How to get the most from the resources

We believe that weekly discussions about the news are essential to develop knowledge of what's going on in the world and help to build children's confidence to communicate what they think about it. We know that students who take part in Topical Talk lessons regularly can make up to seven times the progress of their peers in problem-solving, creativity, speaking and listening skills.

How do teachers make time for Topical Talk? And what benefits do they see from these regular discussions? Read our case studies to find out.

Topical Talk Festival takes the weekly Headlines lessons beyond your classroom by adding adding a global, interactive conversation between students.

You teach the Headlines lessons between January and March and join a student-led online discussion about the topics each week.

These eye-opening discussions are supplemented further by a livestreamed launch lesson, exclusive expert content and awards and competitions for your students.

Topical Talk Prize is an exclusive look at one topic in the news, combined with the chance to develop leadership skills.

Over four weeks you teach about one topic in depth and students are then supported to put their learning into action - they prepare and present a Leadership for Change Project.

Groups can win mentoring and up to £1,000 to make their plans a reality.

All Topical Talk lessons build knowledge of issues in the news and develop critical-thinking and communication skills. You'll see the specific skills highlighted on the front of the resource and throughout, as well as time for students to reflect at the end of each lesson.

We use the Skills Builder Universal Framework to rigorously track the skills over the course of the year. As such, we know that students who take part in regular Topical Talk lessons can make up to seven times the progress in listening, speaking, problem-solving and creativity skills.

News stories hit the headlines because they're difficult - they're often problems that need to be solved or perspectives that need to be reconciled.

Topical Talk puts students in the middle of this - they need to solve problems, negotiate, remain open-minded, pose solutions and assess the viewpoints they're presented with. As the teacher, you're there to ask the questions that get them to think critically and encourage them to see things from a different perspective.

Join our teacher webinars for support on how to do this, or check out our supporting resource about effective questioning.