This year is shaping up to be our biggest yet. Our TeachKit: Media & Information Literacy, which launched in 2025, has expanded! News-based media literacy resources will land weekly. This gives teachers a fresh, curriculum-linked starting point every single week. Every topic comes with three flexible ways to teach it. This covers KS2 and KS3, and now with an extension to years 10 and 11 (KS4).
Weekly news-led lessons
Every week, teachers get a new lesson built around a real First News story. Each one maps directly to the MIL framework and scheme of work created in partnership with the Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA).
Impact: Teachers always have an up-to-date, ready-to-teach lesson that makes media literacy feel relevant rather than abstract. Pupils engage with skills through stories they’ve actually seen in the news.
Three ways to teach every topic
Each weekly topic comes as a Short Lesson (quick, discussion-based, ideal for tutor time or interventions), a Close Up Lesson (45–60 minutes, deeper analysis and activities), and an Assembly Pack (built for whole-year delivery, not just a shortened lesson).
Impact: Teachers can match the lesson to the time and setting they have, without losing the same core learning objectives. They can reuse formats for consolidation.
Deeper learning, on demand
Our evergreen resources are a searchable “deeper learning” bank. It’s there for whenever teachers want to revisit a concept or go further on a topic.
Impact: Teachers get a ready reserve of quality material for extension, catch-up, or topics that need more time. It doesn’t add to their planning load.
Political literacy and citizenship, woven throughout
Every level’s scheme of work builds in democratic processes, political systems, responsible activism and public debate.
Impact: Teachers can evidence citizenship and PSHE coverage of political literacy directly through their MIL teaching. Pupils become better prepared to engage critically with democratic life, especially relevant as the voting age lowers to 16.
Full secondary coverage with new Level 4
Level 4 brings a dedicated scheme of work and weekly news-led teaching packs, with bespoke content for older learners where needed.
Impact: Schools can now deliver MIL coherently from Year 7 right through to Year 11. This reaches the pupils who arguably need critical media skills most, with both preventative and remedial framing.
Why this matters
‘Information and media is more expansive and accessible than ever before. But with it comes opportunities for mis and disinformation. We owe it to our children and young people to give them the tools they need to navigate this fast moving area.
MIL is vital for Year 10 and 11, and we’re thrilled to share our Level 4 lesson packs that now match the challenge and depth these learners are ready for. We know, equally, that up to date, finger on the pulse news propels learning forward.
With that in mind, we’re providing resources tied to current media on a weekly basis (previously fortnightly), to move with the fast pace of news we’re known for. I’m thrilled to see the fruition of our team’s hard work, and can’t wait to see the impact in schools, and future generations.’
– Emily Hanson, Head of Education at First News
‘Even experienced adults are finding it increasingly harder to tell what’s real online and what’s fake, so children desperately need the information and tools that will help them to understand the fuzzy grey area between the two.
MIL is a set of skills that we’ve been teaching our readers for years, but we’ve now started writing bespoke stories on current hot topics to extend our MIL resources to older Level 4 students. We know that teachers are crying out for ways to teach these vital techniques to this age group, so these custom-made resources allow them to get ahead of the curve on MIL before it becomes compulsory on the curriculum.’
– Ian Eddy, Acting Editor of First News
‘Every lesson plan is thoughtfully put together, with guidance to help teachers navigate sensitive or ‘hot topic’ content with care.’
– Teachwire’s review of TeachKit: MIL. Read the full review.
