7 Free English Classroom Resources I Actually Use (And Still Love)

There’s a lot of noise online when it comes to free classroom resources. I know, I’ve downloaded plenty of things that looked great on Pinterest but didn’t quite survive real-life lessons.

Let’s be honest, though, we all love a freebie. So I thought I’d round up 7 free resources I’ve made and actually used, with classes that were everything from curious and creative to chaotic and half-asleep. Whether you’re looking for discussion starters, writing prompts, display ideas or creative revision tasks, these are my go-to free downloads.

I’ve linked them all individually below, so they are super easy to download and use in your classroom.

1. The Ashridge Collection - A Creative Writing Project

This is one of my favourite resources to use when everyone’s flagging, especially me. The Ashridge Collection is a free printable mystery set in a fictional boarding school. It includes letters, diary entries, student writing, newspaper clippings, a detention slip, and some slightly eerie images that students love digging into.

There’s no single answer. That’s the point. It’s a true crime file for creative writing. Students piece the story together and decide what happened, who’s telling the truth, and what to write next. It works brilliantly for group writing projects, narrative voice tasks, or just when you want to shake up a writing unit with something more immersive.

Use it for: creative writing, inference, group investigation, atmosphere and genre
Download it from my store
Read more about how I made it on the blog

2. The Atlas of Lost Places - Daily Creative Writing Prompts

This is the resource I wish I’d had when I was trying to make daily writing feel less like a warm-up chore and more like a creative spark because let’s be honest, coming up with unique and engaging creative writing prompts for teens isn’t always the easiest. The Atlas of Lost Places is a free set of seven visual writing prompts, designed as a full week of daily creative writing lessons.

Each slide includes a striking image, a thematic title, a suggested opening line, a closing line, and a plot idea. It gives students structure without feeling restrictive, and the prompts are flexible enough to use as warm-ups, full lesson starters, or even homework. I wrote more about why I believe in daily writing and what it can unlock for students on the blog.

This freebie also gives a taste of what’s coming in my Daily Writing Prompts membership, launching in August. If you’d like to be first to access it, along with bonus resources, you can join the waitlist here.

Use it for: daily warm-ups, creative writing routines, genre exploration, narrative structure
Download it from my store
Read more about The Atlas of Lost Places on the blog

3. Famous First Lines - Bulletin Board Display

This one was originally just a quick classroom display idea, but it’s ended up being something I come back to more than I expected. The printable set includes iconic first lines from YA fiction, everything from The Hunger Games to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

It works beautifully as a display, but I’ve also used it to spark quick writing tasks or kick off class discussions. Students choose a line and turn it into their own story, or analyse why it’s so effective. If you want to go deeper, I wrote a separate post on how I use famous first lines as writing prompts to develop voice, tone, and atmosphere in a more intentional way.

Use it for: classroom display, warm-up writing, analysing narrative hooks, group discussion
Download it from my TpT store
Read more about how I use first lines on the blog

4. The Crucible Roll the Dice Discussion Board

This is one of those deceptively simple resources that ends up being more versatile than anything else I’ve used with The Crucible. It’s a roll-the-dice grid that offers 36 discussion or writing prompts covering everything from character analysis to theme-based questions, context, and symbolism. You can use it after finishing the play or as a structured revision task.

I’ve used it in everything from full-class discussion circles to group work and even independent student responses. Students roll a dice twice (for row and column), and whatever prompt they land on is theirs to tackle, verbally, in writing, or in small groups.

This one’s free on TpT, but I’ve also written a blog post about how I use Roll the Dice Discussion Boards across a range of texts (that is full of free boards!), and why this format works so well for reluctant talkers, overthinkers, and students who need just enough structure to take a risk.

Use it for: whole-class discussion, post-reading revision, mixed-ability scaffolding, analytical writing starters
Download it from my TpT store
Read more about the Roll the Dice strategy on the blog

5. Macbeth Post-Reading Creative Tasks

This one is a student favourite. It’s a set of creative post-reading tasks that let students explore Macbeth in a completely different way - through social media grids, podcast scripts, TikTok reviews, news reports, soundtrack creation, and more. Each task focuses on a different skill or angle: from off-stage narrative writing to visual interpretation, dramatic condensation, and thematic reflection.

The best part? Students can pick and choose. It works as a revision tool, an end-of-unit creative extension, or a low-pressure alternative for students who’ve engaged with the play but don’t thrive in traditional assessments.

I use this to bring the energy back into the room after we’ve done the heavy lifting of analysis and essays. It’s also one of many post-reading creative resources I have in my TpT store — ideal if you’re looking for fresh ways to revisit texts without going back to the beginning.

Use it for: independent or group work, revision, creative engagement with the play
Download it from my TpT store
Explore more post-reading creative tasks in my store

6. The Lottery Bingo Activity

This bingo game works brilliantly as a post-reading activity or low-pressure revision tool after studying Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. There are 35 pre-made bingo cards, plus a blank template for teachers or students to customise. You can focus on character names, symbols, themes, or even story structure, whatever works best for your group.

It’s a smart way to revisit the text without repeating the same comprehension questions, and it opens up great discussion when you pause between prompts. Why did Shirley Jackson choose that object? What does this word really represent? It’s still content-rich, just delivered with a little more energy.

You can also tie it into a broader discussion of symbolism, violence, and tradition, or use it as a springboard into creative responses (like a rewrite or modernised version of the story).

Use it for: post-reading review, revision, discussion warm-ups, student-led game review
Download it from my TpT store

7. 5 Senses Worksheets for Descriptive Writing

This is easily the most-downloaded freebie in my TpT store, and honestly, it’s one of the simplest. These worksheets help students anchor their writing in sensory detail, using all five senses to build atmosphere and setting.

They work well at any level, but I’ve used them most with KS3 when developing descriptive writing or when students are about to plan a narrative. They’re also ideal for short creative warm-ups, story openers, or even poetry.

Sometimes, students just need a structure that nudges them into thinking beyond the visual, and that’s exactly what this worksheet does.

Use it for: descriptive writing lessons, creative starters, exam warm-ups, narrative planning
Download it from my TpT store

Final Thoughts

These are the freebies I come back to, the ones I’ve actually used in real classrooms with real students, and that still hold up whether you're coasting through a unit or just trying to survive a Tuesday.

If you’ve used any of these, I’d love to hear how they went - feel free to drop me a comment. And if you want more creative teaching ideas, you can browse all my blog posts here.