Topmarks

Topmarks is a free UK educational resource library for children, parents and teachers. It is most useful for primary-age practice and classroom preparation across several subjects, while Hit the Button is the more targeted choice for children who need repeated mental-maths drills. The main trade-off is breadth without a single course structure, plus a separate app purchase for its focused maths tool.

Overview

Topmarks combines its own learning materials with educational content selected from elsewhere on the web. Its formats include interactive games, printable worksheets, classroom resources and apps, covering ages 3–5, 5–7, 7–11 and 11–16 and school stages from Reception to Year 6. Subject coverage runs from maths, number, geometry, measures, data handling and problem solving to English, reading, writing, spelling and grammar.

This range works well when an adult needs an activity for a particular topic, age band or lesson. It is less suitable as a complete, sequential programme: the materials span formats and subjects rather than presenting one progression for a learner to follow. Teachers may use resources in classrooms and live online lessons, and parents may use them at home. Standalone redistribution or selling the materials is prohibited, which matters if you are assembling a separate commercial resource pack.

Key features

Practical resource formats

Games provide interactive practice, while worksheets and classroom materials support printing, lesson preparation and work away from a screen. The combination gives teachers and families flexibility, but choosing and sequencing activities remains the user's responsibility rather than an automated learning path.

Hit the Button Maths

Hit the Button targets mental maths and calculation practice for ages 5–11. It includes 166 game modes across times tables, division, square numbers, number bonds, doubling and halving, with both timed and untimed play. That makes it a useful drill companion for fluency practice: timed modes suit quick-fire recall, while untimed sessions are less pressurised for introducing or consolidating a skill.

Up to 30 player profiles can be stored on one device, and guest play is available. The app works without an internet connection and contains no advertising or in-app purchases, which is helpful on shared school or family devices. It does not replace broader teaching or explain a full maths curriculum; its strength is repeated calculation practice within the topics it covers.

Privacy and support

Topmarks says its apps do not collect or share personal information, with pupil data stored locally on the device. Its website privacy policy states compliance with GDPR requirements and the ICO Age Appropriate Design Code. Cloudflare is used to mitigate website security risks during cyber-attacks. Questions about resources or the site are handled by email support.

Pricing

The Topmarks website is free to use at free, with no subscription and no trial period because there is no paid website tier. That suits families and schools wanting unrestricted access to the online resource library without recurring software costs.

Hit the Button Maths costs 3.99 USD once (£3.49 GBP / $3.99 USD / €3.99 EUR / $5.99 AUD). The one-off price avoids a renewal commitment, but its licence is not transferable between platforms. Educational institutions need a licence for each computer, so a classroom or computer-suite rollout can cost more than the headline individual price suggests. The app has no ads or in-app purchases, and its offline operation avoids dependence on a live connection.

Platforms

The website and app cover Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. Hit the Button is listed for Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android devices and Kindle Fire; the support FAQ also describes Chromebook support. Check the intended device before buying because the app licence cannot be moved across platforms.

Who it's for

Parents supporting learning at home can use free games and printable material, then add Hit the Button when a 5–11-year-old needs focused arithmetic repetition. Primary teachers can draw on multiple subjects and formats for classroom or live online lessons. It is less appropriate for institutions seeking a tightly mapped, end-to-end curriculum or for anyone wanting to redistribute resources as a standalone product.

Pros and cons

Pros

Wide primary coverage: subject areas, age bands and formats make it easier to find a suitable activity for a specific lesson or learner.

Strong maths drill app: 166 timed and untimed modes across six calculation topics provide substantial repetition for ages 5–11.

Shared-device friendly: 30 profiles, guest play, offline use and no ads or in-app purchases suit family and classroom equipment.

Clear home and classroom use: permitted use includes teaching and home learning, with privacy measures stated for both website and apps.

Cons

No unified course sequence: the library's breadth means adults must select and organise a progression themselves.

App licensing can complicate deployment: institutions require one licence per computer and licences do not transfer between platforms.

Hit the Button is narrow by design: it drills listed calculation skills rather than providing broad maths instruction.

Redistribution is restricted: materials cannot be sold or repackaged as a standalone resource.

Alternatives

For a wider directory of comparable teaching collections, see Teacher Resource Libraries.

Choose Myatt & Co instead if you want a freemium service with a small free film selection and a £22.00-per-month all-content plan across Android, iOS and web. Teachit is the alternative for web-based teaching tools with a free tier that includes two free generations and 10 AI tutor messages. BusyTeacher fits readers prioritising printable worksheets and lesson plans, with 18,421 free resources or an $80.00 one-off library of 80 PDF e-books.

CommonLit is the better direction for a free text library and CommonLit 360 curriculum, with a separate school-priced Spark plan. Australian Teacher and SBS Learn are free web alternatives focused on teaching resources, including Australian Curriculum-aligned material from SBS Learn. Twinkl is for readers who want a large membership catalogue with unlimited downloads, while Classroom Secrets offers a free plan plus paid individual monthly and annual options.

Verdict

Topmarks is a strong choice for families and primary teachers who want free, varied activities across common school subjects, with Hit the Button adding inexpensive, offline calculation practice for ages 5–11. Choose it for breadth and flexible formats; look elsewhere if you need a prescribed curriculum sequence, institution-wide app licensing without per-computer requirements, or a maths app that teaches beyond focused fluency drills.