Current affairs • British Values • Pupil voice
Our primary school current affairs resources give teachers something worthwhile to talk about in class assemblies, whole-school assemblies and classroom discussions, while giving pupils regular opportunities to think, question, share their views and listen to others.
News and Views combines regularly updated current affairs with a growing collection of use-anytime topics, real-world issues and thought-provoking questions. Ready-to-use slides, discussion prompts, voting and debate opportunities help you lead a meaningful discussion with little or no preparation.
A meaningful 15-25 minute assembly or classroom discussion, with little or no preparation needed.
Whether you’re leading a whole-school assembly or taking a class assembly, finding a meaningful topic and preparing a worthwhile discussion takes time. News and Views gives you a carefully chosen topic, ready-to-use slides, questions and discussion prompts, with little or no preparation needed.
Carefully chosen current stories, discoveries and real-world issues help pupils understand what is happening beyond the classroom, ask questions and make connections with the world around them.
Voting, discussion and debate give pupils regular opportunities to share their views, explain their reasoning, listen respectfully and consider different points of view.
News and Views gives teachers a simple way to bring current affairs and real-world issues into whole-school assemblies, class assemblies and classroom discussions. Ready-to-use slides, background information, questions and prompts give you what you need to lead a meaningful 15-25 minute session.
Rather than simply telling pupils what is happening, News and Views gets them thinking and talking. Pupils ask questions, consider different viewpoints, form their own opinions and explain the reasons behind them, while learning to listen respectfully to what others have to say.
News and Views supports the growing emphasis on helping pupils understand the world around them, communicate their ideas confidently and think critically about the information they encounter.
Through current affairs, real-world issues and structured discussion, pupils have regular opportunities to develop knowledge and skills across Citizenship, oracy and media literacy, while making meaningful connections with fundamental British Values, PSHE, SMSC and personal development.
“Pupils should be taught to research, discuss and debate topical issues, problems and events.”
Department for Education | Citizenship programme of study, Key Stage 2
Helping pupils question information, consider sources and evidence, distinguish between fact and opinion, and recognise that stories and issues can be presented from different points of view.
Giving pupils regular opportunities to express their opinions, explain their reasoning, listen actively and respond thoughtfully to others, building confidence through respectful discussion and debate.
Connecting real-world issues with democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance, while helping pupils explore rights, responsibilities and their role within their communities.
Creating meaningful opportunities to explore relationships, communities, responsibility, decision-making and the wider world, while supporting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Each News and Views topic takes a carefully chosen current story, real-world issue or thought-provoking question and turns it into a structured discussion that can be used for whole-school assemblies, class assemblies, PSHE lessons or classroom discussion.
News and Views brings together regularly updated current affairs and a growing collection of use-anytime topics. Choose something timely that connects pupils with what is happening in the world right now, or explore a real-world issue or big question that can be used whenever it is relevant to your class.
Current & topical
What can past fires teach us about preventing wildfires today?
Explore connections between the Great Fire of London and modern wildfires, as pupils consider fire prevention, rules and responsibility, discuss different viewpoints and have their say on whether barbecues and outdoor fires should be restricted during spells of dry, hot weather.
Explore wildfires and fire safety discussion pack
Seasonal & use anytime
Can people always be forgiven when they do something wrong?
Explore forgiveness, apologies and making amends through the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah and the FA’s apology for its historic ban on women’s football. Pupils consider what it means to say sorry, hear different viewpoints and discuss whether forgiveness should always follow an apology.
Each News and Views discussion pack gives you everything you need to introduce the topic, build pupils’ understanding and lead a meaningful discussion. The slides form the main part of the session, supported by detailed teacher guidance, discussion materials and age-appropriate follow-up activities.
Launch the ready-to-use slides to introduce the topic, build pupils’ understanding and guide the discussion through key information, questions, different viewpoints, voting and debate.
Use the detailed teacher guide alongside the slides for background information, suggested timings, a slide-by-slide delivery sequence, discussion prompts, sentence stems, participation ideas, debate guidance, key vocabulary and follow-up suggestions.
Each discussion pack also includes supporting resources such as photo packs, word banks and discussion prompts, plus follow-up activities for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 to extend the topic beyond the main discussion.
News and Views is a weekly primary current affairs and discussion resource for whole-school assemblies, class assemblies, PSHE and classroom discussion. A new topical discussion pack is added each week, alongside a growing collection of use-anytime topics, helping pupils explore real-world issues, consider different viewpoints and have their say.
News and Views is designed for pupils across the primary age range, from EYFS to KS2. Discussion prompts, vocabulary and follow-up activities are adapted for different age groups, making it easier to explore the same topic at an appropriate level.
Yes. Each discussion pack can be used for a whole-school assembly, class assembly or classroom discussion. You can follow the full sequence or select the slides and prompts most appropriate for your pupils and the time available.
News and Views gives pupils regular opportunities to express an opinion, explain their reasoning, listen to others, build on ideas and disagree respectfully. Voting and debate encourage pupils to have their say while considering whether new information or different viewpoints might change their thinking.
A typical News and Views assembly or classroom discussion takes around 15–25 minutes. The resources are flexible, so you can shorten the session by selecting fewer slides or discussion prompts.
Topics provide meaningful opportunities to explore fundamental British Values through real-world situations. Depending on the issue, pupils may consider democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance while thinking about rights, responsibilities and the choices people make.
Yes. News and Views can be used within PSHE where topics connect with areas such as responsibility, decision-making, relationships, communities, safety and the wider world. Each teacher guide identifies relevant curriculum and wider-learning connections for that topic.
Yes. News and Views combines topical current affairs with a growing collection of use-anytime discussions. This gives you the flexibility to explore something happening in the world now or choose a real-world issue or big question that remains relevant throughout the year.
A new News and Views topic is added every week, giving teachers a fresh, relevant issue to explore with pupils. Alongside new weekly topics, teachers can access a growing collection of use-anytime discussions to return to throughout the year.
Each discussion pack includes launchable ready-to-use slides and a detailed teacher guide, with background information, planning and delivery guidance, discussion support and curriculum links. Supporting materials may also include photo packs, age-appropriate vocabulary and discussion prompts, plus follow-up activities for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
Bring current affairs, real-world issues and meaningful discussion into your classroom or assemblies with News and Views. A new discussion pack is added every week, alongside a growing collection of use-anytime discussions.
