Online Resources
SCIENCE
Fuse School
This is a great organisation that aims to provide free quality education to everyone. They focus on Maths and Science at the moment. They have a brilliant youtube channel with useful videos covering KS3 and GCSE Science. The videos are clear and concise. You can find them via youtube by searching for fuse school or find out more about the organisation by following the link below. You will notice that I use links to their science videos in my Biology and Chemistry resources to help explain complex topics.
My GCSE Science
I found this website when my daughter was revising for her Chemistry IGCSE. It is very specific to the English exam curriculums so I found it really helpful and reassuring knowing that all of the topics were being covered. I paid for a years subscription for her in her second year of study so that she could use it for revision. It is very reasonably priced for what you get compared to other online providers. There are sections available for free as taster sessions too.
Mr Exham
Mr Exham's site is aimed at KS4 and above and offers clear and simple explanations of complex topics in Biology. We have found his videos so helpful and I have links to his videos in most of my biology subject powerpoints . Completing experiments can be difficult in a home school setting so it was very useful to have videos as examples instead. On his website you will find links to his youtube channel as well as free resources and resources available to buy.
Free Science Lessons
This is another brilliant resource. Free science lessons offers free videos, there are workbooks available to buy for the whole AQA GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics Syllabus. We used the videos via the youtube channel rather than the workbooks. The videos tell you exactly what you need to know for the syllabus, they do not go any deeper so as to keep things as simple as possible which I found helpful as a starting place. The A'level material will be more in depth I'm sure.
Malmsbury Science
Malmesbury science youtube channel has teacher led videos for the three sciences. They also have languages and English Literature videos on there too. We found the science videos especially helpful as they show the course practicals carried out in a lab setting with all the correct equipment. As doing experiments, especially those required for chemistry, can be hard at home as getting hold of the right equipment is not easy. These videos gave my children the chance to see them modelled and explained by a science teacher which helped them grasp the method and correct terminology and get an understanding of all the necessary lab equipment.
Science Sauce
Science sauce is created by Alex Nixon, a full time science teacher, in his spare time and has worksheets and videos to access for free for the IGCSE Biology course. I have put the link for his site here and the link for the youtube channel below. They are really clear explanations that keep to the point and have simple illustrations to help you understand the concepts. I did not use the workbooks so can't review them but the videos are great.
MATHS
Blutick.com
I love the simplicity of this maths website. The design and format make it easy to use and reflect the clarity with which the subject is explained. The video tutorials are free and guide students though the topic and give worked examples before offering a set of sample questions to complete. the best thing is the sample questions are worked through in stages so that if mistakes are made you can see and understand your mistake and learn from it. If maths is a challenge for our children this will really help. You need to create an account but most of the content is free to access. The paid packages are for schools and help with admin, so unless you have lots of students to keep track of you won't need this.
CIMT
CIMT stands for the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching. It was started in 1986. Based on their research they have produced a resource called MEP, the Maths enhancement programme, which offers a full set of curriculum resources for Primary and Secondary schools, including pupil texts, lesson plans, classroom resources, assessment materials and on-line interactive resources. I used MEP for all three of my children during KS3 and it gave them a solid foundation from which to move into there IGCSE studies. The material does go right through to A'level but we started using the course text book and exam papers in year 10 so that I was sure we covered all the requirements of our chosen exam board. I would strongly recommend CIMT and their MEP for Maths.
Corbett Maths
Corbett maths is a website offering maths support for both primary and secondary aged students right up to A'level. There is also a youtube channel. The resources are really helpful and include the answers which is great. The videos include worked example questions so you can see the process and the rules applied. There are also 5 a day questions with the answers so that you can keep reviewing each day. Well worth a look.
GEOGRAPHY
Geography Pods
This is a website created by Matt Podbury for 11-16 year old geography students. There are some great contents and whole lesson plans to work through with worksheets and video links. He also has a separate website for IB geography which is also well worth a look. The site is great to look at with amazing photos and images to help get an understanding of the places and concepts studied. The lessons have whole class activities but these can easily be adapted for use in a home school setting. There are also lesson ideas for KS3, (G6-8). For IGCSE there are clear links to the syllabus and case studies are included in each section so you know you have what you need for the exams.
Internet Geography
Internet Geography covers Key stage 3 and GCSE topics. There's even stuff on there for teachers. The blog also has up to date articles on geographical issues. It is easy to navigate with clear headings and links. There's even revision advice on there. In the topics section you can find loads of useful information to introduce your children to the topics they will cover in more depth at GCSE. If you are stuck doing country studies and want to broaden your geography classes this is a great place to start.
Time for Geography
If your child is really enjoying Geography and is thinking about pursuing it in further education I'd recommend this site. As well as having great resources for GCSE, it also has AS and A Level material on there, and even some undergraduate stuff. So, if your student likes to delve deeper into subjects and know more this is the site for you. The videos are brilliant and really make the topics clear.
ENGLISH
Poem Analysis
This is a useful catalogue of poems and gives you a good place to start for an analysis if it is not your forte. There is an education section where it lists the poems that are in the different exam board anthologies. Very helpful.
DOGO News
This is a US based news site for children. I used this with my girls as a source site for their weekly news reports. Lots of variety and aimed specifically at children so more accessible than other news outlets.
Newsround
This a news site based in the UK, again it is aimed at children so the content is suitable and accessible. It is part of the BBC programme newsround which can be found on the bbc iplayer.
RSC Learning Zone
This site is a wealth of knowledge on all the Shakespeare plays you'll come across in the exam syllabus. There are great teaching resources and also a you tube channel which has lots of great videos to help you study Shakespeare. There are video clips to help understand key language terms, themes in the plays, how the characters are interpreted by the actors and more. I found it very useful.
BBC Bitesize
This site is a brilliant resource, and not just for revision. It is kept up to date, has all the different exam specs and covers all the subjects, not just English. I used it a lot. the site is interactive with games and test, videos (if you're in the UK) and revision material.
Brave Writer
Brave Writer was created by Julie Bogart and is where I found the ideas for poetry tea and free writing. She also offers online classes and other writing programmes that are available to buy. My children really enjoyed the free writing and I think it helped them develop a love of writing and poetry. Her site is well worth a look, especially if you have reluctant writers.
ART
The Arty Teacher
This is a website made by an art teacher for other art teachers but there is a section for home learners. It was intended for school children during the pandemic when everyone was learning from home, but useful for home schoolers. Loads of ideas and the option to subscribe for even more resources. Well worth a look.
Art History Kids
This is a brilliant website from Lotus Stewart who is a homeschool parent with a love of art and a desire to help her children develop their own creativity. She has packages to buy but also lots of free material. She also has a blog and a facebook group of the same name where she posts art project ideas. We used several of her free artist studies as a starting point for art projects.
HISTORY
The Radioooo
This is a website might not be what you were expecting for a history resource, but we really enjoyed listening to music from the era we were studying in history. It gave us added insight into the period and added a bit of fun. At KS3 we would tie in our art, music and history and try and study an artist from the same period too.
