Learning resources

Browse our free digital learning resources.

Our free digital learning resources are designed to support and enrich the study of key curriculum subjects, through expert articles, films, creative activities, collection items and teachers’ notes. Browse our literature and history pages to inspire your students and deepen your subject knowledge.

In 2023 the Library experienced a significant cyber-attack that disrupted many of our services. We are working to restore full functionality. Currently only a small selection of our digital resources are available, via the Padlet platform, so we've prioritised those we know teachers use the most.

Discovering Literature

Explore over 130 of our best-loved English literature articles, perfect for teachers of years 10–13.

Medieval literature

Explore works from The Canterbury Tales to the legends of King Arthur.

Shakespeare and Renaissance writers

Discover rich themes from Juliet’s eloquence to multicultural London.

18th- and 19th-century literature

Investigate literary topics from William Blake’s notebook to Gothic motifs.

20th- and 21st-century literature

Examine 20th- and 21st- century literary works from Mrs Dalloway to Small Island.

Widening representation

Browse our newest resources to help make the teaching and learning of English more inclusive .

All Discovering Literature resources

Delve into over 130 of your most-loved articles, investigating key themes, genres and characters in over 1,000 years of literature.

Discovering Historical Sources

Take your students right to the source. Energise your KS3, GCSE or A-Level classroom with resources to support the study of migration and empire. Find out more about our Discovering Historical Sources resource

Migration to Britain, 1750 – 1900

Learn about Black, Irish, South Asian, European and Jewish people who moved to Britain with our short animation and other resources.

Migration to Britain 1900 – 1980

Learn about Jewish, Polish, Caribbean and South Asian people who moved to Britain with our short animation and other resources.

Teaching migration history toolkit

A practical guide to teaching migration history, co-produced with the Migration Museum.

Britain & India c. 1750 to c. 1930 teaching enquiry

Explore our resources focused on the lived experiences of British and Indian people under East India Company rule and the British Raj.

Black people in Britain 1730 to 1850 teaching enquiry

Explore our resources focused on Black people’s experiences and involvement in Abolitionism and Chartism.

European migrants to Britain in 1800s teaching enquiry

Explore our resources focused on the experiences of migrants during the industrial age.

British Empire

Discover sources focused on experiences of colonised peoples from across the empire.

Discovering Children’s Books

Activities and resources developed with beloved authors and illustrators to support primary schools in developing a culture of reading for pleasure, writing for pleasure, book-making, drafting and illustration.

Explore a bank of book recommendations and creative activities to enliven your students’ connection with books.

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Other cross-curricular resources

Articles, sources and activities to inspire the teaching of English, Citizenship, History, Politics and Sociology across KS3, GCSE or A-level.

South Asians in Britain, 1830s–present

Trace the long and diverse history of South Asians in Britain through photographs, posters, newspapers and sound recordings.

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Voices of Partition

Explore political events and personal testimonies surrounding the independence of India and creation of Pakistan in 1947.

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