It’s brilliant for homework, revision and all round education. It's also fun to use, which isn't surprising since it was created by a 16-year-old

Tom Hadfield, a talented and determined teenager. conceived and created his first website, Soccernet, with his father, Greg. He went on (again with dad's help) to create Schoolsnet, an excellent study and revision site for 16-year-olds. And because Tom has very recent memories of taking his GCSEs, he has produced a site that’s in complete sympathy with the needs and concerns of hard pressed students.

Click on Revision and you get a long list of subjects under familiar headings like Science, English, Business Studies, Maths and History, and each of the headings are neatly subdivided.

English gets close attention – the precise topics and books covered by the NEAB syllabus (Northern Examinations Assessment Board) are listed. If you’re being examined by NEAB, you’ll find the details invaluable, thorough, engrossing and organised in a series of ‘lessons’.

Click on any of the other subjects and you’ll get a uniform page which tackles the subject in the form of lessons (which really works, by the way): Lesson Aim, Lesson Summary, Revision Tip and Main Lesson. The layout is excellent – brief statements about what is to be learned, and how it’s to be understood and remembered. And the good thing is, the language is not patronising at all.

Once you complete the lesson, you come to a series of tick-box and pairing-up exercises. Submit your answers and they are automatically marked. The questions and instructions tend to reinforce what has been learned, in a rather clever way, so keep your wits about you!

The questions are followed by ideas for discussions with friends (history) – with printable pages; a succinct glossary of the terms used, sometimes a pop quiz and useful links. There's everything here the 16-year-old would want, with no time-wasting.

An example of the clarity and effectiveness of the technique is the Business Studies subject, ‘Motivation’. The Lesson Aim: ‘By the end of this unit, you should understand the difference between financial and non-financial motivation, and know different forms of each.’

The Lesson Summary lets you know what you’re in for. ‘Financial and non-financial motivators, with an activity in which you can decide which is which. A brief look at the theories of Taylor, Maslow, Mayo, Herzberg and McGregor. A brief test on what you have learned.’

And, at every stage, there are Revision Tips, which help to reinforce what has been learned. One helpful hint: ‘To revise successfully, you need to be motivated! Work in small, manageable chunks, and give yourself a little treat when you achieve a target on time.’

There are also links to external sites if you need more information.

Schoolsnet is a truly refreshing site because it’s been created by a student who’s recently been through Key Stage 4, and it’s aimed at students who are going through it now.

And remember, Schoolsnet is more than just a destination for revision. It’s a comprehensive education site that looks at the concerns of parents and teachers as well as pupils.
http://www.schoolsnet.co.uk