First News
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The leading source of award-winning news & news-based learning for children. Visit our website to find out more and to subscribe. www.firstnews.co.uk
First News is a fun and vibrant newspaper to keep children up to date with news and interesting stories from the UK and around the word. Plus, each week there's loads to keep children entertained: puzzles, competitions, crazy but true stories, celebrity interviews, sport and much more.
Three big stories in this week's First News 👇
🚀 SpaceX has just had a mostly successful test launch of Starship!
📱 The BBC says that viral 'British' anti-immigration videos are really being made by AI in the US and Asia.
🥪 From 5-8 June, The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out will be bringing communities together across the UK.
Want to read all this and more? Check out the latest issue of First News now! 📰
Not a subscriber? We're offering 20% off home and school subscriptions to celebrate our 20th birthday. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4uKk9MS 🎉
28/05/2026
We're giving five readers the chance to win a single-use National Trust family pass! 😎🌳
For the chance to win, all your kids need to do is send us a photo of what springtime means to them. It could be a colourful flower in their garden, a tiny insect discovered in the park or a cool w**d peeking out of a wall on their way to school. We’ll select our favourite five photos to win! 📸
Send in your photos to [email protected] – entries close on 19th June. Ts & Cs apply.
28/05/2026
Free Summer Reading is back for 2026! 🌞
The scheme gives free access to the First News app over the summer holidays for all pupils at First News subscribing schools.
What's included?
📰 Weekly 28-page digital newspaper
🎧 Daily news stories available to read or listen to
😎 Weekly news quizzes
🧩 Puzzles and word games (Wordie, Crosswords, Sudoku, and more)
🎯 Interactive polls and competitions
Are you a First News subscribing school? Opt-in to Summer Reading for free, here: https://bit.ly/4o00XYU
Not a subscribing school? Celebrate our 20th birthday with 20% off our products – buy now to secure free Summer Reading: https://bit.ly/4vekJSN
27/05/2026
Go back in time with us 👀
To mark our 20th birthday, see what our editorial team looked like in 2006!
🎉 As we continue to celebrate our big milestone, we're offering 20% off all home and school subscriptions (Ts & Cs apply). Find out more at https://bit.ly/4uHmOa8
What do you think has changed the most since 2006? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
What's made the headlines this week? 👇
🥪 Experts have warned that many sandwiches sold in high street chains have dangerous levels of salt.
🌍 Shortages of coloured ink caused by the Iran war mean that crisp packets in Japan are going black and white.
😮 More than 1,300 slow lorises have been saved from the illegal pet trade over the last 15 years, experts say.
Read more in First News, out now!
Not a subscriber? Celebrate our 20th birthday with 20% off subscriptions – offer ends soon! 🎉
20/05/2026
Do your kids read for pleasure? 🤔📚
The FN Press Club is back! As we continue to celebrate the , we asked our members one big question: how can we get more children reading for fun? With the number of young people reading for pleasure dropping to just 25% in recent years (HarperCollins), this is an important issue to tackle.
Giving young people the opportunity to have their voices heard has always been a core part of our mission, and we're thrilled with the entries we received this half-term.
Check out the latest issue of First News to read what our Press Club had to say.
Do your kids have their own idea for encouraging reading for pleasure? Let us know in the comments 👇
20/05/2026
🗣 'It’s vital we hear from children, to know what they love, what they worry about and, most importantly, what they think needs to change for a better future.”
In this week's issue of First News, we hear from Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England. She's launching The Big Future, a national survey exploring key issues including AI, social media restrictions and voting at 16.
At First News, these topics are central to our mission. We believe young people’s voices deserve to be heard.
Do your kids want to have their say? The survey is now open: https://bit.ly/4dmiI0J 🔗
"It's important for children to understand major events like this... so they can make sense of the world around them." 🌍
This week, reporter Charlie looks at a story from the First News app covering the two major protests in London at the weekend. It's a good example of why trusted, age-appropriate journalism matters. Divisive headlines can feel overwhelming, but young people deserve access to reporting that informs without influencing or causing fear.
That's what we've been committed to for 20 years.
Want to start the conversation at home or in the classroom? 👉 Read our blog here: https://bit.ly/4tOBpPN
Not yet a First News subscriber? Celebrate our 20th birthday with us and get 20% off home and school subscriptions. 🎉 Find out more at: https://bit.ly/4uXJd2C
18/05/2026
This weekend’s protests in London will likely have prompted questions from children and young people, both in classrooms and at home.
To support educators and parents, we’ve shared practical guidance on discussing sensitive topics in a balanced and age-appropriate way, while helping children build essential media literacy skills.
The blog includes conversation prompts, moderation tips and ways to redirect discussions back towards evaluating sources, spotting bias and critical thinking.
Read more: https://bit.ly/43f1IDD
Want the full classroom resource linked to the latest news? Schools can sign up for a free trial of First News TeachKit: Media & Information Literacy today: https://bit.ly/4udXY1b
What will you find in this week's issue of First News? 👀
🔴 PM Keir Starmer is under pressure from his own MPs, after a disastrous set of election results across the UK.
✍ This term's First News Press Club returns to tackle the question of how to get more kids reading for pleasure.
🗣 The Children's Commissioner for England is launching The Big Future survey, and they want your kids to get involved!
Read all this and more in the latest issue of First News. Plus, celebrate our 20th birthday with us and get 20% off all home and school subscriptions at https://bit.ly/4dryZAe 🎉
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