30 Second Briefing
Empower your pupils to navigate today’s complex information landscape with First News’ TeachKit: Media and Information Literacy (MIL) – designed by educators, for educators. With progressive frameworks, structured schemes of work and dynamic teaching packs linked to current news, the TeachKit makes teaching MIL easy, topical and impactful. AI tools allow simple personalisation, ensuring lessons work for every learner.
What is media and information literacy?
Media and information literacy (MIL) encompasses the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and create information across a variety of formats. It’s about understanding where information comes from, how it’s distributed, and why that matters.
And why is First News offering resources to teach MIL?
According to a recent survey conducted by First News, 83% of teachers say media and information literacy (MIL) is important or very important; 61% say MIL is not currently taught at their school; and only 5% would feel very confident teaching it. Over 70% of parents now worry their child couldn’t tell what’s real from what’s fake online (Ofcom, 2025).
As the UK’s original and leading newspaper for children, we believe strongly that media and information literacy should be a mandatory educational entitlement for every child – and with nearly two decades’ experience of delivering age-appropriate, impartial news to young people, we’re ideally placed to help make that happen, with the First News TeachKit: MIL.
So, what exactly is this TeachKit?
It’s a complete solution for delivering effective, empowering MIL education. Working with the Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA), we’ve co-created two progressive primary and secondary frameworks which set out exactly what great MIL looks like.
These underpin fully resourced schemes of work for LKS2, UKS2 and KS3, with brand-new, lessons added fortnightly, based on the latest news. AI-powered tools help you customise materials for different ages and needs, while parent notes support learning beyond the classroom.
All of this is brought together in an easy-to-use dashboard with school-wide access – giving teachers a complete solution for embedding MIL across the curriculum with confidence.
What will children learn?
The frameworks on which the TeachKit is based, are as much about creation and empowerment as they are about protection and critical analysis. Our aim is to support schools in developing young people as capable, confident, consumers and creators of media and information, ready to question, challenge and positively shape the world around them.
Yes, they need to be kept safe, and the TeachKit curriculum covers that – but they also need to be encouraged to use the incredible tools and platforms available to them, to create change, for the better.
Download the free framework and start teaching MIL with confidence
Need to know
- Spiral curriculum with progression across three levels
- Easy-to-teach lessons with clear learning objectives
- Updated fortnightly with topical content
