“We are grandparents and we bought our grandchild a subscription to First News when he was eight years old. He is still enjoying it at age fourteen. His knowledge and understanding of world events and politics is outstanding. We are sure this is the doing of First News and I am grateful that we have contributed to this by our gift of the subscription.”
Thank you so much for your five star review! We're thrilled to hear that your grandchild has continued to enjoy and benefit from their subscription to First News over the years. It's so rewarding to know that your gift has contributed to their knowledge and understanding of world events. We're grateful to have had the opportunity to support their growth in this way. Happy reading!
““Getting my daughter excited about reading has been a real challenge, she was brought a gift subscription for First News for Christmas, and it's been a bit of game-changer.. she cant wait for it to arrive every week and look through reading the stories and see whats going on in the world , and she also loves playing Wordie with her friends, they compete every morning.
We also try and find a bit of time to read it together so we can chat about some of the stories that are in the news and whats going on in the world , which i as a parent love the way in which First news cover this news ,it's done in a child friendly way which isn't scary but keeps them informed and have age appropriate pictures. Overall, I’d recommend First News to any parent looking to get their child interested in reading and current affairs. She's 10 now and in year 5, and I believe it's especially valuable as she's expected to have opinions in class and also helps her with her homework and has helped improve her reading level at school .”
Dear Sarah, thank you for leaving us a positive five-star review! Your opinion is extremely valuable to us. We are thrilled to hear how much your daughter is loving her Christmas gift! It's amazing that your daughter's reading levels have improved as a result of reading First News and that we are helping children like your daughter make sense of the world around them and form their own opinions. Thank you for recommending us!
“My 9-year old daughter has been reading First News for just over a year. She loves receiving it every Friday addressed to her and has something to look forward to after school and over the weekend. The paper has a wide variety of topics that are well written and easy to digest. A few friends at school also subscribe and she loves discussing the stories with friends. First News really compliments her love of reading and helps her understand the news in a child-friendly way. Her younger sister, aged 4 has started to take an interest in flipping through the images in the paper, she'll no doubt be an additional subscriber in a few years time! The app version is superb and great for when we are out and about, where my daughter has access to the latest headlines as well as games. Her favourite game is the crossword! Thanks First News!”
Hi Jenny! Thank you for your 5 star review. It's exciting and encouraging to hear how much your daughter is enjoying First News. It's lovely to hear your youngest is also picking up the paper and may also be a future subscriber! Thanks!
“My daughter cannot wait to receive her copy of First News each week. She is curious about the world around her and so is eager to read each issue. As a parent, I love the fact that I can trust First News to provide her with factual information which doesn’t overwhelm or confuse her. I highly recommend First News to any parent looking to provide their child with a reliable source of news.”
Thank you for your review! We are so glad to hear your daughter is enjoying her subscription and always excited to receive her copy each week! Our job in the newspaper is to provide children with factual and accurate news and information so that they can make sense of the world around them and form their own opinions as well. Thank you for your support and putting your trust in First News. Happy reading!
“As a parent, I can't express how delighted I am with my daughter's enthusiasm for First News. It's been six months since she started receiving her own copy, and the joy she gets from receiving post addressed to her hasn't diminished one bit. Knowing that the content she's engaging with is trustworthy and impartial gives me peace of mind. At 11 years old, she's at that stage where she's beginning to form her own opinions, and I can’t help thinking that reading First News really helps. She thoroughly enjoys flipping through the paper, but she also loves playing the word game on the app. If you have a child around my daughter's age, I’d definitely recommend getting them a subscription to First News.”
Hi Emma! Thank you for the wonderful review! We are pleased to hear how much First News is making a positive impact. So glad to know your daughter loves both First News print and First News Digital. We hope your daughter continues to enjoy her subscription and that it helps to spark further discussions with friends at school and family members at home.
“I bought a subscription for my 10 year old nephew last year for his birthday and he absolutely loves it - he's really enjoyed having the digital version too and being able to keep up to date with the daily news on there. And Wordie is a real hit - he's got very competitive over that!! Thank you First News!”
Hi Charlotte, thank you for your 5 star review! We are so glad your nephew is enjoying his First News subscription. Not to sound biased, but Wordie is a firm favourite at the First News HQ too where the team go head to head with the fewest guesses possible!
“My 9 year old daughter loves reading First News! Every week there's something that interests her and sparks great conversations. We also do the crossword together over breakfast and she loves the Wordie on the app. They also have sent me some useful tips on tricky topics in the news.”
Thank you for leaving a review. It's great to hear how much your daughter Loves reading First News! We are pleased to know our tips and resources help you discuss some tricky topics in the news.
“I just wanted to thank you so much for adding the accessibility options onto your website recently (have not see the app). I have a severely dyslexic daughter and the ‘Listen’ button allows her to complete tasks independently now. The ADHD tool also helps by reducing glare and helps her to focus on one line at a time. These tools are invaluable and have made a huge difference to her confidence and enjoyment in the articles.
Thank you so much!”
Thank you so much for your feedback! We are so pleased that the updates have made a difference to the way your daughter is learning.
Ensuring that our resources are inclusive of the needs of all our users is central to our mission here at First News. This is the first phase of our accessibility updates and we are so excited to continue to develop the features both for the online resources and for our app.
Currently, the app includes a read-out-loud function when reading the Digital Edition. You can download the app using the links below:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/first-news/id1544460681
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.firstnews.app&hl=en_GB&gl=US
“First News has been a fantastic resource for my children from the ages of 6 - 14. They enjoyed reading the stories that were well written and age appropriate, helping them to understand the world. My son loved the game zone and was lucky enough to write a couple of reviews for the section. My daughter's favourites were the animal stories and we all enjoyed doing the puzzles together. It's a wonderful publication, I'd recommend it to any parent.”
We are so pleased to hear how much your children are enjoying First News. A huge thanks to your son for writing some great reviews in our recent game zone feature. We're glad to hear how much your daughter is enjoying the variety of news topics in our newspaper. Thank you for leaving us a 5-star review and supporting First News!
“I started this newspaper for my daughters for current news and event but it seems to be propaganda news paper for Ukraine and LGBTQ while there is a-lot more that’s going on the world which rarely gets mentioned . This is newspaper or a brainwashing psyop ? Let children be children, please .”
First News is an inclusive newspaper, which aims to feature UK and world news, as well as current events. Ukraine has been featured more significantly in recent weeks due to the two-year anniversary of the war starting. February is also LGBT History Month which is why it’s featured on our FYI page. We always endeavour to produce relevant and important content for our readers. Aside from these topics, we also feature animal news, entertainment, sport and science so that there is something for everyone to delve into.
“My oldest grandson, now 13 loves this, and snatches it up as soon as it arrives. Strangely I got it for my middle grandson now 11 who wasn't interested at all. Henry started reading it two years ago, maybe three. I keep asking if he still wants it, because it is quite an expense, but he loves it.
I do wonder why this newsletter comes to me, because I live in Spain, so wouldn't often have the option to discuss with Henry. I think you should ask who is to get the newsletter, in our case it would be better if my daughter got it.”
Thank you for your review. We’re so happy to hear that your grandson loves First News. The newsletter is sent to the bill payer normally but if you wouldn't mind, send us an email on info@firstnews.co.uk and we can look at options for how your receive this email.
“My son didnt like it all. Such a complicated process to cancel. I was not provided with any account info, unique ID number, or link to cancellation upon subscribing. No start or end date in writing. Contacted customer service but they had already taken the next payment, and they wouldn’t refund, even though not dispatched. Never again. Children haven’t even looked at it.”
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We send a series of welcome emails to all our customers which contains the terms of your subscription, upcoming payments and instructions on how to cancel. Transparency is important to us so we’re sorry if you feel that the terms were not clear. Please can you email us at info@firstnews.co.uk so that we can fully investigate this for you?
“The "simplified" Israel / Hamas on First News verges on being anti-Semitic. War is too serious a topic to ignore important facts and treat as if it's just a minor disagreement between the parties that they should settle through discussion.
Also, a minor point, referring to sub 5 year olds as "kids" is OK but is patronising and not appropriate for older children.”
Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review. First News has been reporting on the news as it happens since 2006 and remains the only national newspaper for children. We are committed to being completely impartial, with no political, cultural, or religious affiliations. Our mission is to be on the side of children, wherever they are in the world, and to give them a voice. Our job in the newspaper is to provide children with factual and accurate news and information so that they can make sense of the world around them and form their own opinions.
We are covering events as they happen with editorial balance and integrity, avoiding overly distressing details and imagery, given the age of our readers. We are responsible in our coverage, prioritising the welfare of our young readers, ensuring that they are informed, but without causing them unnecessary distress, anxiety or alarm.
We are updating First.news/IsraelGaza as new developments take place in the conflict and our hope is that there is a solution for peace in the region, for all children.
First news wants to be the voice of young people and we would never want to patronise our readers. Thank you for raising your concern, which has been shared with our editorial team.
“After years of reading first news I was incredibly disappointed to see the bias in which the Israel/Palestinian conflict and its history was represented, especially after claiming to be an unbiased view. As someone who genuinely tries to present these things from as little bias as possible, it is just plain harmful. Next time, try letting two thoughtful people from different perspectives tell their genuine stories rather than throwing a clearly biased moral authority over it.”
Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review. First News has been reporting on the news as it happens since 2006 and remains the only national newspaper for children. We are committed to being completely impartial, with no political, cultural, or religious affiliations. Our mission is to be on the side of children, wherever they are in the world, and to give them a voice. Our job in the newspaper is to provide children with factual and accurate news and information so that they can make sense of the world around them and form their own opinions.
We are covering events as they happen with editorial balance and integrity, avoiding overly distressing details and imagery, given the age of our readers. We are responsible in our coverage, prioritising the welfare of our young readers, ensuring that they are informed, but without causing them unnecessary distress, anxiety or alarm.
There are, of course, strong feelings and emotions on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Both Israelis and Palestinians believe fervently in their own narrative and telling of history, going back decades, centuries and even thousands of years. With such a complex history, it stands as probably the most difficult issue to report on in our children’s newspaper, and for many adult media organisations. Explaining such a complex background, knowing that we have readers as young as seven years old, is a continual challenge. We could fill the entire newspaper with accounts of the conflict and its history and, no doubt, both sides would still feel we have left out important details and that crucial nuances need addressing. Please know that we are doing the best we can and that we continually check, and double check, the language we use and the way we report both the developing situation and its history.
We are updating First.news/IsraelGaza as new developments take place in the conflict and our hope is that there is a solution for peace in the region, for all children.
Dear Gordon,
Thank you for your review! With everything we do here at First News, our aim is to open up children’s eyes to the world. We aim to ensure they understand the issues facing them and the news shaping the world they live in. Thank you for your continued support!
“We are an SEN school and we use the First Newspaper as a library resource. We also receive the printable resource.
I asked class teachers for feedback. First News - The students find the text interesting and engage with the activities.
Printable resource - I find the differentiated levels appropriate for my class and the children enjoy the puzzles and crosswords.
We received a prompt and efficient service when we had a delivery problem.”
Thank you for taking the time to send us your feedback!
We're so pleased to hear that your students are taking an interest in current affairs around the world through the Print Newspaper and Engage Printables.
It is important to us that our teachers feel there is an activity available for every student and so it is fantastic to hear that the differentiated levels are useful for you. We hope your students continue to enjoy learning through the weekly puzzles and crosswords.
Our team are always on hand and happy to help so please continue to stay in touch if there is anything we can assist you with in the future 😊
“First News is a lovely, student friendly, newspaper. It is so important for our youngsters to develop their own opinions from unbiased quality sources, rather than social media.
I send a digital copy of First News to all our students each week! We also love getting involved with the paper and I definitely recommend responding to their email about setting up a news club. Lots of opportunities for students come through on the weekly email.
Additional resources to help deliver sensitive information to students e.g. countries at war etc, or to highlight certain issues or celebrate special occasions such as the King's coronation, are top quality too.
Keep up the amazing work you are doing First News!”
Dear Debbie,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are grateful for your feedback and delighted to hear how First News is positively impacting your pupils. We're glad to know you're enjoying being part of the First News FYI News Club!
The First News FYI News Club provides pupils with an opportunity to develop their communication skills and build their confidence in a social, extra-curricular setting. Discussing the news grows pupils’ understanding of the world around them and gives them the opportunity to explore global issues. It will also increase their awareness of how misinformation is spread and how to spot it. If you are a school reading, and would like to sign up for the News Club, please follow the link here: https://schools.firstnews.co.uk/fn-education-tv/fyi/newsclub/
Many thanks, First News Team
“Pitched at a good level for both my children (age 11 and 9). Interesting articles. Includes news about well known company children can relate to. My daughter thinks it is very well laid out and clear to understand.
Fairly one sided coverage (pro-Palestine/anti-Israel) of the recent conflict disappointing.
Reasonable value for money.”
Thank you for your review, we're so glad that your daughter is enjoying First News.
We take your comments on board and, to that end, we have built a platform which includes all our coverage chronologically – both written and video – since the deadly attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October, as well as a two page explainer of the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict. We do recognise that, as we update on the latest developments, such as the humanitarian crisis for people living in Gaza, that coverage should be seen in the context of prior events which we reported in earlier editions of First News. Our intention is that this platform provides a comprehensive and balanced picture of the complex and historical background to the issues in the region, alongside developments as they are unfolding right now. You can view all of our coverage here https://www.firstnews.co.uk/israelgaza
Thanks once again for your feedback.
