for many future career paths your students may wish to take such as in science, engineering, economics, and computer science. Beyond the classroom, maths fosters problem-solving skills that are invaluable in everyday life whether budgeting, making informed financial decisions, or analysing data. If some of your students aren’t engaged by maths, sharing these real life applications might spark their interest. Follow this link to find the resources:
Learning with dog themed lessons
Dogs are truly man’s best friend, and with these fun, engaging lessons from Dogs Trust, you can inspire your pupils while fostering a love for learning. Designed to captivate students through a dog-themed context, these lessons are a fantastic way to bring your curriculum to life. Covering a wide range of subjects including: English, Maths, History, and Business Studies these resources are perfect for integrating creativity and real-world connections into your teaching. Whether you’re a canine-enthusiast teacher or have dog-loving students, these lessons are sure to spark interest and excitement in the classroom. Follow the link to learn more:
Shakespeare Week
William Shakespeare can easily be classified as the most significant person in effecting the modern English language. Over 1,700 words can be linked back to his works and many popular phrases today were first used by him such as: “Break the ice”, “Wild-goose chase” and “Heart of gold”. In celebration of England’s Bard and his timeless classics the 24-30 March 2025 is Shakespeare week. What a perfect time to introduce your students to his works, and to link many popular films today to his work. After all the Lion King follows a very similar story to Hamlet (but made safe for children!) The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has a huge database of lesson resources which can be accessed for all age groups to learn about the timeless legend which is William Shakespeare. Follow this link to find out more:
Easter lesson resources
Easter is a celebratory time in schools, marking the end of the Spring term and the start of the Summer term. It is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. With these lesson resources from BBC Teach, you can introduce these concepts in small, bite-sized chunks, helping students gain a better understanding of this important religious event. Follow this link to learn more:
National Geographic for Kids
National Geographic for Kids offers an exciting opportunity to inspire Primary-aged children to push the boundaries of knowledge, uncover new insights about the natural and cultural worlds, and strengthen their connections to both these worlds and one another. Through their platform, National Geographic provides a wide range of lesson resources across subjects such as History, Science, Geography, English, Maths, PSHE, and Art & Design. These materials are designed to captivate young learners and enrich their understanding of the world around them. Follow the link below to explore these resources and bring the spirit of discovery into your classroom!
Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month and it’s a great time to introduce your students to a wide range of women throughout history. It is important to tell students that it wasn’t until 1928 when all women received the right to vote in the United Kingdom. The official UK Parliament’s website has created a wonderful illustrated workbook for students of a primary age to learn about a wide range of women from different backgrounds who have impacted UK laws and equal rights. One of the women included is Barbara Castle who was one of the longest-serving female MPs in British history. To learn more follow the link below: