This practical guide for 11 to 16-year-olds is helpful, but contains nothing new. It covers major aspects of analogue and digital circuits and systems and gives a brief overview of requirements for each examination board syllabus at key stage 4.

The layout is bold and accessible. Each page contains information about a particular topic, with circuit diagrams and illustrations arranged to make photocopying easy and convenient.

Teachers will particularly like the inclusion of tasks and assignments that suggest ways to investigate the practical application of each circuit or sub-system.

The tasks and assignments offer structured activities but do not in themselves explain in detail how particular circuits work. The book says little about what to do if a circuit doesn’t work, and stops short of looking at how circuits are incorporated into products - aspects students will need to consider.

Andy Tubbs is inspector for technology, Berkshire