Top Five Publishers 2023

If you use one new set of resources next year it should be Empathy Week. The concept is simple, but so, so effective. Every year, Empathy Week releases a set of videos and resources covering the life stories of five different people. This year was based in Nepal, among others it explored the lives of a professional mountain climber, a young teacher and a blind social entrepreneur. Students get to see through the eyes of different generations and different cultures at the same time as exploring universal questions such as: ‘What are my ambitions?’ and ‘How can I make a difference?’ It’s moving, it’s effective, it's for all ages, and it's free - every teacher should use it. 

We know that true learning isn’t just about the facts, it's about immersion and experience. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust does exactly that. Their expertise in conserving natural spaces has led to a set of resources that will supercharge your lessons and your student’s connection to nature. One highlight is their ‘make it’ activities that encourage creativity and technical skill development. Another is the fully funded ‘Generation Wild’ which brings low-income students to wetland centres on an inspiring nature connection course. With incredible centres across the UK, the WWT is an excellent option for implementing sustainability-focused experiences into your student’s education. 

Across the UK there are small teams of dedicated educators working on incredible new teaching resources. Despite the small budgets they can have a huge impact. One prime example is Global Education Derby, whose resources consistently hit the mark. Packed with fun activities and hopeful, compassionate values - these resources are a regular go-to for us. One of their packs ‘Leaving No-one Behind’ has a lesson for each of the 17 SDGs and is applicable for so many occasions. Reliable quality is so important for teachers and with  Global Education Derby’s connections to educators on the ground you can be sure their work is tried, tested and effective. 

For the second year running we had to include the Economist Educational Foundation. Always on-topic and always consistent, if there is a key discussion happening in the media landscape you can bet there’s an Economist ‘Topical Talk’ activity on it. From the circular economy to AI to inflation - these packs are simple and adaptable. If you need some quick info or an activity at the start of a lesson they’re perfect. We recommend subscribing to their newsletter especially. If you do, you may experience the uncanny feeling someone on the Economist’s team is predicting global events. Just as you might be thinking “I should really be discussing this in class” you’ll receive an Economist email on the same topic. Try it for yourself.

Learning how to contribute to and navigate our societies is just as important as developing subject knowledge or preparing students for work. Young Citizens recognise that if we are to have fairer, greener communities we need students equipped to build, participate in and maintain flourishing democracies. What is particularly impressive is the sheer depth and quantity of resources freely available to teachers here. We particularly like the fact that Young Citizens have packs on current points of concern for teachers such as news literacy and social media bubbles. These resources are sure to prepare students for all the challenges that modern life will throw at them and for that reason Young Citizens is an essential resource publisher to check out.