Are textbooks (printed or digital) not used any more? How do students revise?

I often hear this point about specifications changing, but how often do they change?

I think minor changes can be surprisingly frequent - but Wales is doing huge change - current Y10 being last one here to do current GCSE.

They are reorganising subjects - so think it's just science no triple - English lit and lang being merged together - and maths numeracy and maths being merged back together - new subjects at least that what I last heard as not following as much as doesn't affect directly my kids.

There was an interesting thread about this recently:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/5158860-why-on-earth-arent-subject-text-books-plugged-more?reply=138105341

"teacher re-writing their own textbook. Every. Single. Year."
what do you mean every year? Isn't it almost a one-off exercise? How much can the material change from year to year? Or do schools change not so much the topics but the way they are presented?
You'd have to ask a teacher this because the system makes no sense to me!

There are no text books anymore.

Sometimes the schools use app like math swatch or educate. Often on here you get pointed in direction of https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize or https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/ or paid ones.

We got revision/course guides - and spent a small fortune - from Y9/Y10 onwards for GCSE and AS/A-level. But next year here in Wales there a big reorganisation of GCSE exams - so won't have much chance to sell on ones we have and there won't be as much out there for those kids doing new exams.

DS notes were dire for GCSE and some of his teachers inundated them with verbose notes or often photocopies pages - so revision guides were vital fro him DD2 only two school years behind many more teachers and departments have topic booklets which make it all easier.

Exam board also has app where you can put in subject paper and topic and it will let you select past questions and put answers at back - school and we use it.

Never felt bar topics I had much handle on what my kids in primary were doing - so just did our own support work for basics at home.

My lecturers in 90s were compiling us students didn't do the reading round they did in their day and DH - HE lecturer subject is more practical based so it doesn't affect him as much. I do worry DD1 may not be doing enough reading round her subject but she getting good grades and in some areas the internet sites have more specific up to date information on specific areas than any book and her degree has practical skills in there as well.

Can't understand how children are expected to study with information in multiple locations.

We asked the school for the textbook names and bought them for use at home.
It's not cheap and unfair to those who can't afford them.

As already said - there's little use of textbooks now. Lots of handouts and online resources.
You won't need revision guides until yr11.

I don't understand why they don't have textbooks anymore. Teachers are allowed time for "planning" (so that is time taken away from their primary task of teaching) which appears to consist of every teacher re-writing their own textbook. Every. Single. Year.
I cannot see how this is effective use of time.

As PP said, CGP can be useful. There is also BBC Bitesize.

I don't have general experience of other schools, but my DD is in Y9 and there are no textbooks brought home.

They have lots of paper stuck into their exercise books, they have various slides and lesson notes available on Teams, they have various online resources (Dr Frost, Educake and probably others) and are sometimes directed to BBC Bitesize to help with revision.

I understand that, at the start of Y10, they will have the opportunity to purchase (at discounted prices) various study materials relevant to the exam boards.

DD's bag is heavy enough without textbooks. It seems to be fine.

Edited to add that this is a state grammar school.

Textbooks are too expensive for schools to buy, and in many subjects they need changing every time the specification changes, so a huge amount of money from tiny budgets.
But other than that I agree with you, I don’t think it is helpful in many ways.
You can but books yourself for your dc to have at home if you afford that, eg CGP do a decent enough KS3 science textbook to back up what they are doing in school.