Students working towards their GCSE Maths nearly always consider commercially-available 'study guides' at some stage. Usually they buy them to supplement their school textbooks if their school still provides them. Although this usually happens in Year 10 or 11, I have known a few bright sparks from earlier years try and make use of them (with limited and variable success!).

The guides themselves vary tremendously. Back in the eighties there were far fewer choices available, usually boring monochrome texts with few illustrations and great wodges of text which many pupils I knew found quite the opposite of stimulating or helpful ! Often these items were published by a company which I shan't name directly... enough to say it had a name similar to a synonym of 'permit'!

About a decade ago things changed, a new publisher produced a range of guides (including Maths) actually attractive to young people. Without sacrificing content, presentation was improved. Colour was a feature and so was the breaking-up of the material into bitesize chunks, more easily digestible and often with humorous asides. Why not? After all, these books were supposed to help and encourage. An obvious feature, one would have thought !

Other publishers quickly followed suit and led to the situation today where there are about four main publishers of these (vastly improved) guides plus a number of smaller fry. I could tell you my personal preferences for maximum student facility at this stage but maybe that's something for another conversation.

I'll just say that nowadays these educational 'extras' in the right hands can be a valuable learning resource. But the teacher's input will always be needed !