大象传媒

November 2023 marked 400 years since arguably the greatest work of English literature was created, the 鈥楩irst Folio鈥, published seven years after the death of William Shakespeare.

To celebrate, we published a new animated Romeo and Juliet resource (suitable for use with both upper primary and lower secondary pupils), as well as bringing all of our teaching resources into the below collection, organised by phase.

When is Shakespeare Week 2025?

Shakespeare Week is celebrated during the spring term, 24-30 March 2025, while Shakespeare Day takes place on 23 April each year, considered by many to be the anniversary of both Shakespeare's birth and death.

Primary resources

Romeo and Juliet. collection

A new resource for the 2023/24 academic year, this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is in nine short video animations. Comprehensive teacher notes are available and each video comes with a transcript so that pupils can read along, a downloadable sheet offering a visual reminder of the characters (their names and family groupings), and a sequencing activity to help pupils recall the order of events in the play.

Romeo and Juliet

A Midsummer Night's Dream. collection

Shakespeare's play of love, magic and mayhem is adapted across eight short video episodes. Comprehensive teacher notes are available (including suggestions for home learning), and each video comes with an episode transcript, a 'meet the characters' gallery and a sequencing activity.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Macbeth. collection

Shakespeare's play of murder and witchcraft is told in eight video clips. Comprehensive teacher notes are available, with literacy activity ideas for each episode, as well as a 'meet the characters' slideshow and a downloadable transcript.

Macbeth

The Tempest. collection

The Tempest is told over the course of eight short animated video clips. These classroom animations are accompanied by a resource pack with guidance, activity suggestions and worksheets - many suitable for study at home as well as at school.

The Tempest

Shakespeare in Shorts. collection

Short retellings of six of William Shakespeare's most well-known plays, set to modern music.

Shakespeare in Shorts

i.am.Will Shakespeare. collection

Short documentary films for primary schools in which Newsround's Ricky and Leah Boleto learn about Shakespeare's life, world, theatre and most famous plays.

i.am.Will Shakespeare

KS2 Music: The Tempest. collection

To complement the above story adaptation, we've put together a music resource for KS2 pupils. Whatever your musical experience, these resources can help you and your pupils enjoy learning music - and then put on a stunning musical performance based on Shakespeare鈥檚 play!

KS2 Music: The Tempest

A Midsummer Night's Dream - A Musical for Schools. collection

Our musical for schools has been adapted from Shakespeare's play and makes an ideal musical performance lasting about one hour. The play has eight catchy songs to learn, a script which is full of fun and mischief, and opportunities to include performers from many year groups with parts that are both big...and small.

A Midsummer Night's Dream - A Musical for Schools

KS2 Music: Macbeth. collection

To complement the above story adaptation, we've put together a music resource for KS2 pupils. Whatever your musical experience, these resources can help you and your pupils enjoy learning music - and then put on a stunning musical performance based on Shakespeare鈥檚 play!

KS2 Music: Macbeth

Watch again: Shakespeare Week - Live Lesson. video

In 2022 we marked Shakespeare Week with this Live Lesson for 7-11 year-olds. C大象传媒's Rhys Stephenson looked back at Shakespeare鈥檚 life during Tudor times, the impact this had on his writing and the legacy he left behind. The full programme, along with activity sheets and teacher guide, is available for your classroom.

Watch again: Shakespeare Week - Live Lesson

Watch again: Shakespeare: Unplugged - Live Lesson. video

This Live Lesson for 9-11 year-olds from 2016, hosted by Katie Thistleton and Karim Zeroual, focused on Shakespeare's language and characters with iconic scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and Henry V acted out by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The full programme, lesson guide and activity sheets are all available to access.

Watch again: Shakespeare: Unplugged - Live Lesson

Shakespeare Retold. collection

A series of ten stories written by well-known children鈥檚 authors including Pamela Butchart and Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Each story is inspired by or based on a play by William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare Retold

Secondary resources

Shakespeare Unlocked - Macbeth. collection

Key scenes from Macbeth are explored through performance (by actors and directors at the Royal Shakespeare Company), helping to unlock the meaning of the language and the development of character for students.

Shakespeare Unlocked - Macbeth

Shakespeare Unlocked - Julius Caesar. collection

Key scenes from Julius Caesar are explored through performance (by actors and directors at the Royal Shakespeare Company), helping to unlock the meaning of the language and the development of character for students.

Shakespeare Unlocked - Julius Caesar

Shakespeare Unlocked - Romeo and Juliet. collection

Key scenes from Romeo and Juliet are explored through performance (by actors and directors at the Royal Shakespeare Company), helping to unlock the meaning of the language and the development of character for students.

Shakespeare Unlocked - Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare Unlocked - A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream. collection

Key scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream are explored through performance (by actors and directors at the Royal Shakespeare Company), helping to unlock the meaning of the language and the development of character for students.

Shakespeare Unlocked - A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream

Shakespeare Songs. collection

Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo and Juliet - three of Shakespeare's most famous plays - are brought to life in short classroom videos combining music with original quotations.

Shakespeare Songs

Shakespeare Themes. collection

These short classroom videos explore some of the themes that span Shakespeare's plays (for example, love, power, and the supernatural), improving students' understanding of his most popular works and the society in which they were written.

 Shakespeare Themes

Watch again: Shakespeare: Text Detectives - Live Lesson. video

This Live Lesson for 11-13 year-olds was streamed live for schools in 2016. Students are invited to delve into Shakespeare's texts and explore stage directions, relationships between characters, and his use of verse and prose. Worksheets and a lesson guide for teachers are still available, alongside the original programme.

Watch again: Shakespeare: Text Detectives - Live Lesson

Shakespeare's life, work and legacy. collection

A collection of interactive articles about the life, work and legacy of William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's life, work and legacy

This online archive provides schools, colleges and universities across the UK with access to hundreds of 大象传媒 television and radio broadcasts of Shakespeare鈥檚 plays, sonnets and documentaries about Shakespeare.

大象传媒 Shakespeare Archive