Free KS1 teaching resources cover worksheets, lesson plans, videos, games, and printable activities for every subject in the National Curriculum for children aged 5 to 7. You can find thousands of these materials online at no cost. Teachers and education experts who know what works in real classrooms create them. If you teach literacy, maths, science, or creative subjects, free KS1 materials help you plan lively lessons without stretching your budget.
Michelle Connolly, founder of LearningMole and a former primary teacher with over 15 years of classroom experience, says, “Quality KS1 teaching resources don’t have to cost anything. The key is knowing where to look and how to adapt what you find to suit your pupils’ needs.” LearningMole is a UK educational platform that provides curriculum-aligned resources for children aged 4 to 11. It makes it easier to find materials that match what you’re teaching.
This guide points you to the best places for free KS1 teaching resources. You’ll get ideas for adapting materials, find trusted websites, and pick up practical tips for every subject.
Key Takeaways
Free KS1 teaching resources give teachers ready-made materials for children ages 5-7 at no cost. These tools include printable worksheets, interactive activities, and lesson plans that match the National Curriculum.
Free KS1 teaching resources cover lesson plans, worksheets, activity packs, classroom displays, and interactive materials for Key Stage 1 pupils. You can find resources for all National Curriculum subjects: maths, English, science, computing, and creative arts.
The main types include:
Many providers offer resources differentiated by ability, which means you can support all learners in your class. Some resources come as full schemes of work that plan out several weeks of teaching. Others are quick activities you can add to your lessons.
Free teaching resources save you hours each week. Rather than starting from scratch, you can tweak quality materials to fit your class.
Your pupils get professionally designed activities. These resources often include colourful visuals and hands-on tasks. That variety helps keep ages 5-7 pupils interested and focused.
You also pick up new ideas and approaches. Free resources from subject experts introduce fresh teaching methods. They can help when you’re teaching something new or need quick cover work.
Quality free resources match National Curriculum objectives, so you know your pupils are learning what they should. They break down complex skills into small steps, which suits how Key Stage 1 children develop.
Resources often include visual aids and practical activities for different learning styles. A maths worksheet might use pictures, numbers, and objects to help pupils grasp new ideas. LearningMole provides free curriculum-aligned videos in maths, English, and science. These videos bring topics to life for KS1 pupils through clear explanations and engaging demonstrations.
Many free resources build progression in. You can use them to introduce a topic, practise skills, and then check understanding. This approach helps pupils move forward in their learning and builds confidence.
The national curriculum sets out what children in Year 1 and Year 2 must learn in every subject. Teachers need to match their resources to these requirements and check if pupils meet expected standards.
The national curriculum lists specific content that all maintained schools must teach in key stage 1. These requirements cover core subjects like English, maths, and science, plus foundation subjects such as history, geography, art and design, music, computing, and physical education.
You have to make sure your resources cover the programmes of study for each subject. For example, Year 1 maths covers number bonds to 20, while Year 2 moves up to number bonds to 100. Your worksheets and activities should reflect these expectations.
Religious education follows locally agreed syllabuses, not the national curriculum. Still, you need to check that your RE resources match what your local authority wants.
Different year groups need different levels of detail. Year 1 pupils learn basic sentence punctuation. Year 2 pupils move on to commas in lists and apostrophes for contraction.
Create a coverage map to show which resources meet which objectives. Many teachers use spreadsheets for this, listing curriculum statements down one side and resources across the top. You can find free sequenced lesson planning that already matches curriculum requirements.
LearningMole offers curriculum-aligned video resources for maths, English, and science that link directly to national curriculum objectives. Check your planning covers both year groups. Mixed-age classes need resources that span the whole key stage 1 range.
You need a way to record whether children meet expected standards by the end of Year 2. The national curriculum says what pupils should know and do, but it doesn’t tell you how to assess this.
Most schools use assessment grids that break each subject into statements. Tick off statements as pupils show understanding through classwork, observations, and tasks. Keep records simple so you can spot gaps quickly.
Your KS1 teaching resources should include built-in assessment opportunities. Look for activities that let you see skills in action, not just test recall. For example, a maths game might show if children really understand place value or just follow patterns.
Teachers working with Key Stage 1 pupils aged 5-7 can pick from a wide range of free English materials. These resources support reading development, comprehension, and vocabulary building without needing school budgets.
Free phonics resources help you teach letter-sound links and decoding skills, which are the basics of reading. You’ll find printable worksheets, sound mats, and decodable readers that match National Curriculum requirements for ages 5-7.
The National Literacy Trust has free literacy teaching resources including phonics games and activities for both Year 1 and Year 2. Many platforms offer downloadable flashcards, word lists, and interactive activities that make phonics practice more engaging.
When you teach tricky words through Jolly Phonics, you can use ready-made materials that help children spot high-frequency words that don’t follow usual phonetic rules. These resources save you prep time and help your pupils build sight word recognition.
KS1 reading comprehension worksheets usually include fiction and non-fiction texts with questions to test understanding. You can download materials with age-appropriate passages and exercises covering inference, retrieval, and vocabulary.
Oak National Academy offers teaching resources for Key Stage 1 English with ready-made slide decks and quizzes. Each unit includes starter activities and exit tasks, so you can measure progress without making your own materials.
Your classroom gets a mix of text types: traditional tales, poetry, and modern stories about themes like identity and community. These free comprehension packs often come in different levels to support all learners.
You’ll find free spelling resources sorted by year group, covering statutory word lists and common spelling patterns for ages 5-7. Many platforms provide weekly spelling activities, word searches, and dictation exercises that reinforce learning.
English teaching resources often include vocabulary games and word banks linked to curriculum topics. PlanBee shares free English resources for KS1 and KS2 with challenges to build spelling skills through interactive formats.
Your pupils benefit from resources that combine handwriting practice with spelling work. This approach helps children develop fluency and learn correct letter formation and word construction at the same time.
Teachers working with ages 5-7 can access a huge range of free materials for numeracy, from printable worksheets to interactive counting activities and problem-solving challenges that follow the National Curriculum.
Free KS1 maths resources provide ready-to-use worksheets for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. These printable materials include activities for counting, number recognition, and basic calculation.
You can find worksheets on place value, addition and subtraction within 20, and early multiplication. Many platforms offer differentiated versions to support children at different levels.
Hands-on maths activities often go with worksheet practice. These resources help reinforce concepts in different ways.
Common worksheet types include:
Interactive games turn number concepts into real learning for young children. Physical manipulatives like counters, number cards, and dice encourage active learning in KS1 classrooms.
You can find free downloadable games that use everyday objects for counting practice. These activities get children to group objects, compare quantities, and understand one-to-one correspondence through play.
Digital games add another layer to numeracy teaching. Many free platforms provide interactive number activities where children click, drag, and match on tablets or computers.
Understanding shapes and their properties links to early geometry skills in the maths curriculum. Games that involve sorting shapes by attributes build spatial reasoning along with number skills.
Children use real-world maths challenges to apply their numeracy knowledge in practical contexts. Sharing and dividing resources fairly brings early fraction ideas to life through situations they understand.
Problem-solving activities for ages 5-7 work best when you use familiar scenarios. Shopping games, toy sharing, and simple recipes all make maths feel meaningful.
Try measurement activities that get children to compare lengths, weights, and capacities. These hands-on tasks build reasoning skills and tick off National Curriculum goals for key stage 1.
Effective problem-solving resources include:
KS1 pupils learn best through hands-on discovery and direct observation. Good teaching resources help children explore topics like life cycles, Earth science and the human body in ways that spark curiosity.
You’ll find plenty of free KS1 science worksheets that encourage children to ask questions and make predictions. These activities often focus on living things, materials and seasonal changes.
Teachers often use sorting tasks where pupils group objects by properties. Children can examine leaves, rocks or fabrics and organise them by texture, colour or size.
These simple investigations build observation skills. Explorify gives you ready-to-use activities that need little preparation.
The platform is in use at over 70% of UK primary schools. You’ll spot engaging prompts that get children talking and thinking like scientists.
LearningMole shares free video resources on topics from the solar system to the human body. The videos match National Curriculum aims for Key Stage 1.
Simple experiments really do the trick with younger learners. Set up stations where children test which materials float, watch ice melt, or see seeds grow over a few weeks.
Oak National Academy provides complete lesson resources with slide decks and quizzes. Each unit covers questions like “What are living things made of?” and “How do substances behave?”
Recording observations helps children build scientific literacy. You might use pictorial charts, tables, or drawing journals.
National Geographic Kids offers free worksheets that support observation tasks across KS1 and KS2. Weather watching is a great ongoing investigation.
Pupils can log daily temperatures, cloud types, and rainfall. Topics like volcanoes can widen their understanding of Earth processes with visual demos and models.
Children aged 5-7 need creative activities that let them explore materials and develop fine motor skills. Free art and design resources help you meet National Curriculum objectives without splashing out on expensive supplies or spending ages on planning.
Printable worksheets give children structured practice with different drawing techniques. You’ll find free resources for basic skills like shading, line work, and colour mixing through simple exercises.
KS1 art teaching resources often include ready-to-use slide decks with prior knowledge starters and quizzes. These save time and cover key vocabulary and techniques your class needs.
Many sites offer downloadable templates for self-portraits, still life, and observational drawing. You can adapt these for different abilities. Some resources include step-by-step guides to help children draw specific objects or animals.
Colouring sheets might seem basic, but they help younger children with pencil control and colour recognition. Try to find sheets that fit your current topic to keep things relevant.
Paper-based crafts are a hit because most schools already have what’s needed. Free ideas include collage, paper weaving, and sculpture tasks using recycled materials.
LearningMole shares video tutorials that show children exactly how to complete different craft projects. These videos help children who struggle with written instructions and boost their confidence to work alone.
You can grab project guides for seasonal crafts, topic models, and collaborative class artworks. Many resources come with photo examples and material lists so you can prep lessons fast.
Three-dimensional work helps children understand shape and structure while building problem-solving skills.
Key stage 1 teachers can find quality materials covering emotional wellbeing and healthy lifestyle topics across various free platforms. These resources help you meet statutory relationships and health education requirements while supporting children’s personal development.
Free KS1 RSHE resources include slide decks, worksheets and quizzes for Years 1 and 2. You’ll see materials about feelings, friendships and managing emotions that line up with the National Curriculum.
The BBC offers primary PSHE teaching resources suited to relationships and health education lessons. These include videos and activity sheets to help children understand their feelings and build positive relationships with classmates.
LearningMole gives you free curriculum-matched videos for social and emotional topics at key stage 1. Teachers say the animated content really engages younger learners who need visual explanations for tricky feelings.
Many platforms share KS1 PSHE PowerPoints and worksheets covering personal development themes. You can tweak these materials to fit your pupils’ needs and experiences.
PSHE worksheets and activities cover healthy eating, exercise and hygiene for key stage 1. These ready-made resources save planning time and make sure you cover vital health content.
You’ll teach about physical health and mental wellbeing as part of statutory health education. Try using visual aids and practical tasks that help young children grasp ideas like balanced diets and why sleep matters.
Free materials often include lesson sequences that build knowledge step by step across Years 1 and 2. You can mix and match resources from different providers to create lessons that suit your class and pupils.
You’ll find several trusted platforms offering free resources for phonics, maths, science and literacy at Key Stage 1. Each site brings something different, from printable worksheets to video lessons and interactive activities.
Twinkl gives you a wide selection of free KS1 teaching resources like phonics flashcards, body labels, emotion cards and senses posters. The platform sorts materials by subject and topic, making it easy to find what you need.
You can access printable worksheets, activity sheets and display materials without a subscription. The free section covers core subjects like English and maths, though the premium plan opens up thousands more resources.
Teachers like that Twinkl aligns with the National Curriculum. The search tool lets you filter by year group, subject and resource type, which saves time.
Oak National Academy offers subject expert-made resources that are completely free to download and use. You’ll find lesson plans, worksheets and video content for all KS1 subjects.
BBC Teach provides classroom resources tailored for Key Stage 1 pupils in England and Northern Ireland. The materials include videos, games and activities to support your teaching.
LearningMole gives you free educational resources including video content that matches the National Curriculum for maths, English and science. Michelle Connolly, a former primary teacher with over 15 years’ experience, created the platform.
Start by picking which subject and topic you need to teach. Most platforms let you search by year group, curriculum area and resource type to narrow things down.
Look for the ‘filter’ or ‘browse by subject’ options on each website. These tools save you from scrolling through stuff you don’t need.
Download a few different resources from various sites to compare quality and layout. Some teachers prefer printable PDFs, while others want editable files they can tweak for their class.
Set up a folder system on your computer to organise materials by subject and term. This way, you won’t have to search the same platforms over and over when planning lessons.
Parents need resources that work without a classroom, and children aged 5 to 7 need clear instructions they can follow with little adult help. The right printable materials and simple guidance make home learning much more manageable.
You don’t need teaching qualifications to help with KS1 learning at home. Try short sessions of 15 to 20 minutes per subject to match your child’s attention span.
Set up a quiet spot with basics like pencils, paper, scissors and glue. Keep distractions out of the way during learning time.
Break activities into smaller steps. If a worksheet looks too long, cover half and reveal it bit by bit. This keeps children from feeling overwhelmed.
Read instructions together before your child starts. Many remote lessons for key stage 1 have video explanations you can pause and replay. Let your child watch first, then try the activity.
Ask “what do you think?” instead of giving answers straight away. Children aged 5 to 7 build confidence when they figure things out themselves, even if it takes a while.
Year 1 home learning packs bundle worksheets with activity ideas and reading materials in a single download. You don’t have to hunt for separate resources every day.
Try to find packs with answer sheets. You can check your child’s work quickly and avoid second-guessing yourself.
Loads of teaching resources include teacher notes that explain the learning goal for each activity. That saves you time and gives you a bit of reassurance when you’re not sure.
Print only what you’ll need for the week ahead. Big stacks of paper can overwhelm younger kids.
LearningMole has free curriculum-aligned videos for maths, English and science. These pair nicely with printable worksheets, so your child gets a mix of screen and paper activities.
Keep finished work in a folder. Kids love flipping through their completed pages, and it keeps their motivation up, especially at ages 5 to 7.
Seasonal topics and special events give you easy ways to engage Year 1 and Year 2 pupils while covering National Curriculum objectives. These resources work best when they connect different subjects through one theme.
Christmas, Harvest Festival, Easter and Bonfire Night bring ready-made chances to create memorable learning. Seasonal teaching resources for KS1 help you introduce topics like changes in nature, weather and community traditions.
A Harvest Festival project could include counting and sorting vegetables in maths. You might write thank-you cards in literacy and explore where food comes from in geography.
Easter activities might focus on growth and lifecycles. Pupils can plant seeds and record what they notice over several weeks.
Year 1 seasonal changes resources support science learning and link to art projects like autumn leaf printing or winter snowflake designs. You can grab worksheets, display materials and activity guides for free.
World Book Day and Science Week are great for thematic days. Set up reading corners, dress-up activities or simple experiments for children to try at home.
LearningMole has free videos that fit well with these events. They cover everything from minibeasts to space in formats that keep young learners interested.
You can use a single seasonal theme across every subject if you plan carefully. Activities exploring the four seasons combine science, creative writing, maths data collection and art.
Spring topics let children measure plant growth in centimetres. They can write poems about new flowers and sketch what they see in nature.
Autumn themes work well for sorting activities. Children can classify leaves by colour, shape or size and practise early data skills.
Weather studies connect science and geography. Pupils can record daily temperatures, make pictograms of sunny or rainy days and write weather reports.
These activities build literacy, numeracy and science skills all at once. Seasonal books from the library add extra depth to any theme.
Pair stories with hands-on tasks like making bird feeders in winter. Or try creating summer memory boxes that involve writing, measuring and design technology.
Getting the most from free teaching materials means organising resources and adapting them for different learning needs. These strategies help you use free KS1 teaching resources more effectively all year.
Start by creating a simple filing system for digital and printed resources. Sort materials by subject, topic or term so you can find them quickly.
Many teachers use computer folders with clear labels like “Year 1 Maths – Number” or “Year 2 Science – Plants”. Set aside time each half-term to review what you’ve got.
Delete duplicates and old materials to keep things manageable. Free primary teaching resources often include lesson plans you can tweak, so jot down which worksheets worked and which ones need changes.
Build a planning document that links your resources to National Curriculum objectives. This saves you time when prepping lessons.
You can make a spreadsheet that lists the resource name, what it covers and any tweaks you made. Try downloading resources during quieter times instead of the night before.
That way, you can preview materials and gather extras like coloured paper or scissors.
Free KS1 teaching resources work best when you adapt them for different ability levels. Take one worksheet and make three versions by changing the number of questions, adding pictures or including challenge questions for quicker learners.
Use the same resource but change how children use it. Lower ability pupils might need adult help or manipulatives, while higher ability children can work independently.
LearningMole has free video resources that explain concepts in different ways, which really helps children who struggle with written instructions.
Group children strategically when using shared resources. Mix abilities for joint tasks or create same-ability groups for targeted practice.
Write quick notes on your resources about which groups they suit best. That’ll help you remember for next year.
Teachers and parents searching for KS1 materials often want to know where to find quality worksheets, interactive games and lesson plans without spending money. Loads of platforms now offer teaching resources that cover literacy, numeracy and other key subjects for Year 1 and Year 2.
Oak National Academy offers free KS1 teaching resources made by subject experts. You can download these for lesson planning.
The materials cover all core subjects and match the UK National Curriculum. Sparklebox provides thousands of free resources for Early Years and Primary School teachers.
You’ll find printables, display materials and classroom activities for Key Stage 1. LearningMole has curriculum-aligned videos for maths, English, science and phonics for children aged 4 to 11.
Michelle Connolly, a former primary school teacher with over 15 years’ experience, started the platform.
TMKed offers free printable worksheets for KS1, KS2 and EYFS to support learning at home and school. The site includes maths and English resources you can download right away.
Teacher’s Pet provides downloadable classroom resources for Key Stage 1 including games, activities, worksheets and displays. All materials are differentiated and aligned to the UK KS1 National Curriculum.
You can find phonics worksheets, number activities and topic-based printables that match classroom learning. Many sites let you filter by year group and subject.
Twinkl offers printable and digital K-12 teaching resources including interactive games, PowerPoints and Google Slides for Key Stage 1. Some content needs a subscription, but you can find free materials too.
Interactive games work well for practising phonics, number bonds and shape recognition. Many websites now have browser-based games that don’t need downloads.
You can use interactive whiteboards or tablets to show these games during class. Pupils can also play many of these games independently during literacy or numeracy stations.
Oak National Academy provides resources for teaching speaking and listening skills including materials for asking and answering questions in Year 1 English. The starter quizzes check what pupils already know, with versions available with or without answers in PDF format.
For numeracy, you’ll find resources for number and place value, addition and subtraction and measurement. Many platforms offer differentiated worksheets so you can support all abilities.
Twinkl has resources for teaching spoken language skills including materials to help Year 1 and Year 2 children ask relevant questions. This matches a key KS1 spoken language aim in the National Curriculum.
The School Trip provides free KS1 teaching resources including lesson plans, educational videos, education packs, teaching ideas, worksheets and activities. You can browse by subject or topic to match your planning.
BBC Teach offers classroom resources for Key Stage 1 in England and Northern Ireland. The site includes video clips, activities and lesson plans across the curriculum.
Most lesson plans include objectives, activity instructions and assessment guidance. You can adapt these plans to fit your class and your teaching style.
BBC Teach offers video content that matches the Key Stage 1 curriculum for maths, English, science, and history. These clips usually stay short, so they work well for introducing new topics or helping children remember what they’ve already learned.
Lots of educational websites now share videos that fit National Curriculum goals for Year 1 and Year 2. You’ll find animations, real-life examples, and explanations that really make sense to young children.
Teachers can play these videos for the whole class, use them in group work, or let pupils watch on their own. Some sites even throw in worksheets and activity ideas to keep the learning going after the video ends.
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