What to buy

1. Textbooks

A good textbook is the most important learning resource you can buy. Textbooks are not the same as revise guides, key-facts books or study guides!
They are more detailed, better written and more interesting. They contain information that a student needs in order to fully appreciate a subject.

But few school now supply textbooks, and they are difficult to find in the shops. Even if your school supplies textbooks, it is a good idea to get your own, up-to-date copy for each subject.

The safe and simple rule is, find out what exam board and syllabus your child is taking for each subject, and then buy a book that is written for that syllabus. Make sure it's up-to-date.

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2. Revise guides

Revise guides are much better now than they used to be. However, the number and variety of syllabuses is greater. This makes it difficult for a general revise guide to cater for everyone. This is particularly true for modular sciences. Ideally, find a revise guide that is written for the exact syllabus you are studying. Your teacher should be able to advise you. Phone the exam board if in doubt.

There's quite a variety to choose from:

Letts and lonsdale, Longmans, Collins and CGP all produce good guides. Sometimes they produce guides that are specific for your exam board and syllabus, so make sure you get the right one. You may get a discount if you buy through your school. You can also use Amazon.co.uk to look up revise guides for each exam board and syllabus.

3. Practice exam papers

School should provide lots of papers, although they may pass the cost on to you. However, there are plenty available to download from the web. I've listed sources on the students exam papers and syllabuses page. For maths, you can use papers from other exam boards as well, as long as they are for the right level. This is not true for science, as questions can be different for each exam board.

Don't forget that text books and revise guides contain lots of practice questions, as do many of the better revision websites. And you may be able to buy packs of papers at WH Smiths or good book shops.

4. Stationery

If your child follows my advice in the learning resources section, you'll need to buy some A3 ring-binders, A3 paper and a four-hole punch. Make sure you have a wide selection of highlighter pens, felt-tips, crayons, pencils, and so on.

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