Tes Resources

Tes Resources is a web marketplace where teachers find and share classroom materials created by other teachers. It is best suited to educators who want to browse a large range of resources and choose between free downloads and individual purchases. Its breadth and author-set pricing are useful, but file compatibility and licence terms deserve a check before a resource is shared or used.

Overview

The marketplace brings together more than 900,000 teaching resources, spanning early years through post-16 and special educational needs. Materials range from lesson plans and worksheets to games, assemblies and exam-practice questions, across subjects including English, mathematics, science, history, languages, computing and the arts. That breadth makes Tes a strong starting point when a teacher needs a particular classroom resource; the trade-off is that quality, price and file format can vary by author and item.

Keyword search, browsable collections and featured author shops give visitors several ways to discover materials. Resource pages include previews, and buyers or downloaders can review resources, which helps with selection. Authors decide whether to charge, so the catalogue mixes free material with paid downloads rather than applying one subscription price to everything.

Key features

Resources include editable files, presentations, worksheets, lesson plans, teaching ideas, activities, flashcards and video-led projects. Tes also hosts materials from the Google for Education community, including ideas involving Google Docs, Google Classroom and Google Expeditions. These options can serve varied teaching needs, but buyers should check the file type: some uploads rely on particular applications or interactive whiteboards.

School Licence purchases allow sharing with up to 25 colleagues at the purchaser’s institution. That makes the licence more practical for team use than an individual purchase, but it does not permit re-hosting files on another platform. Tes is free to join, and authors set both availability and price for their resources.

Pricing

Tes uses a freemium marketplace model, not a single all-access subscription. The Free resources option costs nothing; joining is free, and authors determine which resources are free and how much paid resources cost. This suits teachers willing to browse for no-cost material, though the free catalogue is determined by individual authors.

Individual paid resources are one-time purchases at an author-set price, with a minimum of £1 and a maximum of £300 or equivalent currencies. This lets buyers pay for specific materials rather than commit to a subscription, but costs can vary substantially across the catalogue.

The School Licence has custom pricing: it is priced at 3.5 times the individual resource licence and covers up to 25 colleagues at the institution. It is the relevant option for sharing within a school, while individual buyers avoid that higher licence cost if they do not need colleague access. There is no free trial.

Platforms

Tes Resources is available on the web. Tes recommends an up-to-date browser and says the site is optimized for Google Chrome; resource download or file issues can be directed to [email protected].

Who it's for

Tes suits teachers who want a broad, searchable supply of classroom materials, especially those who value being able to select individual free or paid resources across age ranges and subjects. It can also suit school teams that need to share a purchased resource among colleagues, provided they use the School Licence and keep the files on permitted channels. It is less suitable for buyers who need a consistent subscription catalogue or cannot verify that a file works with their classroom software.

Pros and cons

• Pros: More than 900,000 teacher-made resources across numerous subjects and age ranges give teachers a wide pool to search.
• Pros: Free downloads and one-time purchases let buyers choose materials without a required subscription.
• Pros: Previews and user reviews can inform a purchase or download decision before classroom use.
• Cons: Author-set availability and prices mean free choices and costs vary from resource to resource.
• Cons: File formats can require specific applications or interactive whiteboards, so compatibility checks are important.
• Cons: School sharing requires a separate licence priced at 3.5 times the individual resource licence, and files cannot be re-hosted on another platform.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison of services, see Teacher Resource Libraries. Choose OER Commons instead if a free web digital library with Open Author and group-creation tools is a better fit. Classroom Secrets is another freemium web option, with a one-user Flexible Monthly plan at $6.56 a month billed every 30 days. Choose Twinkl if Android or iOS access, a free trial, and a membership with unlimited downloads matter more than Tes’s per-resource marketplace model.

Teach Starter may suit teachers who want a free plan limited to non-editable resources and a free-resource collection, with an editable-resource Plus plan also available. CommonLit is a web and mobile option centered on a free text library and CommonLit 360 curriculum, with a paid school-level Spark plan. Consider PBS LearningMedia for free PreK–12 materials requiring a free account for all features, or Share My Lesson for another free web resource library. Teachit is another freemium web alternative.

Verdict

Tes Resources is a good choice for teachers who want to search a large teacher-made marketplace and buy or download materials one item at a time. Its mix of free and paid resources, previews and broad subject coverage are its clearest advantages. Look elsewhere if you need a uniform subscription offering, or choose carefully if your school needs broad sharing rights: the School Licence has a higher cost and does not allow re-hosting.