Secondary Educational Resources
RAMM Discover Arts Awards
Arts Award Discover is a certificate and introductory award for children and young people. It is also a creative and fun way to find out about RAMM and the many different things the museum has in it.
You can achieve your Discover Arts Award at RAMM any day of the week. Visit the Discover Arts Awards page on the RAMM website to find out more.
Libraries Unlimited Secret Book Quest
The Secret Book Quest is an exciting new reading challenge for children aged five years old and over. Read a total of 50 books to collect all the stickers, decipher the code, and win a special prize.
To sign up for free, simply visit your local library and speak to a member of staff who will give you your very own Secret Book Quest journal, the first sticker in your collection and a bookmark to record the secret codes for the new digital interactive website.
Visit the Libraries Unlimited website to find out more.
National Storytelling Week 2024
The National Storytelling Week will take place from 27th January to 4th February.
Visit the National Literacy Trust ‘National Storytelling Week 2024’ page for ideas and activities for storytelling, including free online events and resources.
Duolingo
The free, fun, and effective way to learn a language! Visit the Duolingo website to get started.
TED-Ed
Lessons worth sharing and animations that can support them. Visit the TED-Ed website to find out more.
Royal Academy of Arts
Inspired by the RA’s world class exhibitions, leading artists and architects the Royal Academy of Arts have added a range of creative activities for you and your family. Visit their webpage to find out more.
Duke of Edinburgh Award with Space Youth Services
Although young people get the chance to complete their DofE award at school, if you are home educated, you can still get involved by using one of the open award groups across the county.
There are three levels to the award:
Bronze – 14+ years
Silver – 15+ years
Gold – 16+ years.
For each level you need to complete these sections:
Skills / Physical / Volunteering
Each level is completed with an Expedition, which means you get to go outdoors! The Award can be matched to your interests; it is up to you how you achieve each section.
There are open award groups across Devon, so visit the Space ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ webpage and contact Space who will be able to connect you with your nearest one.
Devon Libraries
Devon Libraries are a great resource. You can look at and borrow books, find out information and use library computers, all for free. Libraries also offer free activities for children and adults throughout the year, like the ‘Year 6 & 7 Book Group’ at Crediton Library on 29th September, ‘Harry Potter Book Day’ at Exeter Library on 12th October and the ‘Railway Studies and Modellers Show’ at Newton Abbot on 9th December. All the details and more can be found on the Devon Libraries Events page
The activities are there to support the children and young people in developing a love of reading and gaining confidence, so check in on the website regularly or in person at your local library.
Find out more at the Devon Libraries website.
Theatre of Science
Theatre of Science gives you access to an award-winning science teacher streaming free, live lessons for all ages.
- ‘All ages’ science lesson: Thursdays 12pm UK time.
- iGCSE Physics lesson: Wednesdays 10am.
- Lego story time science show! Thursdays at 2pm.
You will also find past live lessons available to view at Theatre of Science with even more lessons and shows streaming live on the ‘Theatre of Science’ Facebook page
BBC Teach
The BBC Teach website is home to thousands of free curriculum-mapped videos, arranged by age-group and subject.
Seneca Learning
Seneca Learning is free and uses a fun way to learn at KS2, KS3, GCSE & A Level.
The 2 Minute Foundation
The 2 Minute Foundation is a registered charity, that encourages everyone to play their part and clean up our planet, 2 minutes at a time. On this page you’ll find 6 lessons which are about 35 minutes long and have resources and activities included. You’ll also find 6 mini videos for your 2 Minutes on the Beach inspiration. If you have any questions, are interested in finding out more or would like to visit us in person, then contact Claire to find out more: claire@2minute.org
Get Revising
Get Revising offers access to smart revision tools proven to boost your grades. Gives suggestions on creating a study plan, revision tools and past papers, for example
The £2 Tuition Hub
The £2 Tuition Hub is a group of home-edders who organise tuition for £2 a class. They wanted the very best teachers to be teaching their kids at an affordable price. If you’d like your child to learn, have fun and meet others, have a look at their current timetable.
Tuition that puts your child’s happiness and wellbeing at the centre of everything. No pressure in terms of participating (no need to put camera or mic on for example)
Tuition that’s very high quality. All of the teachers are either very experienced qualified teachers or experts in their area (for example Rosie has a performing arts school, Martin has an MBE for his services to astronomy etc)
Doddle Academy
All home-educating parents and students can benefit from the Doddle Academy FREE Year 7 – 13 learning and revision resources. Doddle is offering a free ‘one-subject’ annual subscription to all home educating parents/carers and students. At the moment the free subject is English – please sign up as soon as you can, as the offer may end soon. The free resources will help your students with:
• enhanced understanding of all areas of the syllabus, including challenging topics,
• ability to go through the entire national curriculum / exam-board-specific resources,
• bespoke exam-focused revision using Doddle’s Self-marking Quizzes and Tests,
• exam-readiness with Doddle’s exam practice resources.
To take advantage of the free subscription, parents can visit Doddle Shop and use the code FREEME at checkout.
If parents wish to have more than one subject, they can also take advantage of the 75% discount offer, which allows them to subscribe your child to one additional subject for just £12.50 per year or three subjects for only £25 per year.
Hurry, offer ends soon!
Dartmoor Junior Rangers
Dartmoor National Park established the Junior Ranger Programme in 2015. It offers people between the ages of 12-19 a chance to develop a deeper understanding and passion for Dartmoor, as well as developing practical and personal skills
Paignton Zoo
Home educators are able to take advantage of reduced education rates for entry. Details of these can be found in the zoo price list.
These prices are available with the following conditions:
• Children must be aged 5–18
• Term time entry during usual school hours (Mon-Fri, 10am to 3pm)
• All visits must be pre-booked
Visit the Paignton Zoo website for more information and to book your visit.
National Literary Trust
Family Zone – You will find lots of tips and fun activity ideas for building children’s language, literacy and communication skills from home at the National Literacy Trust. They are all broken down into age categories. Find out more at the Family Zone webpages.
Zone In – For young people over 13 ‘Zone In’ is for you. Get tips on boosting reading, writing, speaking and listening skills on the Zone In webpage.
Books Beyond Words
Books Beyond Words has produced a range of free picture stories and illustrated guides to support people with learning disabilities and autism through the coronavirus pandemic. They include:
- Love in Lockdown
- Protecting ourselves
- Beating the Virus
- Testing for coronavirus
- Mental health, end of life and bereavement resources
- Secure settings resources
To find out more and to access the guides, visit the Books Beyond Words website.
At Home with Aerospace Bristol
Explore a range of fun and educational activities and resources to enjoy at home.
This page is filled with learning activities and information, including:
- How to make your own airshow
- Coding challenges
- Discovering coordinates
- Careers in engineering
Visit At Home with Aerospace Bristol to find out more.
Life Science Centre Online
Life Goes Online is a new project to bring Life Science Centre into your home and help visitors continue to feel part of the Life community during these challenging times.
Sometimes this content will be videos of science experiments that you can try at home or a science demonstration that can’t be done at home but you can watch to learn something new and be amazed. Other times, the content may be an activity sheet that you can download and print at home.
Go to the Life Goes Online website to find out more.
Leeds Museums and Galleries online exhibitions
Leeds Museum has added podcasts and a vast array of online events, learning resources and activities to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. They include:
- Sensory storytime
- Museum from home
- Minibeast activities
- Ancient Egyptian activities
- Explore Stone Age to Iron Age
Visit the Virtual Visit pages to find out more.
Met Office activities
The Met Office has added some educational activities to do at home. They include bite-size DIY activities and experiments for young people to work through in their own homes, from ‘making lightning’ to ‘forecasting fact-busters’.
Use the links on the DIY activities and experiments webpage to access the activity sheets and find out more.
Thrive – Wellbeing Toolkit Resources
Resource categories include:
- activities for children up to 11yrs
- activities for children up to 16yrs
- activities for children up to 7yrs
- free toolkit of strategies and activities to help you now!
Access all of the above on the Thrive Approach website.
STEM Learning
Home learning support for families.
To support parents and carers STEM Learning’s subject experts have put together a selection of activities and materials, which are free for everyone to access.
These exciting activity collections contain a range of fun, hands-on activities that can be used to engage primary and secondary-aged children with science, technology, engineering and maths.
They require little or no equipment so are suitable for any classroom or home learning.
Find out more on the STEM Home learning support for families page.
Blue Peter badges
If your child would like to earn a Blue Peter badge but doesn’t know which one to go for, there is a quiz to take to find out the perfect Blue Peter badge for you!
Find out more on the Blue Peter badge website.
ICAN’s Talking Point
Talking Point is there to help parents who are concerned about their child’s development. The website has a wealth of information to help you understand and support children and young people’s speech, language and communication.
Find out more by visiting I CAN’s Talking Point.
Digital Library
Devon Libraries have been increasing their catalogue of eBooks and eAudiobooks for children including Beginner Reads collection. This means that families who do not currently have access to books from school can find new things to read via their laptops, tablets, eReaders or smartphones.
For the grownups in addition to eBooks there’s free access to eMagazines, newspapers and other digital resources such as Ancestry Online.
You will need to be a library member to access these resources but joining online is free and easy using the Devon Libraries website.
STAR SEND Toolkit (Childnet International)
The Childnet International STAR SEND Toolkit is an extensive teaching toolkit to support educators with the relevant knowledge they need to help young people with special educational needs and disabilities to manage the internet and its risk.
The resources are aimed at young people with SEND in key stages 3 and 4 and can be adapted for the needs of different young people and settings.
The Wave Project
The Wave Project started in 2010 and became the world’s first ‘surf therapy’ course funded by a government health service.
It continues to support young people and its mission is to enable those who are struggling to prove to themselves that “I can do it!”.
The Wave Project created a number of activity books that were intended to keep you and your children busy through lockdown. Each is filled with recipes, crafts, games, books and movies.
Go to the Activity Books section on the Wave Project website to download the activity books and access the archive of previous books with even more fun activities to do,
StayWise
This public access version of StayWise brings together many educational resources from the emergency services and voluntary safety organisations. It is designed so you can easily find trusted resources to help with home schooling linked to age groups, themes and curriculum areas.
In these difficult times they have tried to group their resources to help, so you can use the filters to search by age or subject or even by the type of resource you need.
For example, you could select, Maths, for seven to eight-year-olds, and work sheets, and let the system do the rest!
Go to the StayWise website to find out more.
National Marine Aquarium
The National Marine Aquarium delivered free live lessons using YouTube.
You can see recordings of these if you tune into the Aquarium’s Youtube Channel or for more information, go to the National Marine Aquarium website.
National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust’s ‘Words for Life’ site is packed with free, fun activities to improve reading and writing skills for ages 0-12 years to try at home. Activities can be filtered by age group and include chat, play, read, watch, listen, write and make.
To find out more, please go to the National Literacy Trust ‘Words for Life’ webpage.
NASA Kids Club
A place to play games, complete activities and learn about NASA and space. Examples of the activities included are ‘Tracking the International Space Station’, ‘Spot the Difference’, ‘Making Paper Mars Helicopters’ and ‘Decoding Secret Messages’ but there are loads more to try out.
To find out more, please go to the NASA Kids’ Club webpage.
Orchard Toys
Orchard Toys are currently offering a range of free, printable worksheets and activities that are fun, educational and perfect for pre-school and school-age children learning at home.
They include numeracy and literacy activity sheets, craft ideas, colouring sheets and recipes. They add to these every day, but if you sign up to their emails you will get them sent to your email inbox the night before they are released.
To find out more, please go to Orchard Toys Free Activities webpage.
Free Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler home learning packs
Is your child a fan of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s wonderful picture books? Now you can download a range of home learning activity packs to complete as your read the books! Stick Man, Zog, The Highway Rat and more.
For more information on the free Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Home Learning Packs go to this Scholastic webpage.
Disney on Stage
Fun activities to do with your family at home.
Many families and young people will be learning at home for a while, so over the coming weeks, Disney on Stage will be showcasing some of the most popular parts of Disney Theatrical’s free education programmes. There will be activities from The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Aladdin, Frozen, and a selection of Careers in Theatres videos and podcasts.
For more information and to bookmark the page, so you can keep checking back for free activities, resources and videos, go to this Disney On Stage Education Resource webpage.
BBC Bitesize
BBC Bitesize offers lessons, videos, quizzes, and downloadable timetables, along with practical advice from primary age to post-16.
A full range of subjects can be accessed at a click of a button from Literacy and Numeracy to Spanish and Art and Design.
You will also find the daily Newsround bulletin where you can catch up with the latest news stories around the world.
Find out more on the Bitesize website.
ZOO discovery from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
The site offers access to animal activity sheets for ages 3 all the way up to 16, along with educational activities from animal art and bug hunting to brushing up on keeper counting skills.
Who said learning can’t be fun? Take a look at the ZSL website to find out more.
Also, London Zoo provides links to some of the webcams, live streams, animal antics and behind-the-scenes updates at the zoo. You can access these at Virtual London Zoo.
The Institute of Engineering and Technology
Free STEM resources for primary and secondary school children.
Engage your child and keep them busy and learning at home with the available home learning teaching resources and activities for 4-16 years old (key stages 1 to 4) including lesson plans, handouts and videos.
Oak National Academy
The online classroom offers free access to teachers delivering video lessons, quizzes and worksheets. Available for both primary and secondary, it covers a range of subjects. The lessons are ordered so your child can learn along a clear plan. There will be new lessons and resources each week.
Oak National Academy will fit alongside other resources such as BBC Bitesize.
The specialist classroom has lesson plans for occupation therapy, speech and language, physical therapy and lots more.
Find out more on the Oak National Academy website.
The Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum has a range of resources to support learning around natural history themes on their website, aimed at ages 5-14.
Find out more on the NHM Learning Resources page
The British Library
The British Library has its extensive collections available online, which should prove a great resource for students trying to research at home.
The Tate Gallery
The Tate Gallery has a 360-degree virtual tour online.
The British Museum
The British Museum has made its online collections free to the public to view. You can access an interactive experience of the Museum , visit Google Arts and Culture Play Page or go straight to The British Museum website.
Dyson Challenge Cards
Dyson engineers have designed these challenges specifically for children. Ideal for home or in the classroom, they encourage inquisitive young minds to get excited about engineering.
Can you skewer a balloon without popping it? Coat a nail in copper? What happens when you plug a clock into a potato?
Go to the Dyson Challenge Cards website to find out more.
Mintlings by The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has put together a collection of quizzes, games and educational tools – brought to life through iconic coins, and popular children’s characters such as The Gruffalo and Wallace and Gromit. Ideal for families and children staying home and looking to fill their time with fun, factual and coin-related activities.
Children of the Forest
Children of the Forest run sessions called ‘Free to Learn’ for home-educating children to attend, without their parents or carers, every Wednesday and Thursday in term time. The Forest School is based in 3 acres of private woodland in Uffculme, near Cullompton (EX15 3FJ)
They are an Ofsted registered childcare Forest School run by two former teachers, Gemma and Lewis. They run according to true forest school principles, giving children connection to nature, freedom in their play and confidence in their skills.
Activities can include bushcraft skills, campfire cooking, arts and crafts, drama, group games and much more – all following children’s interests and own choices. To find out more and join the waiting list, visit their Children of the Forest website.
Action for Stammering Children interactive website
Action for Stammering Children has just launched a new interactive website with information, fun facts and games all to do with famous people who stammered! (Stormzy, Winston Churchill, Ed Sheeran and many more)
Take a look at the Stamback in time website.
Anna Freud ‘Let’s talk about anxiety’ animation
Anna Freud ‘Let’s talk about anxiety’ animation, and accompanying resources/lesson plans for educators, will help young people aged 11 to 13 to normalise, understand and manage anxious feelings.
Hakeford Woods Forest School
Hakeford Woods Forest School is a social enterprise based at a beautiful woodland site only ten minutes from Barnstaple. The Forest School runs a group for home-educated children. The possibilities for activities are endless because they have a permanent Forest School site.
The activities that take place in an individual session will be determined by the season and the weather, as well as by the age and abilities of the young people.
CSW Group offer to current year 11 students
CSW Group are able to support young people in year 11 if they have an EHCP or are at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training).
CSW support these young people by providing impartial information, advice and guidance to help them understand their post 16 options and make informed decisions.
If you would like to refer a young person please email Leon.Hackworthy@cswgroup.co.uk.
TLC Live – online tutoring experts
Whether you’re a teacher, parent or guardian TLC LIVE is a cost-effective way of providing high-quality, measurable support for children aged 6 to 16. Lessons are focused and tailored to your child’s needs and skill gaps.
Forestry English – free beginner’s guide to stargazing
In the forest at night in a whole new light! Written in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine and packed with fantastic activities for all the family, get your hands on this free beginner’s guide to stargazing. You can learn about constellations, try star navigation, play night-games and become a Forest-Star.
On the Edge
The On The Edge website offers free downloads, activities and stories based around colourful characters of animals that are on the edge of extinction.