Educators in Australia, much like their counterparts in the UK, often invest significant personal funds into building classroom resource kits. To alleviate this financial burden, a variety of platforms offer free teaching materials, downloadable resources, and subscription-based access to curriculum-aligned content. These services are designed by teachers for teachers, focusing on the Australian Curriculum, and cater to a wide range of subjects and year levels, from Pre-K to Year 12. The resources available include worksheets, games, lesson plans, classroom decor, and digital activities, many of which are free to access or are part of free trial offers within broader subscription models.
The landscape of free educational resources in Australia is diverse, encompassing official government repositories, teacher-created marketplaces, and curated collections of links. Some platforms require only an email sign-up to download freebies, while others offer a selection of free resources alongside paid membership tiers. The primary goal of these services is to save educators time, provide high-quality, curriculum-linked materials, and reduce the need for teachers to purchase resources outright. For Australian teachers, relief teachers, and homeschool educators, these resources can be invaluable for planning and delivering engaging lessons.
Platforms Offering Free and Low-Cost Resources
Several prominent platforms provide Australian teachers with access to free or low-cost educational materials. These services are typically created by Australian educators and are aligned with the Australian Curriculum, Standards and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) outcomes. They often operate on a model where free resources are used as a gateway to encourage subscription to a broader service, though many genuinely offer a substantial library of no-cost downloads.
Teach Starter
Teach Starter is a resource marketplace created by Australian teachers for Australian teachers. It offers a range of free teaching resources, including educational posters, worksheets, classroom games, and activities. According to the source material, signing up provides access to over 700 downloadable resources. The platform is designed to support educators from Pre-K to Year 12. While free resources are available, Teach Starter also offers a subscription model. The annual membership is priced at $139, or $11.50 per month. A discount code (NIKKI TESTER) was mentioned in the source data, offering a 20% reduction, though such promotional codes are subject to change and should be verified on the official site.
Blake Education
Blake Education provides an exclusive selection of free-to-download teaching resources for Primary and Secondary levels. To access these free materials, educators are required to join the subscription list. The resources cover a diverse range of subjects, including Literacy, Mathematics, English, and Business Studies. Blake Education updates its free offerings each term, with new resources such as "Blake’s Bundles" being uploaded regularly. The platform’s free resources are designed to complement their broader range of educational materials.
Teach This
Established in 2007, Teach This is a team of Australian teachers, designers, illustrators, and writers. They provide a variety of downloads, including awards, worksheets, and units of work. While the platform operates on a subscription basis (membership is $12.50 per month), it offers free resources that can be accessed by searching for the term ‘FREE’ on their website. This search yields multiple pages of resources. Additionally, by signing up for their newsletter, teachers may occasionally receive deals to download paid resources for free. A section of the site is also devoted to Australian-specific resources.
Goteachthis
Goteachthis is noted as one of the cheaper membership sites, with a one-time fee of $29 for full download access to all resources on the site. However, it also provides 20 free games that are accessible through a subscription. The platform focuses on providing resources that can save teachers time and deliver results, with a variety of downloads available for classroom use.
TeachEzy
TeachEzy’s goal is to free up teachers' valuable time and ease their workload. Their motto emphasises reducing after-hours work to allow teachers more time with family and friends. The platform offers a membership for $25 per year, granting access to over 500 resources. While free resources are available on the website, the membership is presented as a cost-effective way to gain extensive access to their materials.
Scootle
Scootle is a national repository providing Australian schools with more than 20,000 digital resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum. It is free for Australian educators. Registration is required to access the 20,000 digital and learning resources. This platform is a significant government-supported initiative aimed at equipping Australian schools with a vast array of curriculum-aligned materials.
ABC Education
ABC Education offers thousands of free educational resources for Primary and Secondary students, including videos, games, and programs. These resources are created by teachers and tested in classrooms. They include lesson plans, worksheets, activities, and presentations. The materials are designed to be curriculum-aligned and to help teachers create engaging lessons.
Curated Collections and Websites
Beyond dedicated platforms, several websites curate collections of links and resources for Australian teachers. These sites often act as aggregators, directing educators to free resources available across the web.
Jenny’s Marvellous Maths Links
This website provides links to interactive activities for Interactive White Boards and computers, specifically aligned with the NSW Maths Syllabus. Australian Outcomes are noted within the content. The curator selects links to non-subscription sites with visually appealing and instantly usable resources. Some links lead to activities on subscription sites, but the activity itself is free to use. The site notes that some websites may open with a subscription pop-up, but the activity can often be accessed after closing the pop-up box.
Shelly Tancred’s Weebly
Curated by Shelly Tancred, this Weebly site is described as a "goldmine of information" for all Australian Primary teachers across all subjects. It has been built over many years and provides a huge set of links and resources. Registration is not required to download the resources on this site. The site is presented as a comprehensive repository for Australian teachers.
Stephanie Westwood’s Weebly
Stephanie Westwood maintains a large membership of Facebook groups and a Weebly site designed to help teachers program for the new syllabus. The site aims to make programming easy and light, with a focus on Australian outcomes. It provides resources and ideas to assist teachers, particularly relief teachers, with minimal preparation required.
Denise’s Blog
This blog, curated by Denise, is a way to organise and record different ideas to help teachers, especially relief teachers. Most of the ideas require little preparation or materials, making them ideal for last-minute class calls. The blog is also available on Facebook. It focuses on providing practical, easy-to-implement ideas for the classroom.
ABC Education
As mentioned earlier, ABC Education is a key source of free, curriculum-aligned resources. It is a trusted public broadcaster providing high-quality educational content.
Free Resources from Teach Starter
Teach Starter offers a specific selection of free resources that are available without a paid membership. These resources cover various classroom needs, from planning to student activities. The following is a list of free resources mentioned in the source data:
- Classroom Procedures Checklist: A tool to determine and track which classroom procedures and routines will be taught at the beginning of the school year.
- Australian Flora & Fauna - Nature-Themed Classroom Decor Bundle: A bundle to refresh classroom space with a nature theme.
- Australian School Calendar 2026: A downloadable calendar for planning the school year.
- Writing the Alphabet Chart - Tracing: A chart to assist students in learning letter formation.
- Multiplication Chart: A handy multiplication chart for students.
- I Wish My Teacher Knew Activity Sheet: An activity for the first day of school to learn more about new students.
- Add It In - Draw and Listen Activity: An activity to practise following directions.
- Getting to Know You T-shirt: A resource for heading back to school.
Additional Freebies and Resources
The source material also mentions a website (Moneypantry) that compiles freebies for teachers, including free lesson plans, supplies, teaching resources, and printables. However, the specific details of these resources are not provided in the source data, and the website appears to include content unrelated to teaching resources, such as paid survey and cash-back opportunities. Therefore, without explicit verification from the source, the specific freebies from this site cannot be detailed here.
Accessing Free Resources
The method for accessing free resources varies by platform. Common methods include: * Direct Download: Some sites, like Shelly Tancred’s Weebly and Scootle (after registration), allow direct download of resources without a subscription. * Subscription Sign-Up: Platforms like Blake Education and Teach This require joining a subscription list or newsletter to access free resources. * Membership Purchase: Some platforms offer free resources as a sample of their paid membership, which grants access to a larger library (e.g., Teach Starter, TeachEzy). * Search Functionality: On sites like Teach This, free resources can be found by using a search term like ‘FREE’.
It is important for educators to review the terms of use for any resource, especially regarding copyright and licensing for classroom use. The source data indicates that resources from some sites are provided for use by Australian primary and middle-years teachers and their students, and home school educators.
Conclusion
Australian teachers have access to a wide array of free and low-cost teaching resources through various platforms and curated websites. These resources are predominantly created by Australian educators and are aligned with the Australian Curriculum. Key platforms include Teach Starter, Blake Education, Teach This, Goteachthis, TeachEzy, and the government-supported Scootle repository. Additionally, curated collections by individual educators provide valuable links to free activities and materials. While many free resources are available without cost, some platforms use free offerings as a gateway to subscription models. Educators are encouraged to explore these options to build their resource kits efficiently and cost-effectively.