Topical Talk
Topical Talk is flexible
We provide a library of free world-class resources on the big issues in the news. A new lesson on a current topic is published on our dedicated Topical Talk website every week.
Teachers use these however they like. That could be for a lively one-off discussion to bring a curriculum topic to life with real-world links, or a thoughtful and balanced conversation to help students explore an issue that’s on their minds. Our lessons are suitable for students aged 10-16, and we encourage teachers use them in the ways that suit them best. Download a sample resource.
See the resource library"Quite simply, the programme has been a revelation. Every week, new and interesting resources are produced, all of which go hand-in-hand with relevant and appropriate termly topics. These are accessible to all learners: they are bespoke, carefully thought-out and allow students to improve across a number of key skills."
MICHAEL BAKER, FARINGDON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
We support you to have regular discussions about the world
The most meaningful, lasting impact on children comes from in-depth, regular Topical Talk discussions. These build essential thinking and communication skills which students can use to engage with the world at school, in future work and as citizens.
Finding space for these discussions in a busy school day can be a real challenge. At Topical Talk's core is the support we offer to teachers – from weekly emails full of tips, to in-depth community-based workshops – we're here to help remove the barriers to these kinds of conversations.
Why teach Topical TalkWe enable you to offer the most impactful, exciting opportunities to students, have deeply rewarding teaching experiences, and invest in your development as transformative educators.
Teaching resources
We provide a new resource every week for free, so teachers can use them to run a weekly news club or introduce weekly news discussions into school time.
Topical Talk Festival
We put on Topical Talk Festival to make regular classroom discussions even more exciting by linking them to international discussions with other schools and global topic experts, and giving children a chance to win awards for their views on the topics in writing, audio journalism and film. Ideal for students aged 10 to 16.
Topical Talk Prizes
We publish collections of resources that culminate in competitions. These give children the chance to have their opinions heard on the topics that matter most to them. They can submit work to win feedback from Economist journalists as well as prizes for themselves and their school.
Communities
We support groups of schools in a community to implement regular discussions about the news. Communities receive bespoke teacher-training, ongoing support and help to assess the critical-thinking and communication skills that Topical Talk develops.
Contact our Teacher Engagement and Development Lead to learn more:
[email protected]
Have questions about using Topical Talk in your school?
"I wasn't really sceptical about the news and believed almost everything I read but it has taught me that not everything is true. I love sharing ideas and listening to others. It's very educational and helps me get involved in the news."
STUDENT
Skills and knowledge
Children who join Topical Talk discussions regularly make significant accelerated progress in creativity, problem-solving, listening with an open mind and speaking with confidence. We use the Skills Builder Framework to build students’ skills and – in collaboration with teachers – measure their progress.
Children learn to use these skills to engage effectively with real-world issues affecting their lives and communities. They build in-depth knowledge about the news, and the workings of the world which shape news stories.
Get your free Topical Talk accountContent you can trust
Our resources are produced by trained, experienced teachers, with guidance and support from Economist journalists. You can trust our content to be accurate, expert-led and objective. Learn more
Topical Talk core principles
Topical Talk is informed by evidence and a decade of experience supporting children to become strong critical thinkers and communicators.
Designed by qualified teachers in collaboration with experienced journalists
WHY?
To combine deep educational knowledge with world-class journalistic expertise.
Provides expert information through high-quality journalism, data and topic experts
WHY?
To counter mis- or dis-information on the topics and support young people to value expertise.
Encourages creativity and problem-solving by presenting philosophical questions and hard choices, and encourages effective speaking and listening by positioning teachers as facilitators, not lecturers
WHY?
Extensive evidence has proven that oral language approaches have very high impact on pupils’ progress. These approaches, including ‘dialogic teaching’, support children to interact verbally including reasoning, discussing, arguing and explaining rather than just responding to information, to build higher-order thinking and articulacy. Creativity, problem-solving, speaking and listening are linked to improved outcomes from higher wages to better wellbeing.
Exposes young people to diverse perspectives
WHY?
- Supports dialogic teaching by encouraging children to engage with new or different ideas.
- Makes discussions more inclusive by representing young people’s experiences.
- Introduces pupils to new knowledge.
Makes young people explicitly aware of how they can improve their creativity, problem-solving, speaking and listening about real-world issues
WHY?
Metacognition approaches, which teach children to think explicitly about how to improve their learning and give them strategies to do so, have been extensively proven to have high impact on pupils’ progress.
Demonstrates high-quality design
WHY?
Supports engaging, accessible learning experiences.
Ready to sign up?
Create a Topical Talk account on our dedicated website and get free weekly resources to use in your classroom.