Back to School Teaching Resources
Head back to school in 2026 with primary school activities, classroom decoration printables and so many more teacher resources created by teachers for teachers just like you!
Whether you're planning for your very first day as a teacher or just your first day of the 2026-2027 school year, we've got you covered with everything you'll need to make pupils feel welcome coming back to school and your classroom.
Explore editable Google Slides templates, printable back to school poems, colouring pages and word searches, inspiring quotes to hang on the walls of your classroom ... and that's just the start of what's in store for your teacher toolkit. Get the peace of mind that you'll be all set to head back into the classroom with everything you need for a successful school year!
Looking for ideas for getting your pupils excited about going back to school? Read on for tips from our teacher team, including back-to-school jokes you can share with your class and some back-to-school songs with a positive vibe to set the tone for the school year!
9 Silly Back to School Jokes for Kids to Share With Your Class
There's no question that telling jokes in your classroom can help build that pupil-teacher relationship. Are you hoping to incorporate a few kid-friendly (and seriously silly) puns into your planning?
Here are a few that have a school theme and are appropriate to share with the younger primary students:
- Why did the maths worksheet look sad? It had a lot of problems.
- How do bees get to school? They take the buzzzzz.
- What did the crayon say to the pencil? You're pretty sharp.
- What did the pencil say to the sharpener? Get to the point!
- What's a teacher's favourite type of music? Class-ical!
- What's a vampire's favourite kind of test to take? A blood test!
- What is a snake’s favourite subject? – Hiss-tory.
- What did the bus driver say to the frog? Hop on.
- Why are fish so smart? They spend a lot of time in schools.
7 Back to School Songs to Play in the Classroom
Going back to school comes with mixed emotions for teachers and pupils. Excitement to see friends and learn new things can be mixed with apprehension — especially for young primary students who may have never ridden a school bus or been in a school setting before. You'll want to set a positive tone from day one to help students start the school year off feeling energised and excited.
What better way to motivate your class and pump them up than playing songs perfect for back to school? You can play them quietly as pupils filter into the classroom in the morning on their first day, use them for a dance party brain break mid-day or add them to a classroom playlist for those times when you need to turn on some jams while kids work in small groups.
Here are a few favourite kid-friendly back-to-school songs from the teachers on the Teach Starter team:
- Welcome Back to School by Dwayne Reed — It doesn't get more on target than this fun tune from an American educator. You might also want to check out Reed's Welcome to Kindergarten for a song that's more specific to your class.
- Happy by Pharrell — This song about not letting anything ruin your happy mood is perfect for establishing a positive vibe. You can also use it as an example of using repetition as a persuasive device in writing.
- Can't Stop This Feeling by Justin Timberlake
- We're All in This Together by the High School Musical cast
- ABC by The Jackson 5
- School Days by Chuck Berry — This is an oldie that most students will have never heard before, but it's still a goodie!
- The Educate Song — This is a cover of Bruno Mars' Grenade that's all about education, and it's sung by a group of pupils!
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Daily Writing Prompts Calendars – Upper Primary
Inspire your students and encourage them to write regularly with a set of printable Daily Writing Prompts in calendar format.
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Student Behaviour Contract Template for KS2
Create a classroom community and ensure adherence to rules and procedures with a printable Student Behaviour Contract Template.
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Days of the Week Poster
Display the days of the week with a bright and cheery Days of the Week Poster.
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Printable Password Log
Help your students keep track of their computer and website logins with printable Student Password Logs.
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Paint Splat Colour Posters
Promote colour recognition in your foundation classroom with printable colour words posters.
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CUBES Classroom Display and Bookmark Set
Tackle word problems with this CUBES problem-solving classroom display and bookmark set.
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Out of this World Behaviour — Class Reward Chart
Motivate and reward positive classroom behaviour with a reward chart that is out of this world!
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Tiered Behaviour Support Plan — Editable Template
Establish clear expectations, rewards and tiered consequences with this free behaviour support plan template.
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Learning Objective Sentence Starters
Post your daily learning objectives using this set of 10 goal slips.
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Read the Room – Classroom Labels
Create a print-rich environment with a set of 75 classroom labels.
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Hand Signals For Classroom Management
Strengthen classroom management and reduce classroom interruptions with miniature hand signal posters and bookmarks.
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Classroom Jobs Display
Keep track of classroom responsibilities with a Classroom Jobs Display!
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Behaviour Reflection Sheet for Key Stage 1 Pupils
Invite your Key Stage 1 pupils to reflect on their behaviour choices with this behaviour think sheet.
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Back to School Door Display – Soaring With Hot Air Balloon
Use this back-to-school door display to get students excited to learn. The teacher-created resource pack includes everything you need to create the hot air balloon-themed display.
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Back to School Door Display — Gear Up With Robots
Use this back-to-school door display to get students excited to learn. The teacher-created resource pack includes everything you need to create a robot-themed display.
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Behaviour Reflection Sheet (Lower Primary)
Get your young students to reflect on their behaviours with this reflection worksheet.
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Before you tell the teacher, ask yourself... Poster
A poster outlining questions children should ask themselves before telling the teacher.
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Call and Response – Attention-Grabbing Phrase Cards
Display and use a variety of call and response phrases in your classroom with our printable attention-getter cards.
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Random Partner Cards
Make assigning random partners entertaining with this set of 38 matchup cards.
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Watch Us Bloom! Sunflower Classroom Door Decorations
Welcome new pupils with Sunflower Classroom Door Decorations that blend bold yellow blooms, soft neutrals, and customisable templates for a display that feels both beautiful and personal.
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Welcome to Our Hive! Bee Classroom Door Decorations
Create a warm, welcoming classroom entrance with Busy Bee Classroom Door Decorations that turn your entry into a cheerful hive pupils will love buzzing by each morning.
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Wheel of Colour Words Poster Pack
Help support students with learning to identify colors and color words with a color wheel-inspired Classroom Color Words Poster Pack.
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Auto-Fill Class List Template
Save time making custom class checklists with an editable auto-fill class list template.
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When You Enter This Classroom - Door Display
Welcome your pupils into your classroom with a ‘When You Enter This Classroom” Student Affirmations Classroom Display