Topical Talk FAQs

Our resources are suitable for students aged 10-16 years-old. There are suggested opportunities for differentiation throughout - e.g. challenge questions or simplified versions of activities. You know your students best, so feel free to adapt where needed.

Topical Talk can be used in any educational setting. The resources are designed for use in school, but if you're a home-educator you can adapt sessions for however many learners are taking part.

All teaching resources are free to download and will remain free - all you need is an account on our Topical Talk website.

For a non-fee-paying school, Topical Talk Festivals costs £349 (+VAT) per class of 34 students. The price is adjusted depending on your type of school and some subsidised places are available.

Festivals use Topical Talk teaching resources as a springboard for inspiring online discussions, exciting events and awards for thoughtful conversations and ideas.

The Festival takes place once a year between January and March. Visit our Topical Talk site to learn more.

Topical Talk Prizes are annual competitions. You'll use a special scheme of work to teach about one topical issue, in depth. Following the lessons, students submit their work to win feedback from Economist journalists as well as prizes for themselves and their school.

Experienced teachers on our team design all Topical Talk resources - it’s no surprise that 96% of teachers rate them as excellent!

For example, for schools in England, Topical Talk meets criteria and objectives in:

• Ofsted inspection framework
• DfE Online safety requirements
• DfE guidance on British values through SMSC

By signing up to free resources you'll also get access to a range of support materials. Our team of experienced teachers are on-hand to answer any questions you have - whether that’s about the classroom resources, Topical Talk Festival, or something else!

Throughout the year, you are also invited to join exclusive webinars and training sessions for our Topical Talk teachers.

Regular, weekly use of Topical Talk resources can help students to make up to seven times more progress in critical thinking and communication skills.

All Topical Talk lessons use the Universal Skills Builder Framework. This means students develop their speaking, listening, problem-solving and creativity skills throughout.

Topical Talk is versatile. Some schools embed it within literacy or English lessons while others choose to use the resources to hit multiple assessment objectives in personal development, PSHE (personal, social, health education) or Citizenship lessons. Alternatively, you could use Topical Talk during form or registration time, or run it as an extra-curricular club.

Want to know more? Hear from teachers across the globe on their experience of Topical Talk and Topical Talk Festival.

Simply complete our short sign up form on the Topical Talk website to create your free account.

We are an independent charity set up from inside The Economist newspaper by staff with a passion for education. We combine the journalistic expertise of The Economist with teaching know-how to provide factually accurate, informative and engaging lessons for your students.