WIREDGOV

Blog posted by: John Dabell, 12 July 2018. 

I have a shed at the bottom of the garden full of teaching resources. Over time, it has developed its own filing and storage system, and to find things requires a fair degree of patience and stamina. In fact, it’s a nightmare, with stuff all over the place. Some education websites are like this, too; they’re easy to walk into, but once inside, it can be hard to know where to start looking for what you’re after.

Fortunately, StudyHut, from NCFE, is different. In fact, it’s how I would like my shed to be: neat, tidy, efficient and user-friendly. And it’s much more than a storage solution, too - StudyHut collects together useful content, and acts as a huge, personalised signposting system, so that students and teachers can find what is most appropriate to their needs.

The focus of the site is on directing you to quality content for GCSE and Functional Skills in maths and English, and it’s ideal for students working at all levels, including those who are struggling to get on track for a grade 4, or who are preparing for retakes. The great beauty of StudyHut is that teachers can confidently share resources, knowing they have been carefully matched with maths and English curricula regardless of the awarding body.

Creating an account is simple, and once you have logged in then you can easily search for maths and English content, looking for what you need by topic, type, level and cost. The site itself is free to use and will direct you to various other websites that offer free resources, as well as some that do charge (although you can filter those out with ease if that’s what you prefer to do).

Some materials ‘fit’ students more than others and so to help you determine what is going to work best for particular learners, you can invite them to look at a specific resource and take a confidence survey to see how they feel. Resources can then be recommended and a follow-up survey given again to ‘test the waters’ for sureness and suitability. Sharing resources is very easy, whether for individuals or whole class groups.

In terms of ‘even better if’, I would love it if the site’s designers could think about accessibility - white text on a black background can cause eye strain and doesn’t suit some dyslexic learners, or learners with colour deficiencies. All in all, though, StudyHut is a beacon of energy, inspiration, innovation and invention. It’s all you need for maths and English study – full stop.

Verdict

✓ Simple and easy to use

✓ Dynamic and responsive

✓ High quality, flexible and innovative

✓ Increases learner confidence for getting exam-ready

✓ Perfect for parents to support home revision in key areas

Upgrade if...

You are looking for a dedicated study site that pulls together different types of learning materials covering all areas of maths and English to maximise student engagement and learning outcomes.

Find out more at studyhut.co.uk