It might not be quite as high-profile as next month’s Oscars, but a new survey of the top ICT resources for primary and secondary schools, as rated by teachers for their impact on pupils’ learning, will be just as important in the education world.

The Fischer Family Trust, set up by RM founder Mike Fischer, has compiled reports for English, maths, science and cross-curricular in primary and each secondary subject, based on evaluations from over 3,500 secondary schools and 200 primaries.

Mr Fischer said the aim was not to concentrate on the most frequently used resources, but to focus on “learning impact”. This would, he hoped, improve the market for resources that might have high impact but low visibility.

He said the most significant finding was the rise in importance of data projectors and interactive whiteboards. A high proportion of teachers using these resources rated their impact on pupils’ learning as being “significant” or “substantial”.

Interactive whiteboards are the only peripheral included in the secondary top 10, with the others being software. They are: Adobe Photoshop (www.adobe.co.uk) (art); Crocodile Clips (www.crocodile-clips.com) (technology, science); Cubasis (www.steinberg.net) (music); Logic Audio (www.emagic.de) (music); Logicator (www.logicalsoftware.co.uk) (technology, ICT); Microsoft Office (www.microsoft.com) (all); PCB Wizard (www.new-wave-concepts.com) (technology); Pro Desktop (www.ptc.com) (technology); TechSoft 2D Design (www.techsoftuk.co.uk) (technology) In the primary section, again all but one - RM’s Living Library (www.livlib.eduweb.co.uk) - are software titles. They are: Counter for Windows (www.blackcatsoftware.com) (maths); The Ultimate Human Body (www.dk.com); (science); Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft Publisher (www.microsoft.com); RM Maths and RM Number Magic (maths)(www.rm.com); Starspell (www.fishermarriot.com) (English); TexteaseTalking Textease (www.textease.com) (cross-curricular); Write AwayTalking Write Away (www.blackcatsoftware.com) (cross-curricular).

The resource that teachers felt had the most impact in secondary design and technology, science and maths was the interactive whiteboard, while it was jointly SuccessMaker (RM) and Microsoft Word in English.

In geography, the BBC Bitesize website (www.bbc.co.ukschoolsgcsebitesize) was the most valued, and its history site (www.bbc.co.ukhistory) was rated best by that subject’s teachers.

Microsoft Office had the most impact according to ICT teachers, while Dix Jeux Francais got the nod for modern foreign languages. In music, Midi keyboards were deemed most valuable and in physical education Microsoft PowerPoint came top of the table. In religious education, email was seen as the resource with the most impact for pupils, and Adobe Photoshop got the vote from art and design teachers.

The survey also listed resources that were mentioned by fewer than 10 schools in an attempt to highlight those that are considered by some teachers to be of major value. www.fischertrust.org