If you’re looking for a glimpse of the future, this site is the prototype of the Government-sponsored National Grid for Learning, an on-line network to which all schools will be connected by the year 2002.

This Web site, unveiled by David Blunkett at this year’s BETT Show, is divided into two main areas - a “virtual teacher centre” and a “standards and effectiveness database”, with plans for more content to be developed after the current pilot stage.

Within the virtual teacher centre you can find a “meeting room” in which teachers can swap ideas, a library for official education documents, resources for teaching and professional development.

An aim of the project is to give schools a direct channel for information and support materials from the Department for Education and Employment or other education agencies, and within the standards and effectiveness database you can get chapter and verse on subjects such as target-setting, school improvement and literacy initiatives.