The best things in life are free

In the words of the song, the best things in life are free. Or are they? In this article, Nigel Milligan aims to find out

To be fair there are many genuine free resources that schools can access that offer superb value to offer true financial savings. This month I would like to highlight some of these and discuss some of the potential hidden costs that so-called ‘free’ options don’t make clear.

Sometimes the offer of a freebie can be so tempting that human nature instinctively makes us reach out and grab it with both hands without evaluating it. One funny example of this I remember from around 30 years ago when I was on the road. I spent two weeks with my truck and a hired trailer with a heavy grab loader running back and forth between Connah’s Quay Power Station in North Wales to a surplus stock yard in Barnsley with around 20 loads of free stock left over from a large project. Everything from drainage pipes, kerbs, iron works and much more. Several weeks later I went to the same yard in Barnsley to discover that most of the stock had been scrapped anyway as it wasn’t worth anything. The client at Connahs Quay simply wanted to clear the compound as quickly and cheaply as possible. They were the ultimate winner on that deal!

The best place to start with any resource is to thoroughly look at all the benefits on offer and ensure that any extras that aren’t included are priced up accordingly. Such resources that fall into this category are:

• Free Apps, many for iPad are free but have hidden in App purchase or require a subscription to get the full set of features.
• Online services such as Twinkl offer some great free content but schools end up paying for at least one teacher account so they can access everything on offer.

I have listed a selection of free resources below placed into relevant categories:

Curriculum Support:

• The National Curriculum provides detailed guidelines for what should be taught in primary schools in England. Schools can access the curriculum documents for free on the government’s Department for Education website.
• The BBC Bitesize website offers free resources, including interactive lessons, videos, and quizzes, aligned with the national curriculum for various subjects and key stages.

Educational Content and Lesson Plans:

• Twinkl provides a wide range of free resources, including worksheets, lesson plans, and educational games, designed specifically for primary school teachers in the UK.
• The Hamilton Trust offers free downloadable resources and lesson plans covering all subjects and year groups in the primary curriculum.

Professional Development:

• The Department for Education’s Teaching Vacancies service provides free access to job listings and resources for teachers seeking professional development opportunities, including training programs and courses.
• The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) offers free online courses and resources for teachers and school staff to enhance their professional skills and knowledge.

Technology Tools and Software:

• Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft 365 Education offer free options for schools for a wide range of tools. Either of these offer a massive saving for schools for productivity and remote learning options.
• Apple School Manager offers great options for schools with many free tools for use with Apple devices.
• ToDoist offers a great free 5 project option that schools can use for task management in school.
• Google Flex, convert old laptops into a Chromebook for free. This is a great value option to squeeze more life out of your existing estate of laptops.

Grants and Funding Opportunities:

• The School Funding Service provides information and guidance on grants and funding opportunities available to schools in the UK, including government funding streams and charitable grants.

Parent and Community Engagement:

• The Parental Engagement Toolkit, developed by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), offers free resources and guidance for schools to improve parental engagement and involvement in children’s learning.
• The National Literacy Trust provides free resources and activities for schools and families to promote literacy and reading skills among primary school children.

Health and Wellbeing Resources: 

• The PSHE Association offers free resources and guidance for teaching Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education in primary schools, covering topics such as mental health, relationships, and healthy living.
• Change4Life provides free resources and campaigns aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and physical activity among children and families, including lesson plans and activity ideas for schools.

I am always looking for ways to reduce costs for schools and help them get more out of the tight, stretched budgets that they have. Reach out to all your suppliers to ask if there’s anything at all they can offer as a valued addition to the service they provide. There should be some degree of good will on offer to go above and beyond.